Can not open old Imovie content anymore

Error message: iMovie cannot open files in the “iMovie Event” format.

I successfully transferred all my iMovie files (in the 'iMovie Library') to cloud storage to free up space on my local device.


I deleted some of the less important projects and tried to open them with the file titled: 'CurrentVersion.imovieevent', assuming that is the file that opens the project in iMovie.


However, when I tried that, an error message pops up to say that iMovie cannot open files with the 'imovieevent' extension. Does anyone know how this works?


To conclude: imovie content was removed from Imovie app - still have the documents called 'CurrentVersion.imovieevent' - cannot open the files anymore

Posted on Sep 18, 2023 9:25 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 18, 2023 10:19 AM

Hi, maartje275,


I'm not quite sure what you did, but it looks like you may have corrupted your iMovie library or broken the link between the library and the app.


The "CurrentVersion.imovieevent" file appears in the Show Package Contents of the iMovie 10 library. (Show Package Contents is an option from the pop up menu that appears when you control-click on the iMovie library icon in the Movies folder.) You cannot play any projects from the Show Package Contents. To play a project you must open it from the iMovie app. That being said, if you delete or move anything from the iMovie library you risk corrupting the library so that no projects can then be accessed, even from the app.


Whatever you put in the Cloud, take it out of the Cloud and put it back where you got it. See if that gets things working.


If no luck, and If you keep a Time Machine backup, try restoring your iMovie library with Time Machine to an earlier point in time.


If no luck with the above, try going to the iMovie backups folder and opening an earlier backed up version of your iMovie library. To get to the iMovie Backups folder, follow this file path from the Finder menu:


Go/Home/Library/Containers/com.apple.iMovieApp/Data/Library/Caches/iMovieBackups


 NOTE:  If running Ventura, in the above file path

substitute iMovie for com.apple.iMovieApp.  So, for Ventura,

the file path would read:


 Go/Home/Library/Containers/iMovie/Data/Library/Caches/iMovieBackups


When you get there you will see a list of previous backups of your iMovie library.  Click on one dated just before your issue started.  iMovie will open in that library.   Navigate to your projects browser (where your projects are displayed as icons) and see if your projects are intact.


-- Rich


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3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 18, 2023 10:19 AM in response to maartje275

Hi, maartje275,


I'm not quite sure what you did, but it looks like you may have corrupted your iMovie library or broken the link between the library and the app.


The "CurrentVersion.imovieevent" file appears in the Show Package Contents of the iMovie 10 library. (Show Package Contents is an option from the pop up menu that appears when you control-click on the iMovie library icon in the Movies folder.) You cannot play any projects from the Show Package Contents. To play a project you must open it from the iMovie app. That being said, if you delete or move anything from the iMovie library you risk corrupting the library so that no projects can then be accessed, even from the app.


Whatever you put in the Cloud, take it out of the Cloud and put it back where you got it. See if that gets things working.


If no luck, and If you keep a Time Machine backup, try restoring your iMovie library with Time Machine to an earlier point in time.


If no luck with the above, try going to the iMovie backups folder and opening an earlier backed up version of your iMovie library. To get to the iMovie Backups folder, follow this file path from the Finder menu:


Go/Home/Library/Containers/com.apple.iMovieApp/Data/Library/Caches/iMovieBackups


 NOTE:  If running Ventura, in the above file path

substitute iMovie for com.apple.iMovieApp.  So, for Ventura,

the file path would read:


 Go/Home/Library/Containers/iMovie/Data/Library/Caches/iMovieBackups


When you get there you will see a list of previous backups of your iMovie library.  Click on one dated just before your issue started.  iMovie will open in that library.   Navigate to your projects browser (where your projects are displayed as icons) and see if your projects are intact.


-- Rich


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Can not open old Imovie content anymore

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