BFI archive to offer a new free view into past
The British Film Institute today unveiled plans to give Londoners access to the world's biggest archive of moving images.
The collection contains historic cinematic moments such as Audrey Hepburn's first screen test, news footage of the Queen's coronation, British classics such as The Belles Of St Trinians, and the first episodes of Coronation Street and Blue Peter.
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BFI's collection contains scenes shot in the early 1950's featuring a young Audrey Hepburn in one of her earliest screen tests
The BFI has 14 computers at the new South Bank complex, which will open next month, where people can search the archive free.
The service will offer 750 digitised films, TV shows and video clips by the end of the year.
Each clip has been restored and turned into an electronic format before being put on the system. It will also contain screenplays, information about directors and links to websites containing more information on the films.
"This is Britain's history, and a very important part of our culture,î said Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella, chairman of the BFI. "The moving image is the media of choice now, and a lot of the material we have is utterly unique."
The BFI is unable to make the collection available online because of copyright.
