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 and reshaped what an animated feature could be, pairing fairy tale pastiche with pop culture wit and a soundtrack that leaned pointedly against Disney convention. It won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and became a cultural touchstone, launching a franchise built on irreverence toward genre expectation. Its success proved that computer animation could carry adult humor alongside family appeal, cementing DreamWorks as a serious rival in the space.
This cell centers on Princess Fiona, alongside Lord Farquaad, two figures whose entangled fates drive much of the film's plot around identity, curses, and mismatched courtship. Fiona remains one of the most collected characters from the movie given her dual nature and central role in the romantic arc, while Farquaad's presence here marks a scene tied directly to the film's central conflict over marriage and kingdom. A frame drawn from these characters together points to a pivotal narrative beat, the kind of pairing archivists and collectors prize for capturing the story's turning point in physical form.
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 fully visible frames and one partially visible frame.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges; spacing appears even across the strip; perforation edges appear cleanly punched with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, with what appears to be a Dolby Digital data block strip and a blue DTS timecode line also present between the perforations and the optical track.
Edge print
Not clearly legible in this capture; text appears present along the edges but cannot be reliably quoted.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with modern safety stock; dye image appears neutral with no visible red shift or fading.
Projection history
No significant scratches or splices are visible; the image appears consistent with a projected release print.
Picture
Positive colour image; the first two visible frames appear to be consecutive frames of the same shot, while the third visible frame shows a different scene; imagery is consistent with the animated feature Shrek (2001).
Era check
The combination of Dolby Digital data blocks, DTS timecode line, and variable-area optical track is consistent with a theatrical release print from the early 2000s, matching the 2001 release date of the film 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 000063245
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
