The Last Film Search (LFS) became operational within the NFSA in 1982 in response to the urgent need to discover nitrate film before it neared the end of its life.
In addition to acquiring nitrate film, the LFS acquired a great deal of 16mm, 9.5mm, st8mm, su8mm, and small quantities of 22mm, and 28mm. All of these are safety film, either acetate or diacetate. Types of film acquired include home movies, newsreels, actuality footage, cinema advertisements, and trailers. The majority of LFS films were initially acquired for examination.