International Federation of Film Archives

The International Federation of Film Archives (French: Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film, FIAF) was founded in Paris in 1938 by the British Film Institute, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Cinémathèque Française and the Reichsfilmarchiv in Berlin.

FIAF brings together the world's leading institutions in the field of moving picture heritage. Its affiliates are the defenders of the Twentieth Century's own art form. They are dedicated to the rescue, collection, preservation and screening of moving images, which are valued both as works of art and culture and as historical documents. Today it comprises more than 150 institutions in over 77 countries - a reflection of the extent to which preservation of moving image heritage has become a world-wide concern.

- to uphold a code of ethics for film preservation and practical standards for all areas of film archive work
- to promote the creation of moving image archives in countries which lack them
- to seek the improvement of the legal context within which film archives carry out their work
- to promote film culture and facilitate historical research on both a national and international level
- to foster training and expertise in preservation and other archive techniques
- to ensure the permanent availability of material from the collections for study and research by the wider community
- to encourage the collection and preservation of documents and materials relating to the cinema
- to develop cooperation between members and "to ensure the international availability of films and documents".

FIAF's members are archives that are actively engaged in the activities and fully committed to the ideals described earlier. Current members reflect a wide range of non-profit institutions, including government archives, independent foundations and trusts, self-contained cinematheques, and museum or university departments.

FIAF's Associates are non-profit institutions that support the goals of the Federation but are not involved in film preservation per se. In this way, FIAF is joined by moving image museums, videotheques, documentation centres, and so on.

Much of the work of FIAF takes the form of active cooperation between members on projects of mutual benefit or interest - for example, the careful restoration of a particular film, or the compilation of a national or international filmography. The more visible activities include the annual congress, publications and the work of the specialist commissions.

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