Harvard Film Archive, Film archive and cinematheque at Carpenter Center for Visual Arts, Cambridge, United States

The Harvard Film Archive is a film repository and screening venue housed within the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, located in the heart of Cambridge. The theater seats around 188 people and presents carefully selected international and classic films ranging from early silent pictures to recent productions.

The archive was founded in 1979 and began with a screening of Ernst Lubitsch's Lady Windermere's Fan. Over the decades, it has become an important guardian of film history, preserving works from different countries and time periods.

The collection contains 40,000 audiovisual items, including feature films, documentaries, animations, and short films from numerous countries and time periods.

Screenings take place from Friday through Monday, with tickets available at the box office inside the Carpenter Center building. It helps to check the program before your visit since the lineup changes and some showings fill up quickly.

The archive maintains one of the largest collections of 35mm films in New England and receives annual donations from the Bavarian Film Fund. This partnership allows for rare European works to be shown in their original film format.

• Location: Cambridge
• Part of: Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard University
• Address: 24 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
• Website: http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa
• GPS coordinates: 42.37370,-71.11428
• Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:52