Moving History - a guide to UK film and television archives in the public sector

 

 

 
Holiday
The Sorcerer’s Scissors
South: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Glorious Epic of the Antarctic
Billy Merson singing Desdemona
Distant Voices, Still Lives (Trailer)
Together
Mitchell and Kenyon 58: Pendlebury Colliery

British Film Institute

bfi fiction collection

bfi non-fiction collection

bfi TV collection

Contact and access

bfi National Film and Television Archive - Contact Details and Access

About the Archive

The British Film Institute is dedicated to developing and encouraging greater understanding and appreciation of film, television and the moving image. bfi National Film and Television Archive holds the largest collection of film and television titles in Europe - including British and foreign feature films, early and silent movies, documentaries, short films, new and advertising footage, amateur and experimental films, animation and television programmes.

In addition to the NFTVA collection, the bfi holds a unique collection of photographs, and illustrations from cinema and television, special collections of film and television ephemera, as well as the bfi National Library which provides access to the world’s largest collection of books and information on film and television.

The bfi NFTVA has three main collections - Fiction, Non-Fiction and Television. For a detailed overview of each collection, please click on the links in the left menu.

Enquiries contact details:

contact forms and details: www.bfi.org.uk/nationalarchive/enquiries.html
address: 21 Stephen Street
London, W1T 1LN

website: www.bfi.org.uk/nationalarchive/about/
catalogue: Selected films from the BFI's catalogue can be searched at www.bfi.org.uk/reelhistory

Access and Facilities:

The bfi NFTVA aims to provide access to the film and television collections to as many people as possible, whether from the general public, academics or those involved in the media sector.

The Cataloguing Unit provides an enquiry and research service for all those requiring information on film and television titles held by the bfi. When titles have been identified, the user is then put in touch with the appropriate access department.

  • Searching - Selected films from the BFI's catalogue can be searched at www.bfi.org.uk/reelhistory

  • Viewing - The research viewing service is available to non-commercial researchers and to students wishing to view material relating to their research, and allows access to all films and videos designated as 'viewing copies' held by the BFI National Archive. Please note that not all of the archive's holdings may be available for viewing due to constraints of preservation or copyright. Viewings take place by appointment,and charged by the hour based on the running time of the films/TV programmes booked. See the website for details.

Information and films from the collections can also be found at:

  • BFI Screenonline - online guide to British film and television, with commentary and analysis and nearly 700 hours video free to users in UK schools, colleges, universities and public libraries

  • BFI Mediatheques - View nearly 2,000 complete films and programmes free at the BFI Mediatheques

  • BFI YouTube channel - Hundreds of films from the BFI National Archive, plus previews of new and forthcoming BFI releases and seasons, expert commentary, interviews and more

  • BFI InView - An collection of non-fiction film and television for academics and FE/HE students of 20th century British history

  • The Archive on DVD - selected archive titles are also available on BFI DVD and Blu-Ray