Inside the Archive
Discover how we bring the archive to life by collecting, preserving and restoring film.
Current projects
BFI Replay
BFI Replay is a free-to-access digital archive exclusively available in UK public lending libraries.
Find out moreYour Britain on Film
British lives, caught on film and collected online. Discover previously unseen film capturing 120 years of Britain on film.
Find out moreRestoration of Silent Sherlock
The BFI National Archive’s major new project – the restoration of a series of films starring Eille Norwood, Conan-Doyle’s favourite screen Sherlock – will be presented with a live score at Alexandra Palace as part of the BFI London Film Festival.
Find out moreLatest from the National Archive
A history of the archive
The BFI National Archive came into being in 1935, as the National Film Library (NFL), a key part of the remit of the British Film Institute (itself formed just two years earlier) to “maintain a national repository of films of permanent value”.
Find out moreInside the Archive YouTube playlist
Treasures from the archive and how they are conserved.
Watch playlistOur collections
Introduction to the BFI collections
The films in our collections are a fascinating record of the history, culture and art of filmmaking and TV production, as well as a document of daily life in the UK from the late 19th century to today.
Find out moreCare of the collections
Film in all of its forms presents real challenges for the archivist. Here’s some information about how we look after it.
Find out moreA closer look at the archive
BFI National Archive teams
The BFI National Archive is managed by teams of specialists, who work closely to preserve, present and interpret the BFI’s large and diverse collection of film and television materials.
Find out moreBFI National Archive FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the BFI National Archive and access to our collections.
Find out morePast projects
Britain on Lockdown – online video archive
Britain on Lockdown calls on the British public to recommend the online videos that best represent how Britain has experienced the impact of Coronavirus.
Find out moreColonial Film
A cross-institutional project that produced a new catalogue of films relating to the British Empire.
Find out more