film reel THE INTERTITLE PROJECT film reel
Bilingual title cards for silent films
film projector What is this?
Silent films talk with title cards. We are translating those cards into Spanish (Mexican Spanish first) and putting both languages on the same card, so a mixed audience can watch one print together. The film's running time does not change, which means the organist's cues still work.

Translations are done by volunteers. Finished cards are made by designers, or generated automatically when nobody has time to draw them. Then the cards are cut back into the film.

new The films new
Three comedies to start. All are in the public domain in the United States.
bowler hat The Adventurer (1917) - Charlie Chaplin
The Little Tramp escapes from prison, saves a young woman from drowning, and lands in high society.
Status: see the progress board below
antique telephone Number, Please? (1920) - Harold Lloyd
Harold races the clock and a very busy telephone operator to win back the girl.
Status: see the progress board below
The General (1926) - Buster Keaton
A railroad engineer chases the spies who stole his locomotive, and his girl, across enemy lines.
Status: see the progress board below
progress board Progress board progress board
FilmCardsVerifiedSpanishDesignedTiming
The Adventurer (1917) — — — — not timed
Number, Please? (1920) — — — — not timed
The General (1926) — — — — not timed

Updated: —
globe How to help
  • Translate. If you read English and write Spanish, you can translate title cards in your browser. No software to install. Crowdin project.
  • Design. If you letter, set type, or draw, you can turn translations into finished cards. See the designer notes.
  • Transcribe. Someone has to type out the original English cards from the print. It is tedious and it matters.
  • Bring a film. Any silent film in the public domain can go through the same pipeline.
speech bubble The rules of the road
1. The translation has to be as short as the English. The card is on screen for a fixed number of seconds.
2. Jokes have to land in Spanish, not just translate.
3. Names stay. Harold is Harold.
4. Everything we make is free for any theatre to use, with credit.
under construction This site is under construction. More films are coming. under construction
mail Questions and offers of help: open an issue on GitHub
Last updated: September 4, 2026 · Best viewed at 800x600 or larger · Clip art from openclipart.org (public domain)
Films are in the public domain in the United States · Made by hand. No frameworks were harmed.