The Film Reference Library ( FRL ) is Canada’s film research collection located on the 4th floor of TIFF Bell Lightbox , a cultural centre in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. The library is a free resource for students, filmmakers, scholars, and journalists. The library is affiliated to International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) , to promote Canadian and global film scholarship by collecting, preserving, and providing access to a comprehensive collection of film prints, and film-related reference resources including books, periodicals, scripts, research files, movies, press kits.
4-785: The Library assumed operation of the Ontario Film Institute in 1990, when the Province of Ontario selected the Library to be guardian of its film-related holdings and continue the dedicated work of Gerald Pratley , founder of the OFI, by collecting and preserving materials indispensable to film education, production and research. The library contains 60,000 film research files, which include presskits, photographs, and clippings, 20,000 book titles, 13,000 film, 2000 film scripts, 700 magazine and journal titles, 80 Special Collections, and
8-481: A large and varied selection of other research materials, including 300,000 images, 11,000 posters, 6000 soundtracks and television titles. The Film Reference Library houses over 80 Special Collections that illuminate the history of Canadian cinema . The Special Collections are composed of original archival records: audiovisual material and film elements; print materials, festival catalogues, as well as shooting scripts and production notes. The library's holdings include
12-780: The personal research archives of film journalist and celebrity interviewer Brian Linehan , in whose memory the library's public reading room is named. Previous exhibitions include: Ontario Film Institute TIFF Cinematheque (formerly Cinematheque Ontario ) is a year-round programme of the Toronto International Film Festival devoted to the presentation, understanding and appreciation of Canadian and international cinema through carefully curated programming. It features acclaimed director's retrospectives, national and regional spotlights, experimental and avant-garde cinema, exclusive engagements of classic films, including many new and rare archival prints. It
16-604: Was established in 1990 after TIFF assumed management of the Ontario Film Institute from Gerald Pratley , creating Cinematheque for the OFI's film screening program while moving the OFI's reference library to the new Film Reference Library . When TIFF took over the program, its leadership was assumed by James Quandt , who remained head of the program for 31 years until retiring in 2021. The Cinematheque screenings were originally shown in Jackman Hall at
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