The National Collection

The National Film and Sound Archive's primary aim is to develop a comprehensive collection of Australian works and materials representing the history, technology and culture of the audiovisual media, from their origins to the present time. The NFSA will also collect international material selectively, as resources permit, and not to the detriment of Australian works and materials.

The National Collection includes more than 1.3 million items. In addition to discs, films, videos, audio tapes, phonograph cylinders and wire recordings, the Collection includes supporting documents and artefacts, such as photographic stills, transparencies, posters, lobby cards, publicity, scripts, costumes, props, memorabilia and sound, video and film equipment.

The National Collection is managed according to the NFSA's published Collection Policy and Statement of Curatorial Values [PDF 3.07 MB].

There are also guidelines specific to the Indigenous collections held by the NFSA. These can be found in the Culturally Restricted Materials Management Strategy [PDF 452 KB] and Indigenous Collections Management Protocols [PDF 426 KB] and in the quick review Fact Sheets.

Search the Collection

Search the Collection
  • Free-text search giving fast access to information on over 700,000 items in the NFSA's National Collection
  • Easy-to-use Google-style interface with powerful features to help narrow your results
  • Advanced option for specialised research with the ability to search on major fields such as production year and key production credits.

Accessing the Collection

How to access film, television, radio, recorded sound, and associated documentation (such as stills, posters, scripts and manuscripts).

Collection Guides

Includes topic specific catalogues for researchers, covering the holdings of the National Film and Sound Archive's Collection.

Building the Collection

Covers the type and format of material the Archive collects, and how material can be lodged.

Managing the Collection

To safeguard the collection and slow the deterioration of media such as film and audiotape, items are stored in carefully controlled secure conditions.

Collection Spotlights

Many digitised works from the National Collection are available for online listening and viewing. Collection Spotlights are curated features and galleries that showcase these works.

Specialised Collections

National Film and Video Lending Service

National Film and Video Lending Service titles have now been incorporated into the National Collection. See Non-theatrical loans for information on borrowing licenced 16 mm prints, videos and DVDs.

Australian Jazz Archive

The Australian Jazz Archive was established in 1997 as part of an initiative by members of the Australian jazz community, who formed a partnership with the National Film and Sound Archive, to build a national collection of jazz recordings and materials.

Quality Cinema Lending Collection

The Quality Cinema Lending Collection is a collection of premium-quality prints, suitable for screening at prestige events. These include significant feature films, documentaries, cinema advertisements and other material. Most of the prints are available on 35mm. A premium is charged for the use of these prints.

Kodak/Atlab Cinema Collection

The Kodak/Atlab Cinema Collection is a part of the National Film and Sound Archive's National Collection. Around 50 new, high quality release prints of some of Australia's greatest films were struck over a five-year period with the generous sponsorship of Kodak (Australasia) and Atlab Australia.

Atlab/Kodak Collection

The Atlab/Kodak Project is the result of an NFSA initiative that builds on the already successful collaboration with our valued project partners, Atlab Australia and Kodak (Australasia), to preserve and make available a selection of significant colour Australian feature films - in the format and condition they were originally intended to be seen. The project spans five years until 2011, by which time pristine prints of 25 titles will have been produced for the National Collection.

Oral History collection

An oral history is an in-depth interview which focuses on a person's life or career, or an organisation's history or activities or part thereof. The Oral History Project aims to capture the stories of personalities from Australia's screen and sound Industries for the National Collection.