The British Film Institute
History Network
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to: encourage the development of the arts of film, television and the moving image throughout the United Kingdom, to promote their use as a record of contemporary life and manners, to promote education about film, television and the moving image generally, and their impact on society, to promote access to and appreciation of the widest possible range of British and world cinema and to establish, care for and develop collections reflecting the moving image history and heritage of the United Kingdom. What we do The BFI (British Film Institute) promotes understanding and appreciation of Britain's rich film and television heritage and culture. Established in 1933, the bfi runs a range of activities and services: BFI Southbank (previously the National Film Theatre) screens over 1,000 films a year, from rare silent comedies to cult movies and archive television screenings. The venue hosts previews and gala screenings as well as events and on-stage interviews with film-makers, actors, producers, critics and writers. The BFI IMAX on London's South Bank has the largest cinema screen in the UK. Films shown in 2D, 3D and IMAX DMR immerse the audience in larger-than-life images accompanied by 12,000 watts of digital surround sound. The bfi publishes a wide range of books on film and television, including criticism, theory and history as well as popular companions to individual film titles. The Times bfi London Film Festival is Europe's largest public film event and runs for two weeks every autumn, showcasing the best in contemporary cinema from around the world at venues across London. The bfi also runs the annual London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival each spring. Both festivals tour extensively across the UK. The National Archive is the largest archive of moving image material in the world. Started in 1935, the collection includes over 275,000 films, 210,000 TV programmes, seven million photographs and 15,000 posters. Archived material is accessible via curated exhibitions and screenings in cinemas. The bfi releases a range of films on video and DVD including classic, world, silent and documentary cinema and archive television. The bfi releases films in cinemas across the UK, bringing classic titles to a whole new generation of film-lovers. The bfi National Library offers access to the world's largest collection of information on film and television. Its holdings include over 46,000 books, 5,000 periodical titles and over two million newspaper cuttings. BFI runs programmes for about 30,000 learners of all ages at BFI Southbank, as well as providing resources in print and online to support film education across the UK. We are a national advocate for film in the education sector, working particularly in the last 5 years with the literacy curriculum at primary level. In Screen Online we have the definitive online guide to British film and television. The bfi publishes the monthly film magazine Sight & Sound. With a focus on quality cinema, the magazine features commentary and analysis, in-depth reviews and full credits for all new releases. |