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, released theatrically on May 18 by DreamWorks Pictures, and quickly became a landmark in computer animated features. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, it upended fairy tale convention with irreverent humor and pop culture references, earning the inaugural Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its success proved animated films could appeal to adults and children alike, cementing DreamWorks as a rival to Pixar and reshaping the genre for the decade that followed.
This cell brings together the three central figures whose dynamic anchors the film: Shrek, the reluctant ogre hero; Donkey, his talkative and loyal companion; and Dragon, the fierce guardian whose presence marks one of the story's pivotal turns. A 35mm cell featuring all three is prized by collectors for capturing the ensemble at the heart of the narrative, a physical fragment from the reel that carried Shrek into theaters and into 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 torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A dual variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, alongside what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block strip between the lower perforation row and the optical tracks, consistent with a late-era release print.
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 typical of Eastman or Fuji safety stock; the dye image appears fully saturated with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks are apparent in this capture.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single continuous shot, and the subject matter is consistent with the CGI-animated feature Shrek (2001).
Era check
The combination of cyan-tinted safety base, dual variable-area optical track, and apparent Dolby Digital data blocks between perforations 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 000063198
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
