The BFI National Archive is one of the world’s greatest collections of film and television. The majority of the collection is British material but it also features internationally significant holdings from around the world. There is a wealth of material of every genre from silent newsreels to CinemaScope epics, from home movies to avant-garde experiments, from classic documentaries to vintage television, from advertisements to 3-D films, soap opera to football.

The archive contains more than 50,000 fiction films, over 100,000 non-fiction titles and around 625,000 television programmes.

Holdings

Non-Fiction Collection

Films in the collection concern topics such as 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 Non-Fiction collection holds a number of titles relating to Latin America before 1945, from newsreel and documentaries to travelogues and cinemagazines.

Fiction Film Collection
Most of the films in the collection are British productions or have a strong British connection, but key international titles are also held.
Only a handful of Latin American fiction films made prior to 1945 exist in the BFI collection.

Consultation

No online catalogue.

Please note this is an information database not a list of the holdings -however it may help identify titles that interest you.
Student, academics, or non-commercial researchers may be able to see material on the BFI premises through the Research Viewing Service.
Information on accessing the collection: http://www.bfi.org.uk/nftva/access/
Contact
BFI Archive Enquiries
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN
Tel: 020 7255 1444 (telephone enquiries 10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm)
Fax: 020 7436 0165

Contact form: http://www.bfi.org.uk/help/contact/53

Opening Times and Charges
Monday-Friday: 10am-5pm
The BFI charges per hour of film consulted.