01 jul 2025 100 Years Later, THE GOLD RUSH Unites Global Audiences in Landmark Anniversary Screenings

On Thursday 26 June, THE GOLD RUSH was screened in cinemas for the first time in over 500 venues across 70 countries worldwide, marking the film’s centenary.

This global event was the result of several years of research and collaboration between mk2 Films, Roy Export, and the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, dedicated to restoring the original 1925 silent version of the film in 4K. The restoration was made possible using never-before-assembled elements sourced from a range of international archives, including the BFI National Archive, Blackhawk Films and the Lobster Films collection, Das Bundesarchiv, the Filmoteca de Catalunya, the George Eastman Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Thanks to the combined efforts of these institutions, audiences can now experience Chaplin’s masterpiece in a version even closer to its original form.

The restored version premiered earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival, opening the 78th edition to a full house. Chaplin’s grandchildren, Kiera and Spencer Chaplin, introduced the screening alongside Thierry Frémaux.

On 26 June — the exact anniversary of its original 1925 premiere — the film was rediscovered by thousands of viewers around the world: from the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood (where it was first shown), to a grand open-air screening attended by 6,000 spectators in Bologna, Italy, with a live orchestra; to prestigious venues across France; in Spain, where director Rodrigo Sorogoyen presented the film; in Germany; at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens, Greece; in cinemas throughout Japan; in China, introduced by filmmaker Jia Zhang-ke; and many more. Screenings also took place in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Scandinavia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Turkey, Armenia, Kosovo, Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Lebanon, Brazil, Colombia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, and Kazakhstan.

This landmark event marks the beginning of a year-long centenary celebration, with further screenings to follow — honouring a film that continues to demonstrate cinema’s unique power to portray resilience and to foster intercultural and intergenerational connection.

WATCH TRAILER