National Film RegistryLibrary of Congress · Inducted 2020
“Even by DreamWorks standards, the charm and magic of "Shrek" seemed extraordinary upon its initial release almost 20 years ago — and its power has yet to diminish in the intervening years.”
Selected for preservation as culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.
Directed by
Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson
Studio
DreamWorks · DreamWorks Animation · Pacific Data Images · 90 min
Box office
$488.4M worldwide on a $60M budget
Honors
Academy Awards — 1 win, 2 nominationsAnnie Awards — 1 winBritish Academy Film Awards — 1 winCritics' Choice Movie Award — 1 winAll 4 wins · 3 nominations on record
Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature
Annie Awards: Best Animated Feature
British Academy Film Awards: BAFTA's Children & Young People Award - Feature Film
Critics' Choice Movie Award: Best Animated Feature
Scholarship
Named in the title of 17 peer-reviewed works
Examples
Sources: Wikidata · Library of Congress · OpenAlex. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Shrek arrived from DreamWorks Animation in 2001, a computer-animated feature that reset expectations for the genre by pairing fairy-tale pastiche with contemporary humor. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, it became a cultural landmark, winning the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and launching one of animation's most durable franchises. Its success proved that family films could carry irreverence and genuine sentiment side by side, and it remains a touchstone for how the studio built its identity apart from Pixar and Disney.
This 35mm cell brings together Shrek, the reluctant ogre hero, and Donkey, his relentlessly talkative companion. Their pairing is the emotional engine of the film, the mismatched-duo dynamic that carries much of the story's comedy and warmth. Collectors seek frames like this because they capture the foundation of that friendship rather than a single set piece. As a film artifact, it represents a physical strip from the actual theatrical print, a tangible connection to the movie's original release and to the characters who defined it.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Shrek (2001).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even and the punched edges appear clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible along the lower edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation zone beside it, consistent with a dual-format optical track layout.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a light cyan-blue tint typical of modern safety stock; the dye image appears neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks, or prominent scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be from the same continuous shot and the character and environment visible are consistent with the animated feature on record.
Era check
The cyan-tinted polyester base, Dolby Digital inter-perforation data blocks alongside a variable-area optical track, and colour dye image are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000063130
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
