British Academy Film Awards — 2 wins, 1 nominationAcademy Awards — 1 nominationKids' Choice Award — 1 nominationSaturn Award — 1 nominationAll 2 wins · 4 nominations on record
British Academy Film Awards: Best Special Visual Effects
Scholarship
Named in the title of 1 peer-reviewed work
Examples
Sources: Wikidata · OpenAlex · Library of Congress. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
Released by Universal Pictures in 1989, Back to the Future Part II arrived as the immediate sequel to one of the defining blockbusters of the decade. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and reuniting the core cast and creative team, the film pushed the time travel premise into bold new territory, sending its characters forward into an imagined 2015 and back through the events of the original story. Its ambition and technical achievement helped cement the trilogy's place in popular culture, and the film remains a touchstone for fans of science fiction adventure and 1980s studio filmmaking.
This 35mm cell preserves a frame featuring Marty McFly alongside Doc Brown and Jennifer Parker, the trio at the heart of the film's time traveling narrative. Marty stands as the series' everyman hero, and collectors seek him out as the emotional anchor of the saga. Appearing here with both Doc and Jennifer places this moment within the shared urgency and companionship that define their journey together. A cell like this offers a physical link to the film's original theatrical prints, a tangible artifact from the celluloid era of studio filmmaking.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print of Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Gauge
35mm, 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 torn or deformed holes
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical soundtrack track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area
Edge print
Text visible along the top edge reads 'SAFE' and partial characters consistent with a safety-film edge code; full key number sequence not fully legible in this capture
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight warm-neutral tint; dye image shows saturated colour with no visible fading or red shift
Projection history
Light vertical scratch lines are visible running through the frames, consistent with evidence of projection
Picture
Positive colour image; the two right frames appear to be consecutive frames of a single shot, while the leftmost frame shows a different angle of the same scene; image content is consistent with a live-action production matching the film on record
Era check
The variable-area optical soundtrack, saturated Eastmancolor-style dye image, and safety base are all consistent with a theatrical release print from the late 1980s, matching the 1989 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 000064121
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
