Film & Sound News

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Jun 2019

Vale Bill Collins

We mark the passing of 'Mr Movies', popular film critic and TV presenter, Bill Collins.

By Adam Blackshaw / 24 Jun 2019
Television
Mar 2019
A partly colourised photo of a nautical-themed float in a 1930s street parade. On the float a woman dressed in white sits on a large-scale model of a sea creature.

Australia in Colour

The NFSA provided nearly three-quarters of the footage used in the groundbreaking four-part series Australia in Colour.

Film
Television
Oct 2018
Blue and white film cans sit on a blue mental shelf

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2018 takes place on 27 October. The NFSA's Gayle Lake and Richard Vorobieff discuss the significance of preserving our heritage.

By Rachael Priddel / 26 Oct 2018
Sep 2018
A hand-coloured still of Annette Kellerman as a child. She is dressed in a pink ballet tutu with ballet slippers and is striking a pose with her arms and on leg out.

Annette Kellerman's amazing life

Overcoming childhood adversity, Australian silent movie star Annette Kellerman took on the world – swimming, acting, performing and writing herself into the history books.

By Beth Taylor / 27 Sep 2018
Film
Photographs
Aug 2018
A rose-pink tinted image of a woman looking off into the distance.

The McDonagh Sisters

A portrait of the pioneering filmmakers, The McDonagh Sisters - Isabel, Paulette and Phyllis. NFSA Restores: The Cheaters screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2018.

By Graham Shirley / 9 Aug 2018
Film
Photographs
Jun 2018
Two figures argue in a scene from the futuristic 1924 Russian science-fiction silent film Aelita, Queen of Mars

Aelita: Queen of Mars

The NFSA has recently digitised to 4K the groundbreaking 1924 Russian science-fiction feature film 'Aelita: Queen of Mars'.

By Craig Dingwall / 7 Jun 2018
Film
May 2018
A man holds hands with Louise Lovely in a garden in a scene from the silent film Jewelled Nights.

Louise Lovely: 1916 fan mail

The NFSA recently acquired two signed photographs of silent film star Louise Lovely and a letter of hers responding to a fan in 1916.

By Jenny Gall / 22 May 2018
Film
Object
Photographs
Apr 2018
Actor and filmmaker Snowy Baker leaning against a car with 'Carroll-Baker Australian Picture Productions' written on the side

NFSA Restores: Snowy Baker

The NFSA restores three silent films starring Snowy Baker - Australian Olympian, filmmaker and trainer of Hollywood stars.

By Nathan Smith / 18 Apr 2018
Film
Jan 2018
Josef Bambach tried to console Isabel McDonagh in a scene from the 1929 silent movie The Cheaters

NFSA Restores: The Cheaters

Restoring 'The Cheaters', a 1929 silent film by the pioneering McDonagh sisters.

By Tara Marynowsky / 10 Jan 2018
Film
Feb 2017

Cricket legends in action, 100 years later

We had to build a custom-made device and photograph 465 frames in order to bring back to life a 1901 Kinora cricket film!

By Miguel Gonzalez / 21 Feb 2017
Film
Object