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, a fledgling studio still finding its footing against the reigning fairy-tale conventions of the era. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, it took the familiar architecture of the animated fable and inverted it, favoring an ogre protagonist over a prince and irreverence over sentiment. The film became a genuine cultural marker, winning the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and helping establish computer animation as a serious commercial and artistic force outside the Disney model.
This cell centers on Shrek himself, the character whose sensibility defines the entire franchise. As the sole figure in frame, he represents the film distilled to its point of origin, the ogre whose reluctant heroism and dry humor reshaped what an animated lead could be. For collectors, a Shrek-only cell holds appeal as a clean, singular piece of film history, tied directly to the character who carried the picture into cultural permanence.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm Dolby Digital 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, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible on one edge, alongside what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block strip between the perforations on the same side, consistent with a dual-format optical release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read any key numbers or manufacturer text.
Base & colour
The base shows a slight cyan-blue tint typical of modern safety stock; the dye image reads warm amber-brown with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible splices, cue marks or heavy scratching are apparent; minor longitudinal lines consistent with projection contact are faintly present.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the animated character visible is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The combination of cyan-tinted polyester safety base, Dolby Digital data blocks between perforations, and variable-area optical track is 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 000063163
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
