Solomon Northup’s Odyssey predated Steve McQueen’s movie, 12 Years a Slave, by 30 years and equals its narrative power. Based on Northup’s 1853 memoir, it is the true story of a free black man who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery. Steve McQueen won the Oscar for his movie in 2013. That same year, we located the negative for the Gordon Parks film in the DuArt vault. With help from Warrington Hudlin, founder of the Black Filmmaker Foundation, and support from the March on Washington Film Festival, IndieCollect raised the funds to make a preservation print that premiered at the National Archives in 2014. Once the 4K version is completed, Solomon Northup’s Odyssey will finally be seen in theaters. Producer Shep Morgan has agreed to place the original picture & sound elements at the Library of Congress after the restoration.