FOCAL International

21/10/2025

Awards season is approaching, and the 23rd FOCAL International Awards promises to be an unforgettable celebration of excellence in the global archive and media industry. 🏆

Join us at the prestigious Church House Westminster on Thursday, 18 June 2026, for an evening honouring outstanding achievements in archive production, restoration, and the creative use of archival footage. From innovative storytelling through archive and footage to meticulous preservation work, these awards shine a spotlight on the incredible talent and dedication across our industry.

Submissions for the Production & Restoration categories open on Monday, 27 October 2025. Be sure to submit your work and be part of this internationally recognised event!

📅 Save the date, spread the word, and celebrate the best in archival media with us.

17/10/2025

FOCAL International is hiring a Managing Director to lead our strategic direction and operational success in the global audiovisual archive industry.

Find all the details here:https://s3.focalint.org/files/Now-Hiring-Managing-Director-of-FOCAL-International.pdf

🗓️ Apply by Friday, 7 November, via email to [email protected].

15/10/2025

🔔 Reminder: Join the Jane Mercer Memorial Lecture on Wed, 22 Oct 2025, 16:00-17:00 BST, via Zoom.

Sonia Khan and Emma Alldis will discuss their work on the FOCAL International Award-winning documentary, ‘Atomic People’, moderated by Meghan Geier from Archival Ninjas!

Register for free at 👉 https://focalint.org/news-and-events/events/the-jane-mercer-memorial-lecture-2025

10/10/2025

PRESS RELEASE

After 9 years at the helm, Mary Egan is stepping down as FOCAL International’s Director of Operations, effective December 2025.

Since 2017, Mary’s commitment and dedication have helped FOCAL go from strength to strength. Her outreach and recruitment acumen have seen global membership expand and flourish. Mary’s organisation of workshops, meetings, events and parties, including the prestigious annual FOCAL International Awards, has continued to raise our profile, champion our cause and spotlight our presence in the archive industry. FOCAL is very sad to see her go and sends heartfelt thanks for all her hard work. We wish Mary all the best for the future.

FOCAL will shortly be inviting applications for a new Director of Operations, commencing December 2025. Full job description following. Initial enquiries, please contact [email protected]

FOCAL International Executive Board

01/10/2025

🔔 The 7th issue of the FOCALPoint magazine is now available!

In this Autumn 2025 edition, we bring you a recap of the FOCAL International Awards 2025, our Mentees' excursion into the FOCAL Member archives, articles by Imperial War Museum London, Archival Ninjas, Sky Clip Sales, CNN Collection, Piql, and a feature about and byOpen Plan Law!

🔗 Read the new edition: https://issuu.com/focalint/docs/focalpoint_fall_2025

25/09/2025

We want to welcome our new and returning Executive Directors to the FOCAL International Board!

🎞️ Within the Footage & Content Libraries Sector: Helen Walker (Reuters Screenocean) and Bobby Dicks (CNN Collection).
👤 Within the Skills & Service Company Sector: Camille Carlier (Le Chaînon Manquant) and Jo Griffin (R3store Studios).

Please join us in welcoming them all to the FOCAL Executive Board!

24/09/2025

🎬 Join us for the Jane Mercer Memorial Lecture! 🎬

🗓 Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2025
⏰ Time: 16:00 - 17:00 BST
📍 Location: Online, Zoom

Celebrate World Day for Audiovisual Heritage with Sonia Khan, 2025 Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year, and Emma Alldis, Production Manager, as they discuss their FOCAL Award-winning documentary, ‘Atomic People’. Discover how they collaborated to bring the powerful story of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to life, preserving the voices of the last surviving Hibakusha.

Free for FOCAL Members & Non-Members! Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the heart of storytelling through archive, narrative, and trust. 🌟

Register now 👉 https://focalint.org/news-and-events/events/the-jane-mercer-memorial-lecture-2025

18/09/2025

🎉 The FOCAL Pub Quizzes are back! 🎉

Join us on Wednesday, 19 November, at The Spice of Life in Central London for a cosy winter evening of quizzing, food, and fun! 🍻🧠

Team up with 5 friends or let us pair you up! 🤝

Grab your tickets now: https://focalint.org/news-and-events/events/focal-winter-pub-quiz-2025

30/06/2025

27/06/2025

We are proud to share some exciting news! Please join us in celebrating our very own Keiona Barnwell, who has been honored as the ‘Footage Person of the Year’ at the 2025 FOCAL International Awards!

This prestigious recognition is a testament to Keiona’s exceptional talent, dedication, and passion for archival storytelling. Her work continues to inspire and elevate the industry standard.

A heartfelt congratulations to all the nominees and winners who make this field so vibrant and impactful. And a sincere thank you to FOCAL International for hosting such a meaningful event that shines a light on the incredible individuals behind the scenes.

24/06/2025

Congratulations to all the FOCAL International Awards 2025 winners!

We are excited to share with you the winners of the night:

🏆 Best Archive Restoration and Preservation Project or Title
The Making of Do They Know It’s Christmas? | Filmfinity Ltd

🏆 Best Use of Footage in Advertising or Branded Content
Moncler x Roc Nation designed by JAY-Z "City of Mountains" | Hinterland Films / CONVICTS

🏆 Best Use of Footage in a History Production
Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae | Laylow Pictures

🏆 Best Use of Footage in a Short Film Production
The Ban | Unbecoming / Erica Starling Productions / Northern Ireland Screen

🏆 Best Use of Footage in a History Feature
Nesjomme (Neshoma) | Family Affair Films

🏆 Best Use of Footage in a Music Production
One to One: John & Yoko | Mercury Studios / KGB Films / Plan B / Shanakee

🏆 Best Use of Footage in a Factual or Natural World Production
The White House Effect | Actual Films / Department of Motion Pictures / Impact Partners

🏆 Best Use of Footage in an Arts & Cultural Production
Jim Henson: Idea Man | Disney Branded Television / Imagine Documentaries

🏆 Best Use of Footage in a Sports Production
Moses - 13 Steps | BROADVIEW Pictures

🏆 Best Use of Footage in a Cinematic Feature
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat | Onomatopee Films / Warboys Films / BALDR Film / Zapomatik

🏆 Student Jury Award for Most Inspiring Use of Footage
Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae | Laylow Pictures

🏆 Footage Person of the Year
Keiona Barnwell | CNN Collection

🏆 Company of the Year
Sky Clip Sales

🏆 Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year
Sonia Khan | Atomic People

Congratulations to all the winners!

Learn about the winners and nominees on the FOCAL website 👉 https://focalint.org/awards/2025-winners-announcement

23/06/2025

🏆 Neshoma (Nesjomme) by Sandra Beerends has won the award for Best Use of Footage in a History Feature!

A film about Jewish life in between-the-wars Amsterdam, blending archival footage — much of it from the Eye Filmmuseum collection — with the fictional story of Rusha, inspired by real testimonies.

Congratulations to director Sandra Beerends for this achievement and to the whole team! 🌟

FOCAL International Eye Filmmuseum Family Affair Films