Membership Information

FIAF Chronology

The early years of film archiving

1933
The first film archive, in the modern sense of the word, the Svenska Filmsamfundet, is founded in Stockholm. Until then, film collections worldwide had a utilitarian purpose (educational, legal, military, religious, etc.) and were specialized. In contrast, the Swedish archive set itself the task of safeguarding cinema for its own sake.

1934
Foundation of the Reichsfilmarchiv in Berlin.

1935
Creation of the National Film Library in London and the Film Library of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Start of the Mario Ferrari Collection in Milano which was to become the Cineteca Italiana.

1936
Foundation of the Cinémathèque Française in Paris.

Foundation of FIAF and the war years

1938 / 17 June
Creation in Paris of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) at a meeting between Iris Barry and John E. Abbott (New York), Frank Hensel (Berlin), Henri Langlois (Paris), and Olwen
Vaughan (London). FIAF thus had only four members initially. The Act of Foundation included one essential clause: “Rigorously excluded from the Federation are all institutions or organisations whatsoever which use their films for a commercial purpose.” This rule has always figured in the Statutes and played a decisive role in reassuring right-holders.
Foundation of the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique.

1939
July, second FIAF Congress in New York. Officers were elected as follows: Frank Hensel (President), John E. Abbott (Chairman),
Henri Langlois (Secretary-General), Olwen Vaughan (Treasurer).

1940-1944
The Third FIAF Congress, scheduled to take place in Berlin in August 1940, was cancelled. War divided the world in half. Georges Franju, who was Executive Secretary, maintained symbolic continuity
with Frank Hansel in Paris.

The post-war years

1945
Renewal of contacts at the International Cinema Congress in Basel.

1946
Information exchange meeting (March) and the Third FIAF Congress (July), both in Paris. Meanwhile, new archives were born :
- Archives Cinématographiques Suisses, in Basel (1943)
- Ceskoslovensky Filmvovy Ustav, in Praha (1945)
- Nederlands Historisch Film Archief, in Amsterdam (1946)
- Centralne Archivum Filmowe, in Warszawa (1946).

1946-1959
This period was extremely fruitful. New members joined FIAF, bringing the total to 33 at the end of 1959. The idea of a film archive triumphed over the mistrust of the producers and the inertia of the public authorities. The movement to establish film archives began to spread across the world. Among its new members FIAF counted Gosfilmofond in Moskva, founded in 1949, although the USSR had already been archiving films for some twenty years. In addition, FIAF was expanding geographically into Latin America, Asia, and North Africa. It was during the congresses of these years that the concept of the modern film archive was developed. Jerzy Toeplitz served as President. Ernest Lindgren (London) played an essential role, alerting his colleagues to the great fragility of nitrate film, giving priority to preservation techniques and devising cataloguing rules. A sort of revolution took place, in which FIAF members made the transition from the subjective focus of their early collections to the broader organizational objectivity of present day archives.

1960
The Cinémathèque Française withdraws from FIAF.

1961
The first FIAF Commission is set up. It was concerned with Preservation and its Chairman, Herbert Volkmann (East-Berlin), presided over the publication of a technical manual The Preservation of Film, in German (1963), later translated into English (1965) and French (1967). Other Commissions appeared in subsequent years: Copyright, Documentation and Cataloguing, which were to play an essential role in the Federation’s work, allowing specialists to exchange experiences and providing theoretical and practical help to archives.

The urgent need for the preservation of national heritage
on film begins to attract international attention

1961-1987
This period was characterized by the continuing extension of the international FIAF network. Preservation became a world-wide concern, affecting every country. Through the flexibility of its organization, FIAF was able to bring together government institutions, museums, foundations, universities, and private associations.
In 1987 there were 77 affiliates (Members and Observers) in 55 countries. All regions of the world are represented:

Throughout this period, the Federation studied theoretical and practical questions in order to take a position and make recommendations. These included the autonomy of archives, selection of films and documents, projection of old films, relations with rights-holders, training of technicians, degradation of colour film, proliferation of so-called film archives, use of computers, the “abusive” colorization of black and white films, etc. In addition, there was an increasing number of FIAF publications.

1971
The Periodical Indexing Project, a shared indexing system for foreign periodicals, was proposed by Karen Jones (Danish Film Institute), Michelle Aubert-Snapes (British Film Institute), and Eileen
Bowser (MoMA) to the Documentation Commission. Starting in 1972 as a card service, PIP evolved technically from microfilm to CD-ROM and is now a fully-fledged electronic publication including other FIAF databases. Originally based in London, Michael Moulds was the first PIP Editor.

1972
For the first time the FIAF Congress included a Symposium, the topic being “Film Archives and Historical Research”. This would soon become an established practice. The first issue (new series) of the FIAF Information Bulletin was published under the direction of Jan De Vaal.

1973
First FIAF Summer School, held in East Berlin under the direction of Wolfgang Klaue. Thereafter Summer Schools were held regularly for the training of Archive personnel, particularity from developing countries.

1979
FIAF obtains B status recognition (information and consultation relations) from UNESCO.

1980
The “Recommendation for the Safeguarding and Preservation of Moving Images” was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO, meeting in Beograd. FIAF was closely associated with the preparation of this document, which recommends:
- creation of film archives in countries where there are none
- statutory deposit of national production
- voluntary deposit of foreign production

1981
First meeting, in Brussels, of the Non-Governmental Organizations concerned with the preservation of audiovisual documents. The participants were: the International Council of Archives (ICA), FIAF, the International Federation of Television Archives (IFTA), the International Association of Sound Archives (IASA), and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). These informal consultation meetings will become annual. UNESCO joined the group in 1984.

1983
First Technical Symposium organized jointly with the Television Archives (IFTA/FIAT) in Stockholm, as part of the annual FIAF Congress.

1984
With the collaboration of FIAF, publication in 27 languages of a special issue of the monthly publication UNESCO Courier, under the title Eternal Cinema. It contained a description of the international role of Archives in the safeguarding of national heritage.

1987
Second Joint Technical Symposium, this time with the collaboration of both FIAT and IASA, in West Berlin. Wolfgang Klaue is awarded the UNESCO Silver Medal for his involvement in the safeguarding and preservation of the world’s audiovisual heritage.

1988
FIAF holds its 50th Anniversary Congress in the city where it was founded: Paris. Exhibition “Affiches du Cinéma muet dans le monde, 1895-1929” at the Musée d’Orsay. A FIAF Fund is created in order to help archives from developing countries to participate in the activities of the Federation.

1989
Publication of Treasures from the Film Archives, Ronald S. Magliozzi, editor, with the collaboration of the Cinémathèque Royale de Belgique.

1990
Creation of the Commission for Programming and Access to Collections. “Projet Lumière” under the leadership of Michelle Aubert, as part of the Centenary of Cinema.

1991
The Association of European Film Archives (ACE) is created.
The Cinémathèque Française returns to FIAF.

1992
The FIAF Statutes and Rules are revised.

1993
First issue of the Journal of Film Preservation.

1994-2001
Draft and vote on the “European Convention for the Protection of the Audiovisual Heritage”.

Regional initiatives and new challenges

1995
At the invitation of UNESCO, FIAF participates in the official celebration of the Centenary of Cinema, with 1500 guests from all over the world in attendance. “100 Years/Saving the Film Heritage Fund” is launched by UNESCO. The Calendar of Centenary Events is set up on the first FIAF web site in order to publicize the wealth of events organized throughout the world by FIAF Archives. Several film Archives launch successful “Lost Film Search” appeals.
Publication of The Categories Game, a survey by the Commission for Programming and Access to Collections, with support from the Fudação Calouste Gulbenkian.
Publication of the FIAF Statistical Survey, Michelle Aubert, editor.
Brigitte Van der Elst, longtime FIAF Administrative Secretary, retires. Christian Dimitriu is appointed Administrator of FIAF.

1996
The South East Asia-Pacific Audiovisual Archive Association (SEAPAVA) is created. The FIAF Cataloguing Rules of Film Archives, originally published in English only, is translated by affiliated archives into Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish.
A new edition of the FIAF Summer School is organized by the NFTVA/BFI (London) with help from UNESCO.
The working group “Future of FIAF” is created.

1997
UNESCO publishes a new Copyright Survey with the contributions of FIAF archives. FIAF has now 124 affiliates, 40 new Archives
having joined since 1995.

1998
The FIAF Code of Ethics is ratified by the Prague Congress, and published in three languages.
Taxco (Mexico), first meeting of the newly founded Council of North American Film Archives (CNAFA), a working group of all FIAF affiliates from Canada, Mexico, and the United States which begins to meet annually.

1999
The new FIAF Statutes and Rules, including changes in voting procedures, are ratified and published in three languages. A detailed financial study of the 124 affiliates is carried out in order to install a new level of fees set according to the Archives’ budgets.
An “Appeal for Peace” is sent to the United Nations via UNESCO as bombings threaten the Yugoslavian film collection.

2000
Joint Technical Symposium in Paris.
The Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) is created.

2000-2001
Important changes in affiliation rules (Members, Associates), membership fees and voting rights for Affiliates.

2001
Creation of the FIAF Award.

2002
First Edition of the Second Century Forum. Publication of “This Film Is Dangerous. A Celebration of Nitrate Film”, Roger Smither and Catherine A. Surowiec, editors.

2005-2006
Launching of the “FIAF Oral History Project”, interviews, headed by Elaine Burrows.

2006
Publication of The Advanced Projection Manual by FIAF and the Norwegian Film Institute

2007
Joint Technical Symposium, in Toronto.

2008
FIAF now has 132 affiliates (83 Members, 49 Associates) in 68 countries. All regions of the world are represented:

Africa
6 affiliates for 5 different countries
North America
16 affiliates for 3 different countries,
including Mexico
Latin America
13 affiliates for 10 different countries
Asia
20 affiliates for 16 different countries
Europe
73 affiliates for 32 different countries
Pacific
4 affiliates for 2 different countries

FIAF’s 70th Anniversary Congress in Paris,
organized by the Centre National de la Cinématographie.

This chronology is taken from the book published at the occasion of the 70's FIAf anniversary and the 64th FIAF Congress, organised by the CNC and which took place in Paris, at the Cinémathèque française, from April 17 to April 26, 2008.
This chronology is under the editorial respnsability of Robert Daudelin and Eric Le Roy.