Fundamental Archival Resources – About

In 2019, the FIAF Executive Committee (EC) tasked the Technical Commission (TC) with creating basic, low-cost, and openly accessible information on film archiving for the FIAF community, which comprises archives with varying needs and resources. The project is also freely accessible to any organization that needs guidance for handling film collections.

The primary goal was to develop an information toolkit offering practical guidance, strategies, technical solutions, and documentation on prototypes, with the following key questions in mind:

• How can FIAF advise on storing, cataloguing, organizing, and protecting film collections at minimal cost, especially in challenging environmental conditions?
• How can we address and mitigate the “slow disasters” affecting film archives?
• How can we support education by providing teaching materials and resources for new archivists?

The project was formally proposed to the TC in February 2021. Caroline Fournier and Camille Blot-Wellens were appointed to coordinate the initiative. The project was initially structured into three phases:

1. Development of a Basic Toolkit
   This phase focused on compiling and reviewing existing information—both digital and print—on essential topics such as film handling, identification, proper storage, and basic digital preservation, all from a “minimal resources” perspective.
2. Design of a Hand-Cranked Reference Scanner Prototype
   Based on the research from Phase 1, this step aimed to develop and openly share plans for a small, manually operated reference scanner.
3. Development of a Low-Impact Modular Vault Prototype
   Also building on Phase 1 research, this phase proposed the creation of a test model for a modular vault, with plans to be shared publicly if successful.

To date, the project has primarily focused on Phase 1. Given the availability of existing research on DIY scanners, further development in this area was deemed unnecessary within the TC’s scope. Instead, efforts were directed toward highlighting and disseminating existing work. Research into the modular vault, initiated by TC member Tiago Ganhao, proved to be complex and has been temporarily paused.

From Basic Toolkit to Workflow

The objective was to create a set of tools and resources tailored to:

• Archives that have not yet developed film-specific archival skills
• Institutions whose primary focus is not film, but who hold film materials
• Archives with limited access to costly equipment or software

Phase 1 emphasized the fundamental steps required to manage film collections: identification, cataloguing, conservation, digitization, and dissemination. To support institutions unfamiliar with archival workflows, the resources were organized methodically, inspired by the publication Managing Previously Unmanaged Collections, edited by Angela Kipp (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), as recommended by Catherine Cormon (Eye Filmmuseum).

The resources fall into three categories:

1. Curated and methodically organized existing information
2. Research projects
3. Newly created, easily downloadable tools

All resources created for the project are available in English, Spanish, and French.

Authors of Resources

This project has greatly benefited from the contributions of numerous individuals and institutions:

FIAF Technical Commission Members: Camille Blot-Wellens (independent, Sweden); Caroline Fournier (Cinémathèque suisse, Switzerland); Tiago Ganhao (Cinemateca Portuguesa, Portugal); Anne Gant (Eye Filmmuseum, Netherlands); Rodrigo Merces (Cinemateca Brasileira, Brazil) as well as the former members: João Sócrates de Oliveira, David Walsh, Kieron Webb (BFI), Céline Ruivo (independent researcher) and Ulrich Ruedel (HTW Berlin).

FIAF community: Criss Austin (National Archives and Records Administration, USA); Ashley Blewer (Archives of Tomorrow, USA); Murchana Borah (Film Heritage Foundation, India); Elaine Burrows (formerly British Film Institute – National Archives, UK); Natália de Castro (Cinemateca do MAM, Brazil); Paolo Cherchi Usai (formerly National Film and Sound Archive, Australia); Catherine Cormon (Eye Filmmuseum, Netherlands); Luca Giuliani (formerly Cineteca del Friuli, Italy); Brian Pritchard (independent, UK); Carlos Saldaña and Nerea Ganzarain (Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola, Spain / Cinemateca Portuguesa, Portugal); Katie Trainor (Museum of Modern Art, USA); Jon Wengström (Swedish Film Institute, Sweden) and Isabel Wschebor (Universidad de la República, Uruguay).

Institutions and associations: AMIA, ACE, Cinematek, Digital Preservation Coalition, Filmlabs.org, Film Preservation Foundation, filmprojection21.org, IPI, Library of Congress, MEMORIAV, NFAI, NFSA, Spectral Project, UNESCO.

Additional contributors: Lydia Creech, Alex MacKenzie, Krishna Nelaturu.

We apologize for any omissions.

This project is a work in progress, intended to be constantly improved, enriched, and updated by community resources.

October 2025
Camille Blot-Wellens & Caroline Fournier