Peio Aldazabal, Juan José Almuedo, José Luis Basoco, Néstor Basterretxea, and José Manuel Gorospe founded the Basque Film Library on May 1, 1978, driven by the need to preserve the audiovisual heritage of the Basque Country.
Due to the institution´s work in the field of preserving the audiovisual heritage of the Basque Country, the Basque Government declared it a Public Utility Institution on May 20, 1997. In addition, since 1994, the Basque Film Archive has been a member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). As the only Basque film archive, it has become an important reference point in the field of Basque culture, especially for researchers, producers, distributors, television stations, students, etc. In November 2004, it became a foundation, and today its institutional patrons are the Basque Government, the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, the Provincial Council of Álava, and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia. The institution is financed exclusively by the Basque Government.
In September 2015, the Basque Film Archive moved its headquarters to Tabakalera, the International Center for Contemporary Culture. The building is equipped with all the technological resources necessary to carry out its work (archiving, conservation, and dissemination) and is also home to other institutions linked to the audiovisual sector, such as the San Sebastián Film Festival (SSIFF) and Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE). The Basque Film Archive is part of Tabakalera´s Shared Screen, where it programs weekly films and cycles related to Basque cinema and cinema in general. Since April 2022, it has been a full member of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). The Basque Film Archive is also a member of INEDITS, the European association for the promotion, dissemination, and preservation of amateur cinema. Photograph: Juantxo Egaña.
