Over 100 years of fascinating historical film footage, including the first existing film of Northern Ireland, shot by the Lumière brothers in 1897, will be on view for the public at QFT from Tuesday 16 March with the launch of Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive (DFA).
 
Susan Picken, Head of QFT, said:  “Whether you are a teacher, student, historian, or just have a keen interest in moving images, the Digital Film Archive is an invaluable resource, with footage covering drama, animation, documentaries, news, newsreels, amateur and actuality film.”
 
The DFA is stored on a computer in the QFT foyer which allows easy access to all the material. The archive is very user-friendly allowing you to explore a list of highlights or simply browse, using a keyword search.
 
Not only can you come to QFT and view the archive yourself, but the DFA can also come to you. Northern Ireland Screen delivers free themed presentations on a range of subjects based on the content of the archive. For further information on this, please contact Northern Ireland Screen’s DFA team on 028 9023 2444, education@northernirelandscreen.co.uk 
 
Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen, said:“Northern Ireland Screen aims to ensure that our rich moving image heritage is safeguarded for current and future generations, and made accessible to the public in a way that is stimulating, entertaining and sustainable. We are delighted that QFT has come on board to host the DFA, bringing the total number of sites where the archive can be viewed across Northern Ireland to seventeen. We hope that over the coming months and years this number will increase so that more people can enjoy this wonderful collection of historic film.”
 
If you would like to view the Digital Film Archive (DFA) at QFT, visit 20 University Square from 9.30am-11.00pm, Monday to Friday and 6.00pm-11.00pm, Saturday and Sunday.

Media inquiries please contact Sarah Hughes, 028 9097 1398, 07905 276 399, s.hughes@qub.ac.uk