UCLA Film & Television Archive University of California, Los Angeles

History and Founding

The UCLA Film and Television Archive was founded in December 1965, initially as the ATAS/UCLA Television Library—a collaboration between the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and UCLA's Theater Arts Department. In 1968, the UCLA Film Department established a separate Film Archive. During its early years, the Archive salvaged film prints that Hollywood studios were discarding or destroying, amassing foundational collections from Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Republic Pictures. The Archive's first paid employee, Charles Hopkins, later recalled the early years as largely accomplished by stealth. Today the Archive is a unit of the UCLA Library, overseen by Executive Director May Hong HaDuong (appointed 2021), and is a member of the International Federation of Film Archives.

Collections and Holdings

As of 2021, the Archive holds more than 520,000 items—the second-largest repository of motion pictures and broadcast programming in the United States, after the Library of Congress, and the world's largest university-held collection. Holdings include approximately 159,000 motion pictures, 132,000 television programs, more than 27 million feet of newsreels (including the Hearst Metrotone News Collection, 1915–1975), more than 222,000 broadcast recordings, and more than 9,000 radio transcription discs. The Archive holds 35mm studio collections from major distributors including Warner Bros., Sony/Columbia, Paramount, Disney/20th Century Studios, and Amazon/MGM. It also holds over 300 kinescope prints from the defunct DuMont Television Network.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The Hearst Metrotone News Collection—one of the largest newsreel collections in the world—contains over 27 million feet of footage documenting events from 1915 to 1975 and is one of the Archive's most significant holdings for journalism and media history research. The Archive also holds KTLA news footage documenting local Los Angeles history, as well as public affairs broadcasts including LGBTQ+ programs. Footage from the Archive's collection is regularly licensed for use in documentary films, television programs, and museum exhibitions.

Preservation and Restoration

Since 1977, the Archive has preserved and restored hundreds of film titles, including silent films, early talkies, and independent works. Since 1987, more than 500 television programs have been restored. The Archive holds the largest nitrate-safe storage facility on the West Coast, the Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) Stoa in Santa Clarita, California, co-funded by the Packard Humanities Institute and David Packard.

Access and Usage

Research access is provided through the Archive Research and Study Center (ARSC), located in Powell Library, Room 46 at UCLA (405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90095). Access is by appointment. Public screenings are held year-round at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood, Los Angeles. The Archive's catalog is searchable online.