Fiction

The bfi National Archive's fiction film collection comprises more than 50,000 titles on all gauges of film, from 8mm to 70mm, and many video formats. Films have been given to the Archive by donors and depositors from all over the world. Donors include production companies, distributors, laboratories, studios, other archives, trade organisations, museums, educational establishments, collectors and individual filmmakers.

Most of the films in the collection are British productions or have a strong British connection, but key international titles are also held, and we have an extensive collection of early and pre-sound cinema, as well as productions that may be endangered in their country of origin for political reasons.

Ranging from the earliest examples of fiction film to the most recent cinema releases, the collection embraces experimental, avant-garde and artists' moving image material, trailers, music videos, animation, student and amateur works. Quite apart from its historical value as a collection of a popular and entertaining art form, it is a precious resource, not only as an ongoing record of the development of film production, distribution and consumption in Britain, but also as an ever-expanding visual document of social, cultural and ideological trends. Censor cuts, and alternative versions of films made for different markets, are held wherever possible.