Filmarchiv Austria

History and Founding

The Filmarchiv Austria was founded on 17 October 1955 as the Österreichische Filmarchiv (ÖFA). In 1997, the institution was renamed Filmarchiv Austria and relocated its central operations to the Audiovisuelles Zentrum Wien-Augarten. In 2001 the Filmarchiv-Studienzentrum opened at the Augarten premises, incorporating the Filmdokumentationszentrum—formerly the largest private film-related collection in Austria, originally assembled beginning in 1945. The archive is Austria's national film library and a member of FIAF (the International Federation of Film Archives).

Collections and Holdings

Filmarchiv Austria holds over 260,000 film titles, approximately 2,000,000 photographs and film stills, 48,000 cinema programmes, 16,000 film posters, 30,000 books, and a large collection of apparatus, costumes, and other film-related materials. It is the largest film archive in Austria. Of all pre-1945 Austrian productions known to exist worldwide, over 95% are preserved at Filmarchiv Austria. The oldest titles in the collection date to footage of Vienna filmed by the Lumière Brothers in 1896. The archive also holds the newsreel archive of Austria Wochenschau, acquired in 1997.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The Filmarchiv Austria's Austria Wochenschau collection constitutes a major repository of newsreel journalism, documenting Austrian news and current events throughout the twentieth century. The archive also maintains extensive periodical holdings related to film culture and media history, and its library subscribes to film and media journals including Sight and Sound, Medien und Zeit, and numerous Austrian and European film publications.

Access and Usage

The Studienzentrum library is open to researchers on selected weekdays. The Metro Kinokulturhaus cinema hosts public screenings and retrospectives. Researchers can consult the online catalogue and request appointments. The archive also organises the annual summer open-air festival Kino wie noch nie.