Documentary Project

What is the Documentary Project?

As part of the Archive's existing Collection Development Policy, the Documentary Project seeks to collect culturally significant Australian documentaries for the National Collection. This includes all eras, production styles and subjects to build a strong and balanced collection.

The collecting priorities include:

  • contemporary Australian productions
  • documentaries representing and/or addressing Australian social, cultural, historical and/or political issues
  • a strong representation of multicultural and indigenous perspectives
  • productions signaling a uniqueness by virtue of their controversial content, innovative style, experimental technique and/or artistic expression
  • documentaries about the careers of key audiovisual industry personnel
  • all industry and popular award winners and nominees
  • low budget independent and community productions.

Why collect documentary films and videos?

Documentaries deal with such a wide range of subjects that they are a wonderful record of the changing social, cultural and political issues of the day. Collectively they offer a mirror of how we have represented ourselves at different points in time with almost infinite variety in style. Collecting them provides an irreplaceable historical resource for current and future producers, researcher and general audiences. Direct access to information about the documentary holdings is available on the online collection database.

As a film/video maker, what are the benefits of lodging your material with the National Film and Sound Archive?

The benefits to production companies/producers of lodging their documentaries in the National Collection are:

  • Controlled-environment storage facilities (free of charge) for the long-term preservation of your original film/video materials including preservation treatment if required;
  • Protection of your rights as intellectual and/or physical copyright owner of the material;
  • Flexible withdrawal conditions designed to accommodate your needs as the film/video creator.

By depositing your documentaries with the National Film and Sound Archive, you are helping to preserve our Australian heritage and you can be assured that your material will be preserved and available (in accordance with our Collection Development Policy).

How can you lodge documentary material with the National Film and Sound Archive?

Release prints and videos are accepted under the terms of donation, and original final film and printing materials, or original final video masters are accepted under the terms of donation or deposit.

We also collect associated documentation such as posters, photos (negatives and prints), and memorabilia.

If you would like to lodge a documentary with the National Film and Sound Archive, or you have any questions about the Documentary Project, please contact:

Collection Development
Documentary Project Coordinator
National Film and Sound Archive
PO Box 2002
CANBERRA CITY 2601

Telephone: +61 2 6248 2147
Fax: +61 2 6248 2167
Email: collection.nfsa@afc.gov.au