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| Established | 5 April 1984 (1984-04-05) |
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| Location | McCoy Circuit,Acton,Australian Capital Territory,Australia |
| Coordinates | 35°17′02″S149°07′16″E / 35.283950°S 149.121075°E /-35.283950; 149.121075 |
| Type | Audiovisual Archive |
| Collection size | 4 million+ items |
| CEO | Patrick McIntyre |
| Chairperson | Caroline Elliot |
| Owner | Australian Government |
| Employees | 223 (as of June 2023[update])[1] |
| Nearest parking | Free parking surrounding the building on Liversedge Street |
| Website | www |
TheNational Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), based inCanberra and known asScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia'saudiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting, and providing access to a national collection offilm,television, sound,radio, video games, new media, and related documents andartefacts. The collection ranges from works created in the late nineteenth century when the recorded sound and film industries were in their infancy, to those made in the present day.
The NFSA collection first started as the National Historical Film and Speaking Record Library (within the thenCommonwealth National Library) in 1935, becoming an independent cultural organisation in 1984. On 3 October, Prime MinisterBob Hawke officially opened the NFSA's headquarters inCanberra.
The work of the archive can be officially dated to the establishment of the National Historical Film and Speaking Record Library (part of the thenCommonwealth National Library, precursor to the National Library of Australia) by aCabinet decision on 11 December 1935.[citation needed] It was continued post-War by the Library's Film Division.
After being part of the National Library of Australia (NLA) and its predecessors for nearly 50 years, the National Film and Sound Archive was created as a separateCommonwealth collecting institution through an announcement inParliament on 5 April 1984 that took immediate effect.[2] At that time, an Advisory Committee was established to guide the institution.[citation needed]
In 1999, the name was changed to ScreenSound Australia,[3][4][5] and changed again in early 2000 to ScreenSound Australia, National Screen and Sound Archive.[6][7] It reverted to its original name, National Film and Sound Archive, in December 2004.[8][better source needed]
In 2000, Screensound joined thePANDORA Archive, theweb archiving project started by the NLA in 1996, as a collaborating partner.[9]
Meanwhile, consequent on amendments to theAustralian Film Commission Act which took effect on 1 July 2003 under theHoward government, it ceased to be a semi-autonomous entity within theDepartment of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts and became an integrated branch, later a division, of theAustralian Film Commission, a funding and promotional body.[10] The Archive Forum, of which filmmakerMartha Ansara was a founding member[11] andChris Puplick the chair,[12] lobbied for the establishment of the NFSA as a statutory body[13] from this date.[10][14]
In 2007, theLiberal government announced the creation of a new agency to be calledScreen Australia, which would incorporate the main functions of theFilm Finance Corporation, the Australian Film Commission (including the Archive), andFilm Australia.[10]
Following elections in November 2007, the newLabor government implemented an election promise to allow the NFSA to become astatutory authority, similar to other major cultural institutions, including theNational Library of Australia, theNational Gallery of Australia and theNational Museum of Australia. TheNational Film and Sound Archive Act 2008 became law on 20 March 2008 and came into effect on 1 July 2008,[15][16] with celebrations held that day.[17]
The archive's first board as a statutory authority comprised:[18]
The building to which the Archive moved in 1984 was the home of theAustralian Institute of Anatomy from 1931 to 1984. Originally it held the anatomy collection ofSir Colin MacKenzie.[citation needed]
The building is often classified asart deco, though its overall architectural style is technically "Late 20th Century Stripped Classical", the style ofancient Greece andRome but simplified and modernised. It features a symmetrical façade, a horizontal skyline, classical columns and a central entrance. The decorative foyer features images of native flora, fauna andAboriginal art and motifs. Face masks of well-known scientists from the late 19th century and early 20th century are featured on the foyer's walls as a reminder of its previous incarnation as the Institute of Anatomy.[citation needed]
The building also features a landscaped courtyard and theatre. In 1999, the building was extended to accommodate the Archive's growth. The new wing's design is in keeping with theArt Deco style of the main structure with details and finishes to match the original look.[citation needed]
In 2024, the NFSA won the Architecture and Building Conservation Award in the ACT Heritage Awards for the renewal of the building.[19]
NFSA is governed by a board, as a statutory body. As of June 2024[update] the board members are:[20]
Day-to-day management and strategic planning is performed by the CEO. Past and present CEOs include:
The NFSA collection includes more than four million items, encompassingsound recordings,radio,television,film,video games andnew media. In addition todiscs, films, videos,audio tapes,phonograph cylinders and wire recordings, the collection includes supporting documents andartefacts, such as personal papers and organisational records, photographs, posters, lobby cards, publicity, scripts, costumes,props,memorabilia, and sound, video and film equipment.[citation needed]
Notable holdings include:[citation needed]
A 2010 study compared the curatorial practices of accessioning and cataloging for NFSA collections and forYouTube with regard to access to older Australian television programs. It found the NFSA to be stronger in current affairs and older programs, and YouTube stronger in game shows, lifestyle programs, and "human interest" material (births, marriages, and deaths). YouTube cataloging was found to have fewer broken links than the NFSA collection, and YouTubemetadata could be searched more intuitively. The NFSA was found to generally provide more useful reference information about production and broadcast dates.[30]
In June 2023 the NFSA launched the NFSA Player, a new digital streaming platform for on-demand content. The first content collection,Buwindja,[31] was a curated selection of 17 titles reflecting the 2023 NAIDOC theme ofFor Our Elders.
In July 2024, NFSA Player made another 34 titles available for rent, including true crime and mystery, stories of postwar migration and early films from notable Australian artists and directors.[32]
The NFSA announced plans to collect Australian-developed video games as part of its collection starting in 2019, with new titles to be added on an annual basis.[33]
In 2022 it joined withACMI andThe Powerhouse to acquire the hit multi-platform video gameUntitled Goose Game, created by Victorian game developers House House.[34]
In 2024, the NFSA published the first international video game preservation survey, in collaboration withThe Strong Museum of Play (US) and with the support of theBFI National Archive (UK), and called for increased international collaboration and recognition to advocate for the needs of the video game preservation community.[35]
The NFSA runs a public program from its Acton building, including new release and repertory cinema screenings atArc Cinema, panel discussions and Q&As, conferences, audiovisual installations, festivals and live music.
Free public spaces include The Library, restored in 2024 to house more than 280 items drawn from the full expanse of the National Film and Sound Archive collection, the Mediatheque, a lounge screening highlights from the audiovisual archive, and the Theatrette, which shows free documentaries on rotation.[36]
The NFSA is a foundation partner of Sustainable Screens Australia[37] and a founding member of the Australian Media Literacy Alliance.[38]
In April 2023, the Australian Government announced an investment of $535 million over four years into eight National Collecting Institutions, including $31 million over the same period for NFSA.[39] The CEO of the NFSA Patrick McIntyre said “The new funds will turbocharge our ability to increase discoverability and access to the national collection for all Australians.”[40]
In October 2024, the NFSA curated and hosted the Fantastic Futures 24 Conference, the first in-depth Australasian examination of the challenges and opportunities of AI for the galleries, libraries, archives and museums sector.[41]
The NFSA runs a student media literacy program, Media and Me onsite at its Acton headquarters, which examines storytelling through animation, advertising, gaming, social media, film and music and explores how media has evolved over time in its methods of influencing and persuading viewers.[42]
Films aredigitised as part of their preservation strategy, so that the original does not need to be seen as often. The oldest films in the collection, some over 100 years old and those made up until the 1950s, were made onnitrate cellulose film, of which NFSA holds around 10,000 cans. This type of film has a distinctive visual impact, being "very bright and colourful, dazzling..."; however, it also carries a high fire risk, and, if not properly stored, can deteriorate and become brittle. It needs to be kept cold and dry, but not too dry. Curator Jeff Wray believes that it is important to keep the original despite digitisation — "it has a great amount of information, a colour story, a technology story". Among other films made on nitrate cellulose, there is film of theBodyline cricket series in the 1930s, and the first feature film ever made,The Story of the Kelly Gang, released in 1906. In May 2024, the federal government's budget allocatedA$9.3 million towards the preservation of these films.[47]
Australian Screen Online (ASO), also known asAustralian Screen oraustralianscreen, is anonline database operated by the NFSA. It has both a promotional and educational function, providing free worldwide online access to information aboutAustralian cinema andthe television industry in Australia.[48]
ASO provides information about and excerpts from a wide selection of Australian feature films,documentaries, television programs,newsreels,short films,animations, andhome movies, provided by a collaboration of the NFSA with theNational Archives of Australia, theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation,SBS, and theAustralian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS).[48] The educational content is designed for teachers and students, and includes a collection of film clips accompanied by teachers' notes and curators' notes written by experts.[49]
Since the initial launch of the website on 18 July 2007, with more than 1500 Australian film and TV clips,[50] it has won numerous awards as an educational resource and for its website design.[48] The website wasrevamped and re-launched in 2009, including new features such as exclusive interviews withfilmmakers, a news section, forums, games, detailed profiles ofproducers,directors,screenwriters,film score composers and actors. At the time, it reported about 90,000 visitors per month to the website, with 25 per cent coming from outside Australia.[51]
Friends of the National Film and Sound Archive is a volunteer organisation, run as an independently-runincorporated association. Its purpose is "to encourage links between the Archive, the film and sound communities and the general community". The organisation is based in Canberra, and has a branch inMelbourne.[52]Andrew Pike of Ronin Films was instrumental in its establishment in 1999/2000,[53][54][55] served as president and member of the board for many years,[53] and as of December 2024[update] remains patron. Other patrons includeBryan Brown,Anthony Buckley,Chris Noonan,Philip Noyce,Alan Rydge,Fred Schepisi, andPatricia Amphlett ("Little Pattie").[54]
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The Ken G Hall Film Preservation Award was established in 1995 as a tribute to producer/directorKen G Hall. It is presented in recognition of an individual, group, or organisation, for their outstanding contribution to the art of moving image and its preservation.[56] It is presented to candidates where there is a significant link between their work and its impact or relationship to the Australian film industry. Examples of this contribution include technical innovation, scholarship in the field, involvement with the survival of film as an art form and as a cultural experience, advocacy, sponsorship and fundraising.
The NFSA National Folk Recording Award was established in 2001 to encourage and reward excellence in Australian folk music recording. Award entrants are selected from recordings submitted each year to the National Folk Festival in Canberra. The judging panel comprises representatives from the National Folk Festival,ABC Radio and the Archive.[57]
The Cochrane-Smith Award for Sound Heritage[59] recognises the achievements of a person who has made a substantial contribution to the preservation, survival and recognition of sound heritage. It is named forFanny Cochrane Smith, who features on the only known recording of Tasmanian Aboriginal songs and language.
The Orlando Short Film Award is an annual celebration of Australia's best lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex short films. It recognises the nation's cultural diversity and the role screen culture plays within the broader community.
First presented in 2010, theNFSA and Australian Cinematographers Society John Leake OAM Award for an Emerging Cinematographer,[60] also known as the NFSA-ACS John Leake OAM ACS Award and John Leake OAM ACS Emerging Cinematographer Award, is designed to enable emerging cinematographers to develop their craft, and is presented annually at theAustralian Cinematographers Society Awards. The award is named in honour of Australian Cinematographers Society (ACS) co-founder and industry icon John LeakeOAM (1927–2009).[61] The inaugural winner of the award wasKirsty Stark.[60]
The South East Asia Pacific Audiovisual Archives Association (SEAPAVAA) NFSA Preservation Award recognises the extraordinary efforts of individuals or organisations within the South East Asia and Pacific region in preserving or promoting audiovisual archiving in the region. It is presented at the annual SEAPAVAA conference.
The following exhibitions have been developed by the NFSA:
From August 2018, the NFSA re-opened its exhibition gallery to present temporary exhibitions, including:
In 2023, to mark the centenary of radio in Australia, the NFSA published a digital exhibition,Radio 100.[64]
Ray Edmondson looks at some issues arising from the decision to change the name of the National Film and Sound Archive to ScreenSound Australia, a move which upset some of the Archive's most important supporters. He looks at the significance of the word 'archive' and the international AV archiving movement,...
Published online: 28 Oct 2013 [Routledge]
Last year, then arts ministerGeorge Brandis issued an open letter to the film industry signalling what appeared to be a step towards the creation of a new film agency, to be called Screen Australia. The new body would amalgamate the main functions of the Australian Film Commission, the Film Finance Corporation Australia and Film Australia Limited. However, it did not address the thorny issue of the National Film and Sound Archive which for some inexplicable reason was put under the aegis of the AFC in 2003... The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts,Peter Garrett, has followed up on election promises by inviting comment on two pieces of legislation supporting Australia's film and television industry. He said the two draft bills would create the new screen agency, Screen Australia, and establish the National Film and Sound Archive as a separate statutory authority from July 1... The move has been welcomed by the Archive Forum group, which has lobbied for the archive to become a statutory authority since 2003 when theHoward government integrated the archive with the AFC, a funding and promotional organisation, which critics believed violated its fundamental archival principles and which led to a community backlash.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSAA) commenced operations as a stand alone statutory authority on 1 July 2008... [under] The National Film and Sound Archive Act 2008
35°16′59″S149°07′16″E / 35.283°S 149.121°E /-35.283; 149.121
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