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AFI ARCHIVE

AFI ARCHIVE

An expansive collection of videos, films, photographs, manuscripts and more
covering the early studio days to the height of independent filmmaking and into the modern era.
Collected and preserved in the AFI Archive on the AFI Campus in Hollywood, CA.

Protecting film history for over 50 years and counting.

Featured Videos from the AFI Archive

Bette Davis Tells A Story About Running Into Tallulah Bankhead
Carl Weathers on the Famous Fight Scene in Rocky
Liza Minnelli & Lorna Luft on the first time they saw THE WIZARD OF OZ
William Friedkin on the Car Chase Scene In THE FRENCH CONNECTION
Jodie Foster On Hannibal Lecter
BRUISED Conversation with Director Halle Berry and Ava DuVernay
Alfred Hitchcock On Mastering Cinematic Tension
Sofia Coppola On Getting Bill Murray To Do LOST IN TRANSLATION
Damien Chazelle on Ryan Gosling's piano skills in LA LA LAND
Clint Eastwood On Gene Hackman's Character In UNFORGIVEN
MORE VIDEOS
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AFI Archive Collections

The AFI Conservatory Films, hosted at Watch.AFI.com, includes short films created by Fellows in our MFA-granting AFI Conservatory and participants in the AFI DWW+ Program from 1969 to the present.
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The American Film Magazine Collection is comprised of the complete movie analysis and criticism publication, printed monthly by the AFI from 1975 to 1992 and produced online from 2012-2014.
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The Audio and Video Collection includes materials made for and by the AFI from 1969 to the present, including AFI Conservatory Seminars, AFI 100 Years…Interviews, Oral Histories and more.
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The AFI Print Collections are comprised of manuscript collections related to the history of cinema, including screenplays, storyboards, sketches, production documents and more.
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The AFI Photography Collection features images of the people and events that have shaped AFI from 1969 to the present. Events include AFI AWARDS, AFI Conservatory Seminars, AFI Life Achievement Awards and AFI FEST.
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The AFI Archive protects the history of American film and features an expansive collection of photographs, videos, oral histories, seminars with filmmakers, scripts, storyboards, scrapbooks, production materials, props and more from the early studio era to present day, as well as AFI Conservatory and AFI DWW+ films.

 

Only a small portion of the AFI Archive is presented online. The full collection is housed in the Louis B. Mayer Library on the AFI Campus. Materials held by the AFI Archive may be protected by copyright. To learn more about the full collection or to obtain permission to use AFI Archive materials, please contact [email protected].

Frequently Asked Questions

Research appointments to view archival materials must be made in advance. To make an appointment, contact the Archivist, Emily Wittenberg, at [email protected] or 323.856.7662.

Archival materials may be viewed on campus, Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Many of the audio and video materials have been digitized and can be made available to view remotely via a non-downloadable, password-protected link. Print materials must be viewed on-site.

AFI does not allow reproduction of print materials; photocopying and photography is prohibited.

The Louis B. Mayer Library is located on the AFI Campus at 2021 N. Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027. The Library is the third building on campus as visitors go up the hill and can be identified by a clock tower. The entrance to the Library is on the second floor.

Parking reservations are encouraged and can be made when setting up an appointment to guarantee a space in front of the Library on the day(s) of visitation.

Print, as well as audio and video materials, can be licensed for a commercial project or cited in scholarly publications. Please note, citation or inclusion in print materials is granted gratis; however, audio and video uses are subject to fees. Please contact the Archivist, Emily Wittenberg, at [email protected] or 323.856.7662, to learn more.

Celebrating Film History at AFI

The AFI Archive is an ongoing program which adds countless new items each year, including exclusive conversations with acclaimed filmmakers and performers captured at AFI, and is on the forefront of state-of-the-art digitization efforts ensuring the stories of today are protected for future generations.

 

Support the AFI Archive and protect the history of film.

Only a small portion of the AFI Archive is presented online. Materials held by the AFI Archive may be protected by copyright. To learn more about the full collection or to obtain permission to use AFI Archive materials, please contact [email protected].

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