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 as a defiant answer to the fairy tale formula, released theatrically and later on 35mm reels for archival and collector circulation. It became the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and reshaped how studios approached family films, mixing pop culture irony with genuine sentiment. Its success launched a franchise and cemented DreamWorks as a rival to Pixar and Disney in the animation space, making original release prints from this era especially sought after by collectors of studio history.
This cell brings together the three central figures of the story's early journey: Shrek, the ogre reluctantly drawn into a quest, Donkey, his relentless companion, and Dragon, the guardian encountered along the way. Together they mark a pivotal convergence point in the narrative, the moment where alliances shift and the group dynamic that drives the rest of the film takes shape. As a film strip artifact, it preserves a physical frame of that meeting, valued by collectors for capturing character interplay rather than a single figure alone.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm 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 holes appear cleanly cut with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation zone beside it, and a DTS timecode line also discernible along the same edge.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer text or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base shows a light blue-cyan tint consistent with a colour print stock; the dye image appears neutral with no obvious red shift or fading.
Projection history
No visible splices, cue marks or heavy scratching are apparent; the surface appears consistent with a projected release print.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, and the animated character and environment are consistent with the CGI animated feature on record.
Era check
The combination of Dolby Digital data blocks, DTS timecode, variable-area optical track, and blue-base colour print stock is consistent with a major studio 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 000063197
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
