Partnership Promises To Revolutionise Access To BFI Archive

Oscar-winning British Director Anthony Minghella has announced a new partnership between the BFI and Hewlett-Packard (HP) that will revolutionise how people access the nation's film and TV archive collection.
Previously unseen and rarely-viewed footage - such as Audrey Hepburn's first screen test - will now be freely available for the public to watch thanks to HP technology. Using digital technology, HP will help the BFI make available valuable moving image material for the enjoyment of future generations.
The BFI has the world's largest and busiest film archive. HP is providing the technical know-how to present and manage the collection. HP is helping the BFI unlock the potential of the archive so that collections can inspire, educate and entertain audiences everywhere.
HP will provide the technology to power the new 'Mediatheque' at BFI Southbank in London. This mini cinema will provide visitors with their very own personal viewing experience, allowing them to choose from thousands of films or TV programmes that have never or rarely been seen since they were originally made.
Visitors to BFI Southbank will now experience more of their film culture and heritage in a number of new discovery spaces with unrivalled access to the BFI National Archive.
Digital technology is revolutionising the way in which the collections, which bring to life the cultural, social, political and economic history of the 20th and 21st centuries, are stored and accessed.
(SP)