About the Catalogue

The catalogue is a record of all the items held by the Film Archive. It is important to note, that not all items have viewing copies in our libraries.

The online catalogue was first launched in 2002, it is a work in progress and we welcome your suggestions for future improvements. Please feel free to contact us with your ideas

How can I tell if there is a viewing copy of an item I am interested in?
Clicking on a title in your search results list takes you the record information for that particular title. The purple Viewing Locations box underneath the title will tell you where you can view the item. If the title is not available for viewing you will see the message “not currently available for viewing.”
By clicking the link “Contact us for more information about this item” you can email us about the title.

Where can I see a viewing copy?
The purple Viewing Locations box also specifies where viewing copies can be seen - at the medialibrary in Wellington, or at the Film Archive in Auckland. Check addresses and opening hours.

Some items can be seen on medianet, a free video resource in partner institutions around the country. When an item is available on medianet you will see the message “Medianet: available (find locations)” in the purple viewing locations box. medianet locations and access information.

Audio material, posters, books & periodicals (when available) are held at the Jonathan Dennis Library in Wellington.

Titles held only at the Wellington Film Archive can be interloaned to the Auckland Film Achive and medianet sites (except for Lower Hutt).

The Archive is unable to lend copies of material held in the collection, and viewing may only be be viewed on the premises.

The Archive is working to digitize its collection and make material available for viewing online. You can limit your search to items with online viewing material by clicking the filter “only display records that contain preview video or images.”

How do I get in touch with you?
Use the Contact us for more information about this title link which is located on the right hand side of the purple Viewing Locations box.

Can I have a copy?
Unfortunately the Film Archive cannot provide copies of items in the collection for personal interest. This is because we do not own or hold distribution rights for the material in our care.

However we do offer a service for those whose family members appear in a film we hold. Contact us for details at onlineclientservices@nzfa.org.nz. 

It is also possible that footage can be licensed for re-use by filmakers. See next question.

Can film makers reuse Film Archive footage?
Items from the Archive’s collections can be accessed for reuse. Please use the Request More Information About This Title link on the record you are interested in.
Check the box “Please check here if you would like to access material for reuse in a new production” and provide the extra information we ask. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Remember, themore information you can give us the more we will be able to help  with your request.

Tell us
We’re always interested to hear from you if you can add content information to any of the catalogue records you view. Please contact us if you have additional content, remember to supply references so we can verify your information.

If you have more information on a title, or are able to correct our information, please contact us

Tips For Searching the Catalogue

Advanced or Simple Search? You can choose to use either the Advanced or Simple Search. The Advanced Search is useful for complex searches. Here you can fill out as many (or few) of the search fields as you like.
By selecting moving image for your media type you can also select a specific genre to further refine your search. The advanced search is useful for searching a combination of fields. For example if you wanted to find feature films made in New Zealand between 1970 and 1990. For this search you could use the Media tab and select moving image, then use the genre tab to select feature, then by selecting choose a date range you can search between two dates.
The Simple Search enables a keyword search across many different catalogue fields. Using the simple search you can still select to search all media or a set of different media. Using the filters will narrow the search options.

Keep it simple. If you're looking for a particular film, just enter the film’s name (or as much of it as you can recall) in the Title field. If you're looking for a particular event, place, or product, start with its name. If you're looking for a person, once again, just enter their name (Remember, it doesn’t have to be their full name).

Select a media type. If you are looking only for moving images (not books or posters ) then use the Media button to select 'moving image'.

Avoid searching for common or small words such as “the”, “an” or “a.”

Use years.  If you know the year of an event but have forgotten the name, try entering the year (choose specific year) and some keywords in the description field. For example, by typing Music Festival and 1980 with Exactly slected for the year you will hit upon such delights as Sweetwaters and Nambassa.
 
Use Places. The same applies to places. If you don’t know when, and you're not sure what, try typing a place name in the Description field.
Think laterally. Perhaps you are looking for Sir Edmund Hillary and you feel your search has come up a little short, try some related terms like Everest, Nepal or Antarctica.
Exclude TV.  If you are not looking for television programming use the "Exclude TV news" or "Exclude all TV programmes" checkboxes.

Home movies. The Film Archive holds an extensive collection of films made by home enthusiasts. These can be identified by their titles which begin "Personal Record". If you are NOT looking for amateur films you can click the "Exclude home movies" box.