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
Back to the Future Part II arrived from Universal Pictures in 1989, the immediate sequel to the era-defining 1985 original and the first half of a back-to-back production with Part III. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it pushed Marty McFly and Doc Brown forward into an imagined 2015 before circling back through 1985 and 1955, layering timelines on top of the established mythology. It remains a touchstone of blockbuster sequel craft, remembered for its vision of the future, its narrative complexity, and its role in cementing the trilogy as a cultural fixture of the era.
This cell brings together Marty and Doc Brown, the trilogy's central pairing, alongside a reference to Copernicus, Doc's dog, a small but familiar presence tied to his household and his eccentric genius. Collectors prize material featuring the two leads together, since their partnership anchors the series and drives its emotional and comedic momentum. A 35mm cell like this preserves an actual frame of theatrical release film, a physical artifact from the strip that ran through projectors, connecting the holder directly to the movie's original exhibition.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour optical release print of Back to the Future Part II.
Gauge
35mm, four perforations per frame visible on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced; punched edges appear clean with no visible tearing.
Soundtrack
A dual variable-area optical track runs along one edge, with a visible waveform pattern consistent with a stereo optical print.
Edge print
Partial codes visible reading approximately '216' and '29' along the upper edge; full key number sequence not fully legible in this capture.
Base & colour
Base appears with a slight blue-cyan tint consistent with a colour print stock; dye image shows warm colour rendering without obvious fading.
Projection history
Light vertical lines visible across the frame area, consistent with a projected print that has passed through a gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; all three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot, consistent with a release print of Back to the Future Part II.
Era check
The dual variable-area optical soundtrack, colour positive stock, and base tint are consistent with a 35mm theatrical release print from the late 1980s to early 1990s.
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 000064151
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
