The mission of the Maysles Institute is to continue the commitment to documentary excellence, integrity, and truth-telling that is personified in the work of Albert and David Maysles, and to preserve and present their work for current and future generations of film-makers and film-goers.

The Institute's goals include:

••Preserving the Maysles archive and making the work broadly available in a variety of formats

••Training student filmmakers to follow in the Maysles' tradition

••Encouraging and enabling young filmmakers here and abroad to use film to document their lives and the lives of those around them

••Building the audience for exemplary documentary films through screenings at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem and at other institutions, and through other means of distribution