Non-Fiction
Cotton Comeback (UK, 1946)
The bfi National Archive's non-fiction collection comprises more than 100,000 titles and is one of the largest and most diverse non-fiction moving image collections in the world.
The collection ranges from the earliest British film known to survive - Birt Acres' record of the 1895 Derby at Epsom - to documentaries made by students at the National Film and Television School for their graduations. In addition to its place within British moving image culture, the collection forms a powerful record of contemporary life and events from the end of the nineteenth century to the present.
The collection includes all the classic 'Documentary' titles - films such as Night Mail (1936), A Diary for Timothy (1946) - as well as a great variety of other non-fiction material, including amateur filmmaking, advertising, medical films and newsreel. Topics include urban and rural locations, transport, industry, sport and leisure, the arts, science, and natural history. Materials are held on film, videotape and other media including digital formats.
The Archive depends on donation to add to its collection and is grateful for the generosity of a large number of both personal and corporate donors.
