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 landmark release that upended fairy tale convention and helped define a new era of computer animated filmmaking. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, it paired irreverent humor with genuine sentiment, becoming the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Its success established DreamWorks as a serious rival to Disney and Pixar, and it launched a franchise that reshaped how animated features could speak to adult and family audiences alike.
This cell, Fiona Fighting, centers on Princess Fiona alongside Robin Hood and his men, identified here as Monsieur Hood. It captures the moment the film upends expectations of a fairy tale princess, placing Fiona in direct physical opposition to Robin Hood's crew rather than in need of rescue. For collectors, this is a defining beat in Fiona's characterization, the scene most often cited when discussing her independence. As a 35mm frame drawn from the actual release print, it preserves a piece of animation history tied directly to one of the character's most quoted sequences.
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, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no visible tearing or distortion.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible below the picture area, appearing as a dual bilateral variable-area strip; a blue DTS timecode line is visible immediately above the optical track; Dolby Digital data blocks are not clearly distinguishable at this size.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a light cyan tint consistent with modern polyester stock; dye image appears neutral with no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
No visible scratches, splice marks, or cue marks observed.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, consistent with a release print of Shrek (2001).
Era check
The combination of cyan-tinted polyester base, dual bilateral variable-area optical track, and DTS timecode line 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 000063210
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
