What is in the East Anglian Film Archive?
East Anglian Film Archive (EAFA) is owned and operated by the University of East Anglia. It is the regional film archive for the East of England. In 2003 the archive moved to the new £7.5m Archive Centre at County Hall, Norwich, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Norfolk County Council and UEA. The Archive Centre is also the home of the Norfolk Record Office. The archive has a team of specialist staff who preserve and provide access to moving image material. EAFA has been an accredited film archive since 2017.
The collection comprises about twelve thousand hours of film and up to thirty thousand hours of film, videotape and digital files. The content mainly relates to the East of England region (Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk). It also includes collections of national and international content. EAFA is part of a national network of public film archives called Film Archives UK.
Who owns the films?
Most of the material is not owned by UEA and, therefore, it needs to be copyright cleared before use. The biggest collection, that of Anglia Television (about 7,500 hours of film), is owned by ITV plc and the second biggest is owned by the BBC (about 1,000 hours of film). The film library of the Institute of Amateur Cinematographers (400 hours) is the third major collection on deposit at the Archive.
All the other films (about 3,000 hours) are in 700 individual collections from hundreds of individuals, families, companies and organisations. These collections range in size from a single item to 100 hours.
Are all the films in the Archive available to view on this website?
Over 200 hours of film (1,600 titles) and 2847 catalogue records are able to view for free on our website. These demonstrate the diversity of the collection, ranging from 1896 to the present day. While not all of our collection is available online, we regularly add more films and catalogue records to our website. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on our website, please contact us.
Where else can I watch films in the East Anglian Film Archive collection?
Between 2014 and 2018 EAFA participated in a national film digitisation programme called ‘Unlocking Film Heritage’ led by the British Film Institute. The aim of the programme was to digitise around 10,000 titles that originated on film and to make as many as possible accessible to all through the free BFI Player. You can view 600 of EAFA’s films via BFI Player.
For further enquiries about the East Anglian Film Archive’s collections, please contact us.
Can the Archive copy my film or video to DVD or a digital file for me?
The Archive has the technical facilities to work on its own collections and collections from other organisations and for projects. If you have only a few home movies, you may wish to consider contacting one of the digitisation specialists below who may be better placed to help you:
DJM for transfers from videotape (in Norwich)
Email djm@djm.co.uk or call 01603 747777 or 07710393939
The Flying Spot
Email tim@theflyingspot.co.uk or call 020 3039 3069 or 07973 293535
Does the Archive publish and sell DVDs?
The archive no longer sells VHS or DVD compilations. Timereel publishes some DVDs containing film sourced from the East Anglian Film Archive.
Would the Archive be interested in receiving my films?
The Archive is interested to hear from individuals with offers of moving image material, including film and video. We are also very interested in born digital films. You can contact us by emailing eafa@uea.ac.uk. It would be helpful, in the initial email, if you could provide us with the following information; the number of films you are offering (eg. number of cans or videos), and if known, the format of the film or video, the contents (eg a film title, date, filmmaker, and/or subject matter), and the name of any known copyright holders.
Are there any opportunities for employment at The East Anglian Film Archive?
All vacancies are advertised via the University of East Anglia.
Are there any opportunities for volunteering at The East Anglian Film Archive?
Please do get in touch by email eafa@uea.ac.uk and we can let you know if we have any opportunities.
Does the Archive give film shows?
We host our own screening events, and you can find out about upcoming events on our News & Events page. You can also keep up to date with our latest news and events by signing up to our quarterly e-newsletter.
We also work with regional and national organisations on screenings and other types of public engagement. If you are a project co-ordinator who wishes to organise a screening as part of a funded project, please get in touch.
We are also able to license our films for community screenings, for example to local history groups and other interest groups. Please contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss your group’s requirements and suggest suitable films.