FIAF, the International Federation of Film Archives, brings together the world's leading institutions in the field of moving picture heritage.

Its affiliates are the defenders of the Twentieth Century's own art form. They are dedicated to the rescue, collection, preservation and screening of moving images, which are valued both as works of art and culture and as historical documents. When it was founded in 1938, FIAF had 4 members. Today it comprises 155 institutions in nearly 180 countries - a reflection of the extent to which preservation of moving image heritage has become a world-wide concern.

FIAF's aims are:

* to uphold a code of ethics for film preservation and practical standards for all areas of film archive work

* to promote the creation of moving image archives in countries which lack them

* to seek the improvement of the legal context within which film archives carry out their work

* to promote film culture and facilitate historical research on both a national and international level

* to foster training and expertise in preservation and other archive techniques

* to ensure the permanent availability of material from the collections for study and research by the wider community

* to encourage the collection and preservation of documents and materials relating to the cinema

* to develop cooperation between members and "to ensure the international availability of films and documents".