Distribution Catalogues
The distribution catalogues below offer a preview from the collection of such catalogues held in the BFI National Library. A rich resource of information on individual films, and a picture of the culture of the period, these catalogues are also a part of the story of the organisations and companies involved. The BFI National Library holds distribution catalogues from the beginnings of cinema to the arrival of the digital era.
BFI Distribution Catalogue - Spring 1962
In this example films are organised in three sections, The History and Art of the Film, British Film Institute Specialised Film Libraries (including categories for Films Made by Amateurs, Films Made by Children, Films on Transport, Films on Jazz), and Film Study Material.
BFI Distribution Catalogue - Spring 1969
The BFI Distribution Catalogue from Spring 1969 shows how the collection has developed since 1962. Early works by Bunuel, Bergman, Antonioni, Ozu and Hitchcock have been added. Some work produced for television has been added, and also what would now be might be called artists' films as reflected in the words by Stanley Reed, Director of the BFI at the time, in his introduction 'The (BFI) Production Board's output is further represented by our 'Experiments in Visual Arts' section with films by a remarkable new generation of young directors, augmenting our selection of significant titles by such innovators as Fischinger, Hirsch, Brakhage, Borowczyk, Broughton and Conner.'
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