AP acquires historic British Movietone archive
The Associated Press today announced that it has acquired the historic British Movietone film archive collection from Newsreel Archive. Spanning almost a century of international events, the archive represents one of the worlds most significant and important newsfilm collections. The addition of this outstanding collection of historic video to its own extensive archive ensures APs position as the leading global supplier of contemporary and historic news video and photography.
Originally shown in cinemas twice a week, the British Movietone archive is the first newsreel to have sound and then color film. It is renowned for containing the first recorded speeches of leading personalities such as Gandhi and George Bernard Shaw. The archives many historic highlights also include:
The rise of fascism and the outbreak of World War II
Over 6,000 stories covering World War II between 1939 and 1945
The Beatles conquest of America, Beatlemania and the British Invasion of the 1960s, featuring the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and the Who
The Korean and Vietnam wars
Extensive royal coverage, including the Edward and Mrs. Simpson story, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and the only footage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding filmed in high definition on 35 mm film
Visits to the UK by leading historical and iconic figures, including John F. Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe and Muhammad Ali
Technological change, including advances in medicine and the origins of information technology and telecommunications
Popular culture, including fashion, music, film and the arts
 
As TV news began to take the place of cinema newsreels in the 1950s and 60s, British Movietones hard news coverage was increasingly accompanied by features on social issues, entertainment, lifestyle, sports and quirky, lighthearted stories that struggled to find a place on mainstream TV news but resonated with cinema audiences. This has left the archive collection with films that provide a social commentary on decades of history where societys values changed at an unprecedented pace. The mission of British Movietone was to bring the world to movie audiences and, with its extensive international and British coverage, its legacy is a stunning global archive resource.
Gary Pruitt, APs president and CEO, said: The British Movietone archive is a gem of visual heritage and an incredible resource for content creators. For AP to become its new custodian is a true privilege and it perfectly complements AP's own extensive archive collection.
While the majority of the archive's film assets have been fully digitized and available for licensing, around 15 percent of the collection has never been seen before and remains in its original 35 mm format. Documented on thousands of individual record cards, this unseen footage represents either the films that failed to make it onto the bulletins or were restricted by censors during World War II. AP hopes to catalog, digitize and release these films over time.
Alwyn Lindsey, APs vice president of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with responsibility for video archive sales for the AP, said: By acquiring British Movietone, we are cementing our position as the foremost supplier of news and historical video.
For the past five years, AP has partnered with Newsreel Archive to make the British Movietone collection available internationally, including a freely accessible YouTube channel where anyone can browse a wide selection of British Movietone films. AP clients will continue to be able to access the digitized British Movietone films, the equivalent of 2,200 hours of footage, through the AP Archive platform. Having completed the sale of the British Movietone Archive, Newsreel Archive PTY will now act as APs exclusive archive distribution partner in Australia and New Zealand, offering their customers both AP and British Movietone footage.
Matthew Miranda, Newsreel Archives CEO, said: Through our many years of working with AP, we appreciate how the British Movietone archive collection will benefit from being further integrated within the vast AP network and made even more widely available than it is today. We look forward to continue working in close partnership with AP in Australia and New Zealand.
About AP
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day, more than half the worlds population sees news from AP. On the web: www.ap.org.
About Newsreel Archive
Newsreel Archive Pty Ltd represents one of the largest collections of news footage and newsreel films in Australia and New Zealand. The exclusive distributor in Australia and New Zealand for AP Archive and British Movietone, and globally for the Nine Network news and current affairs archive, Newsreel Archive is a highly comprehensive resource of factual, social and historical content from 1896 to the present day.
Contact
Paul Colford Vice President and Director of Media Relations
The Associated Press
212-621-1895
pcolford@ap.org
Lauren Easton Media Relations Manager
The Associated Press
212-621-7005
leaston@ap.org
Scott McLean The Associated Press -- UK inquiries
+44 (0) 7917 095 695
scott.mclean@timihub.com
Matthew Miranda
Newsreel Archive
+61 (2) 9018 1524
matthew@movietone.com
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AP acquires historic British Movietone archive 
