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 in 2001 from DreamWorks Animation as a decisive break from the fairy tale conventions Disney had long defined, pairing irreverent humor with genuine warmth and earning the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its success reshaped family filmmaking, proving that animation could satirize its own genre while still delivering heart, and it launched a franchise and studio identity built on that same subversive charm.
This cell centers on Shrek within his swamp, the ogre's own territory and the film's grounding image of solitude before the story pulls him into the wider world. As the character who anchors the entire franchise, Shrek in this setting represents origin and belonging rather than adventure, making it a foundational piece for collectors tracing his arc. Whether drawn from a trailer, title sequence, or credits reel, a 35mm frame like this preserves a tangible link to the film's original theatrical run and its enduring place in animation history.
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 visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area on the lower edge, alongside what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block strip between the perforations on the lower edge, and a DTS timecode line is also discernible as a thin continuous stripe.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a cyan-blue tint consistent with a dyed safety base stock; the dye image appears warm and well-saturated with no visible fading.
Projection history
No splices, cue marks or significant scratches are visible in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the CGI animated imagery is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The combination of a cyan-tinted polyester safety base, Dolby Digital data blocks between perforations, DTS timecode stripe, and variable-area optical track is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2001 release date on record.
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 000063136
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
