National Film Vault

FILM NOTES

Released in 1999, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace arrived as the first new Star Wars film in sixteen years, and anticipation was extraordinary. It opened the prequel trilogy, returning audiences to a galaxy far, far away and introducing a younger generation to a saga their parents had grown up with. Blending practical effects with then-groundbreaking digital work, it marked a pivotal moment in filmmaking as the industry moved toward a new era of computer-generated imagery.

This cell captures the droids moving through the Naboo forest, an early sequence set amid lush, otherworldly greenery. Owning a physical frame from this scene means holding a genuine piece of that 35mm print, once threaded through a projector to bring the moment to life on screen.