North West Film Archive

The North West Film Archive (NWFA) is the professionally recognised^{[citation needed]} public home for the moving image heritage of the North West of England.

The Archive cares for over 35,000 items from the pioneer days of film in the mid 1890s to video production of the present day. The work of both the professional and the amateur is collected. The NWFA is a part of the Learning and Research Information Services at Manchester Metropolitan University and has been established since 1977.

History

The North West Film Archive is Britain's largest public collection outside London. The Archive was set up in 1977 and is the professionally recognised home for moving images made in or about Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Cumbria. The region's position at the forefront of industrialisation is reflected in the Archive's Collection which is a powerful record of modern urban society.^{[citation needed]}

The Archive works closely with colleagues in national and regional film archives throughout the country. In 1994 the NWFA became a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) and the archive is also a member of the Film Archive Forum.

Archives

Collections

The NWFA collections include; cinema newsreels, documentaries, advertising and promotional information, education and travel films, home videos, corporate videos and regional television programmes. Complementary collections of photographs, taped interviews and original documentation have also been established. This material relates to the Archive's moving image collection and also to the region's film and cinema industries.

Access

The Archive offers a variety of access services to users in the public, academic and commercial sectors. Local residents and groups can take advantage of the NWFA's free research, viewing and loan services. Those in higher education can make use of the archives as the collections support academic teaching and research across a wide range of disciplines. The NWFA also has over twenty years' experience in providing a commercial service to television companies both in the UK and abroad.^{[citation needed]}

Public Screenings

The NWFA do regular public screenings at venues around the region.