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 in 2001 as a genre-shifting release, a computer-animated feature that turned fairy tale convention on its head while landing sharp, era-specific humor at multiplex audiences. It became a cultural touchstone, winning the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and establishing DreamWorks Animation as a serious rival in a field long dominated by Pixar and Disney. Its irreverence, pop culture asides, and unlikely romantic pairing helped redefine what family animation could be, making it one of the defining studio releases of its decade.
This cell centers on Shrek himself, the ogre protagonist whose gruff exterior and reluctant heroism anchor the entire franchise. Collectors seek out frames tied directly to him, since he represents the character design and vocal performance that carried the film to box office and critical success. A cell simply marked with his name suggests a foundational or introductory framing, the kind of image used in credits or promotional material to establish the character before the story unfolds. It stands as a piece of the film's early visual identity.
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 look clean with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible on one edge, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data-block strip in the inter-perforation area beside it, and a DTS timecode line also discernible, consistent with a tri-format release print.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to quote any text or key numbers.
Base & colour
The base shows a slight cyan-blue tint typical of modern safety polyester stock; the dye image appears neutral with no visible fading or colour 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 shot, and the CGI animated imagery is consistent with the film on record.
Era check
The combination of polyester base, tri-format soundtrack area (optical variable-area, Dolby Digital data blocks, and DTS timecode) 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 000063217
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
