History of the National Film Archive

When in the year 1943 the Czech-Moravian Film Centre established the Film archive, this was a completion of endeavour of many film fans that from the twenties highlighted the importance of such institution for Czech culture.
At the head of the Film archive was Jindřich Brichta, director, cameraman, co-founder of the Czechoslovak company for scientific cinematography and a world famous expert of the film technique.
Jindřich Brichta drown up an up-to-date Film archive; His target was creation of an institution, where could be possible to hold and study film in its complexity.
Parts of the Film archive were from the early beginning the department of documentation, archive library and a small research department.

Early creation of the archive enables collect and preserve film materials, which were jeopardised by war operations. In late 1945 the Film archive became a part of Film institution and in the year 1946 became a member of International Fédération des Archives du Film – FIAF (as its fifth to ninth member).
After the Film institution was disestablished and its departments were associated to different companies of the Czechoslovak film only part of them could fulfil functions given by founder. This situation was slightly changed after restoration of the Film institution as a department of the Central management of Czechoslovak film in 1963 where the Film archive was incorporated.
In 1969 was from the Film archive detached library and documentation again, archive was identified as a right wing centre and was isolated from international relations for 10 years.
On 1.1.1975 was the Film institution established as a state economic organization.

Despite of all discriminatory constrains in that time the Film archive finished a general stock-taking of collections, imitated new conservator procedures (in co-operation with Film laboratories Barrandov removing of film moulds, in co-operation with Research institute of sound, picture and reproducing technique imposition and tone of films) and in the worst time when was imminent danger that there will be no place to store another archival materials, built new depot and restored old depots by house raising. It kept high level of identification and catalogue entries and reached high level in reconstruction of film works. Prepared film archival science development plans inclusive creation of archive film area, usage of computer technology for archival practice, affiliation of documentation and company archive of Czechoslovak film to the Film archive.

After the downthrown of regime in 1989 we started to fulfil these plans. Constitution of the Film archive for Czech cultural life appreciated Minister of culture of the Czech Republic PhDr. Jindřich Kabát:
by decision No. 31/1992 he changed to 1.7.1992 a state economic company Czech film institution to state allowance organization National film archive and rank it among the most important national institutions – National Museum, National Technical Museum, National Gallery and National Library, which protect and enlarge national cultural heritage.
This change was confirmed by law No. 273/1993 by the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

Creation of the National film archive signified definitive separation from the past, setting another order of priorities, management simplification, cancellation of non-productive activities and focusing of all powers to unkept archival activities. Only this way was possible manage revolutionary changes in the Czech film structure followed by collapse of its institutions and other cultural and science institutions. The National film archive took over in that time huge amount of film and written archival materials (including archive of the Czechoslovak film) within a range manifold overlapping regular annual accession and saved them from destruction.
At the present time are these materials processed, expertly treated and catalogued.

The National film archive significantly extended its activities after 1995:

• Created department of oral history to record a memory of branch
• Started to collect amateur and family films
• Started film contemporary film documentation on 35 mm Eastmancolor negative
• Created conservator workplace for written archival materials and posters (1996)
• Created digital laboratory for written archival materials, posters and photographs (1997)
• Participates in many national and international programmes (among others KRAMERIUS, COLLATE, MIDAS, EFG)
• Started to issue scientific catalogues Český hraný film I-V 1898-1980 and Filmová ročenka (since 1992) in Czech and English
• Started to collect audiovisual (video) archival materials

For its activities obtain the National film archive international awards:
1993 – LE GIORNATE DEL CINEMA MUTO (Pordenone) - silver plaque
1995 – UNESCO (Paris) - Picasso a Miró sculpture

Important dates from the fifty-year history of NFA: 

• June 1943 - the Czech-Moravian Headquarters found the Film archive
• May 1945 - Collection of film materials endangered by war operations
• 11.8.1945 - Decree of President of the Republic No. 50 Coll. on Measures in film branch, which came into effect on August 28., 1945 (cinematography nationalization)
• Autumn 1945 - founding of the Film institution where the Film archive was embodied
• 1946 - The Film archive became a member of the International federation film archives (FIAF)
• 1949-1962 - the Film archive was part of different film institutions (Central management of the Czech film – School and collections department, alter press and archive department, in 1953 shortly embodied in Ministry of Internal Affairs, in 1954 again part of the School and collection department, from 1.1.1957 part of economic department of Ústřední půjčovna filmů (Central film loaning institute))
• 1958 - Organization of 14. Congress of FIAF in Prague
• 1.1.1963 - Independent department in new created Film institution which is department of the Central management of the Czechoslovak film
• 1.1.1966 - in the Film archive founded technical department (main tasks: organising and storing of new films, protection of stored collections)
• Spring 1968 - the Film archive organised together with FIAF the 1. International seminar on film identification in Gottwaldov
• 1.1.1969-1974 - beginning of scientific processing of film collections (general stock-taking)
• 1969 - The library and documentation divided from the Film archive
• 1969 - First scientific reconstruction of the film Svatý Václav (St. Wenceslas 1929, director Jan Stanislav Kolár)
• 1972-1976 - research of film materials bacteria and fungi (in co-operation with Film laboratories Barrandov and Faculty of Science of Charles University)
• 1977 - Start of film fungi removing in Film laboratories Barrandov
• 1977-1979 - Creation of Archive depository for 120.000 film boxes self-help

• 1979 - In co-operation with Research institute of Sound, Picture and Reproduction Technique (VUZORT) solved a problem of film copies toning and imposition
• 1979-1989 - Research of fungi and bacteria in depository and involvement of external environment on their presence, fungi research in the Vietnam film archive (in co-operation with Faculty of Science of Charles University), fungi removing from films of the Bulgarian National film library
• 1980 - Organization of 36. Congress of FIAF in Karlovy Vary
• 1981-1985 - self-help reconstruction of old depositories (for 100 tones of nitro films)
• 1989 - Started issuing of ILUMINACE, Journal of film theory, history and aesthetics
• November 1989 - Election of new department managers
• December 1989 – February 1990 - fight for new institution orientation
• 1990 - double-phase reorganisation, employee number decreased from 140 to 115
• March 7.,1990 - Film premiere of TGM Osvoboditel (director Věra Chytilová, production FA), first film produced after November 1989. First in the Czechoslovak history was the parallel premiere at cinema and in the Czechoslovak TV broadcast station.
• 1991 - created new depot fro black-and-white negatives and paper archive documents
• 1.7.1992 - Creation of the National film archive
• 1992 - Start of film posters restoration
• 1.12.1992 - Reverse of three-level FA management
• 1992-1996 - Restoration of 16.434 glass and non-standard photographic negatives
• 1.3.1993 - Dissolved edition department, information centre, production department
• 1993 - Started edition of Filmová ročenka (in Czech and English)
• 1993 - Edition takeover of an oldest Czech film journal Filmový přehled, which should be cancelled. It is distributed now in its traditional form at discos, via e-mail and internet.
• 1993 - Beginning of distribution of valuable art films for film clubs and civil associations
• 1993 - NFA proposed new plastic boxes for film materials, which started produce and later export company Sáry Neratovice.
• 1993 - Beginning of quarterly issue of Iluminace - a journal of film theory, history and aesthetics
• 1995 - Issued publication Český hraný film I 1898-1930
• 1995 - Started copying of film materials to polyester base
• 1995 - Created a department of oral history to record a memory of the branch (dr. Strusková)
• 1996 - Started production of contemporary documentation
• 1996 - Started collection of amateur filmmakers production (dr. Strusková)
• 1996 - Opening of archive screening hall PONREPO and library in Konvikt
• 1996 - Created a conservator workplace for written archival materials and posters
• 1996 - NFA co-founder (together with 6 other film archives) of Association of European film archives (ACE)
• 1997 - Created a digital laboratory for written archival materials, posters and photographs
• 1998 - NFA organized 54. Congress of FIAF in Prague
• 1998 - Issued publication Český hraný film II 1930-1945
• 2000-2003 - project COLLATE
• 2001 - Issued publication Český hraný film III 1945-1960
• 2001 - takeover of newsreels from 1945-1990 from KF Inc.
• 2004 - Issued publication Český hraný film IV 1961-1970
• 2004 - Collection of video art production
• 2005 - project MIDAS
• 2005 - Start of I. year of the Film history course for secondary scholars
• 2007 - Finish of sorting and takeover of film materials from the former Film Studio Gottwaldov (ca 100.000 film boxes)
• 2007 - Issued publication Český hraný film V 1970-1980
• 2008 - project EFG
• 2008 - Issued 26 publications in Library Iluminace

1965-2008 copied at safe base almost twenty four millions film metres from the high flammable base material (nitrocellulose).