Harvard Film Archive

The Harvard Film Archive has 36,000+ titles in the collection from around the world and from almost every period in film history. Collection strengths lie in national cinemas, including films from the U.S., France, Japan, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Russia, Ukraine, Taiwan, and Argentina; American studio and independent features; American, European, and Japanese experimental film; experimental animation; ethnographic film; short and feature documentary; and diary film. In addition to feature films and art films, the collection contains many examples of non-theatrical, or "useful" cinema, which covers a range of motion picture history outside the classic category of theatrical fiction film, such as educational and industrial shorts on many topics, home movies, newsreels, and government films. Non-moving image collections include a wide range of promotional materials including film stills, posters, and other flat graphics, as well as a number of manuscript collections documenting the work of individual filmmakers such as Godfrey Reggio, Anne Charlotte Robertson, Warren Sonbert, Hollis Frampton, Robert Gardner, Suzan Pitt, and Caroline Leaf.

Researchers can use Harvard Library's catalog, HOLLIS, to search for specific film, video, and audio items by title, creator, or through keyword searching. Finding aids, which provide detailed descriptions of archival materials, can be searched via HOLLIS Archival Discovery.

• Please be advised that due to the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the Harvard Film Archive will be closed to researchers beginning Monday, March 16th. Given the fluid and evolving nature of the situation, we do not currently have a date on which access will resume. 
• Harvard Film Archive Research Services staff will be working remotely during this period to answer research queries. For questions or concerns regarding the Harvard Film Archive, please contact amy_sloper@harvard.edu 
• For additional information and updates, please visit the Harvard Library Visitor Access website and Harvard University’s main Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage.

Harvard Film Archive collections are open to all adult researchers regardless of academic affiliation. Anyone conducting academic research is welcome to make an appointment. While you do not need to be affiliated with a university or professional organization, you do need to have a valid research project. Writing a book, article, essay, dissertation, or paper; and directing or producing a visual research project are all valid projects. If you are not sure if your idea qualifies, please submit a request form and ask.

• Access to prints is limited to titles that are not available on video or online. For guidance on conducting film research at Harvard, including locating DVDs and streaming video or getting access to DVD material via interlibrary loan, please reference this guide.
• Viewing appointments are booked on a first-come, first-served basis, and should be made as far in advance as possible. Researchers with limited schedules or those coming from out of town to view materials are strongly advised to reserve an appointment prior to finalizing travel arrangements.
• Requests are granted at the discretion of the HFA Collections staff and are not guaranteed. Researchers may need to obtain advance permission from donors or depositors for access to restricted collections. Staff may also restrict access to materials on the basis of physical condition, preservation status, or other considerations.

Requests for paper materials must be submitted via a HOLLIS Special Request Account at least one business day in advance by 4pm. All HFA paper collections are stored off-site and must be retrieved specifically for your appointment.

The Harvard Film Archive's audiovisual materials are accessed by appointment only at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts. Viewings take place on-site only, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and must be arranged at least ten business days in advance.

If condition allows, prints from the collection may be viewed on a flatbed viewer or in the HFA's theater. Most video and audio material must be reformatted prior to access which can take 4-6 weeks. In some cases, preservation concerns will require us to reformat film material prior to viewing or to restrict access to certain materials.

To submit a request, please email the following information to the HFA's Collections Archivist:

• Full name and contact information
• A short description of your research project
• Prioritized list of titles essential to your project, including HOLLIS links or HFA item numbers if possible
• Proposed dates of visit

Harvard University welcomes individuals with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. Facilities for research viewing are accessible, but if you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please include that in your request.