OffBeat is the UK’s only dedicated film club celebrating the folk and working culture of the British Isles. We regularly host screenings and events showing this country at its weirdest and most wonderful.
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Regional Film Archives
The Regional Film Archives are a crucial part of the UK's film heritage, preserving local histories, cultures, and everyday life captured on film. Their focus is on regional films and the collections offer irreplaceable glimpses into Britain’s past, documenting industries, landscapes, and communities that may no longer exist.
Much of the footage in the archives is available to view for free online. Here are links to some of our favourites.
The Box, Plymouth (Home of SWFTA)
Home to the South West Film & Television Archive (SWFTA), the UK’s largest regional film archive, preserving footage from Westward TV, TSW, and BBC South West. Holds rare films of Plymouth, Cornwall’s mining and fishing heritage, and decades of West Country news. Yorkshire Film Archive (YFA) & North East Film Archive (NEFA)
The YFA NEFA Preserve and digitise films from across Yorkshire and the North East, including amateur recordings, newsreels, and professional productions. They also run the fantastic "Yorkshire on Film" and "North East on Film" projects, making regional history available to the public.East Anglia Film Archive (EAFA)
Hold films made in and about East Anglia, including agricultural footage, seaside holiday films, and regional news. Their coastal and rural life collections are unparalleled, showcasing life in the Fens, Norfolk Broads, and East Anglian countryside. They also hold valuable early colour films of the region.Screen Archive South East (SASE)
Preserve moving images from the South East, from Edwardian-era films to modern TV footage. Their collection includes rare Edwardian travelogues, silent films, and home movies of seaside resorts. Their Coastal Communities project focuses on the changing face of Britain’s seaside towns.North West Film Archive (NWFA)
Collect and preserve films reflecting life in the North West, from factory documentaries to home movies. They hold over 50,000 items covering working-class life, the music scene (including early footage of The Beatles), and local traditions. Media Archive for Central England (MACE)
Provide access to films made in the Midlands, including ATV regional television news, documentary films, and amateur footage.
They hold the largest collection of ATV regional news and projects like "Full Circle" have helped rediscover lost Midlands footage.
List of Regional Archives in the UK
England
- Yorkshire Film Archive (YFA) & North East Film Archive (NEFA) – Yorkshire & North East England
- North West Film Archive (NWFA) – North West England
- Media Archive for Central England (MACE) – East & West Midlands
- East Anglian Film Archive (EAFA) – Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Essex
- Screen Archive South East (SASE) – Kent, Surrey, Sussex
- Wessex Film and Sound Archive (WFSA) – Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Dorset, Berkshire, Wiltshire
- South West Film & Television Archive (SWFTA) at The Box, Plymouth – South West England
Scotland
- Scottish Screen Archive (at the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive) – All of Scotland
Wales
- National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales (NSSAW) – All of Wales
Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland Screen Digital Film Archive – All of Northern Ireland