World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2025; October 27th.

FORUM: "Your window to the world." World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2025. This year is special as audiovisual archives around the world commemorate the 20th anniversary of WDAVH in raising awareness of the importance and urgency of protecting audiovisual materials to ensure their long-term availability and accessibility. Audiovisual documentary heritage opens a window to the world through the generations of incredibly unique stories. They reveal the ingenuity of the human spirit and vision, the spectacular lessons learnt from the diversity of cultures, that generate inspiration and creativity. In a world now wrought by insularity and struggling with the pain of war, moving images, aural and oral recordings are effective tools to bridge differences, bringing about much needed empathy, compassion and encouragement. You can be a part of this preservation movement. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldDayforAudiovisualHeritage, #WDAH, #audiovisual ,#27october, #AudiovisualHeritageDay #AudiovisualHeritage.

EVENT: On October 27th, a virtual event will be held by the UNESCO and the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Association (CCAAA) to mark the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2025. The WDAH 20th anniversary was celebrated at the UNESCO HQ in Paris.

On Thursday 23 October,  From 16:00 to19:00 at UNESCO Cinema, 7 Place de Fontenoy in Paris; was held the 20th anniversary of World Day for Audiovisual Heritage; On this special occasion, have been showcased a selection of newly digitized films from the UNESCO Archives thanks to the support of UNESCO Member States France and Monaco. The Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA) have also presented films from around the world shared by its member organizations. This celebration emphasizes the importance of preserving the world’s audiovisual heritage by highlighting a rich selection of unique audiovisual archives. Powerful films and unseen footage that embody UNESCO’s and CCAAA’s core values, alongside brief talks by members of UNESCO and CCAAA. The screening will end with a question-and-answer period inviting lively discussions with the public about the preservation and impact of audiovisual archives. The event is free of charge.Seating is limited and registration is required. Click here to take part in the event. For further information, please contact info@ccaaa.org to help you. Registration.

Presented by Moving Image Research Collections at the University of South Carolina for the 2025 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. Streaming from October 27, 2025.

MIRC celebrates the 2025 World Day for Audiovisual Heritage — marking its 20th anniversary — with a program drawn from our remarkable home movie collections. A journey through time and space inspired by the classic Grand Tour — the journey through Europe once taken by artists, scholars, and travelers seeking culture, art, and experience. Reimagined through home movies from the 1920s to the 1960s, the program traces an American traveler’s cinematic itinerary across the Atlantic and through Europe’s storied landscapes. It includes clips from the following family collections: De Kozlowski, Dungan, Gleason, Hallowell, Livingston, Nagel, Seibels, Shapiro, Urbanek-Heins, Walton, Weir.  For information, contact MIRC@mailbox.sc.edu.

COMMUNICATION MATERIALS: Use the poster and video for reaching out to different communities. Share about the events you are organising on and around October 27th. Enable the motivation to contribute time, expertise, effort to save the extraordinary audiovisual legacy for posterity.

Get the poster in Arabic, in English, in French, in Spanish, in German, in Portuguese, in Chinese, in Russian

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage Day 2024; October 27th.

FORUM: “Your widow to the world.” World Day for Audiovisual Heritage Day 2024. As a window to the world, audiovisual heritage enables us to witness events we do not attend, listen to voices of the past, and create narratives that inform and entertain. Through the exploration of recorded sounds and visual imagery captured on film and video, we not only gain an appreciation for the cultural wealth but also extract valuable lessons from it. Audiovisual materials can tell your story, your truth, and your presence. They provide a window to the world, allowing us to observe events we cannot attend, hear voices from the past who can no longer speak, and craft stories that inform and entertain. By listening to recorded sounds and looking at images captured on film and video we can not only appreciate the richness of this culture but also learn from it. Audiovisual archives tell us stories about people’s lives and cultures from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge since they reflect the cultural, social and linguistic diversity of our communities. They help us grow and comprehend the world we all share. Conserving this heritage and ensuring it remains accessible to the public and future generations is a vital goal for all memory institutions as well as the public at large. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldDayforAudiovisualHeritage, #WDAH, #audiovisual ,#27october, #AudiovisualHeritageDay #AudiovisualHeritage.

EVENTS: WDAH 2024 - Celebrations around the world.

On and around the Octobe 27th; Celebrations around the world of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage Day 2024 will be held in many countries and organized by national and regional sound and film archives, broadcasters, museums and libraries, and major audiovisual associations to honor audiovisual preservation professionals and institutions that safeguard our heritage for future generations. The nine associations forming the CCAAA (AMIA, ARSC, FIAF, FIAT-IFTA, FOCAL International, IASA, ICA, SEAPAVAA, IFLA) strongly encourage all their members (and any other institutions) to Participate to the global celebrations of the World Day. You can now visualize all events on a dedicated world map that is updated in real time. Explore the world map of WDAH 2024 events.

On July 2nd, 2024 - Panel Discussion on how Library Translates Essential Resources in the Field of Audiovisual Heritage Preservation - The Qatar National Library partnered with IASA to complete Arabic translations of four pivotal publications from IASA’s Technical Committee.


From 15 to 18 May 2024; ARSC's 58th Annual Conference - The Call for presentations for ARSC's 58th Annual Conference to be held in St. Paul, Minnesota is open until 12 January. The Association for Recorded Sound Collections welcomes all who are interested in any aspect of sound recording to attend or present at the conference. The program will include individual presentations, posters, and panel discussions with sound recording scholars, collectors, preservationists, and creators engaged in a broad range of topics that cross geographic, cultural, and collection boundaries. There will also be a silent auction and social events (screenings, Ask the Technical Committee, a Collector's Roundtable) offered each evening. Get the Conference Flyer and the Call for Presentations.


From 22 to 23 April 2024, 2024 FIAF Congress: The call for papers for the symposium of the 2024 International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Congress in Bangkok on the theme "Film Archives in the Global South" is now open. In 2023, out of the 173 FIAF members and associates, 41 affiliates were located in what is being referred to as the "Global South", spreading predominantly across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Despite struggling with developmental and economic challenges, alongside political and social instability, these collections are significant for their cultural diversity, local history, and poignant reflections of societal and political issues experienced by the vast majority of the world's population. As they continue their work on the preservation of the world's audiovisual memory, film archives of the Global South have become important centers for developing specific strategies, approaches and concepts of preservation beyond hegemonic models. More than that, these developments may expand preservation practices to areas and contexts that were previously ignored or considered unreachable through traditional methods and ideas, highlighting the resourcefulness and ingenuity of archival practices in the often under-resourced contexts of the Global South. Participants must fill out the online form before 8 January 2024.


On March 8th - Participate to the 2024 FIAT-IFTA Conference. The Call for Papers of the 2024 FIAT-IFTA World Conference, set to take place in Bucharest in October 2024, is open until 31 March.

PUBLICATIONS: Read the Guidelines on the Production and Preservation of Digital Audio Objects Published by the International Association of Sound and Audio Visual Archives (web edition).

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2023; October 27th.

FORUM: “Your widow to the world.” World Day for Audiovisual Heritage Day 2023. As a window to the world, audiovisual heritage enables us to witness events we do not attend, listen to voices of the past, and create narratives that inform and entertain. Through the exploration of recorded sounds and visual imagery captured on film and video, we not only gain an appreciation for the cultural wealth but also extract valuable lessons from it. Audiovisual materials can tell your story, your truth, and your presence. They provide a window to the world, allowing us to observe events we cannot attend, hear voices from the past who can no longer speak, and craft stories that inform and entertain. By listening to recorded sounds and looking at images captured on film and video we can not only appreciate the richness of this culture but also learn from it. Audiovisual archives tell us stories about people’s lives and cultures from all over the world. They represent a priceless heritage which is an affirmation of our collective memory and a valuable source of knowledge since they reflect the cultural, social and linguistic diversity of our communities. They help us grow and comprehend the world we all share. Conserving this heritage and ensuring it remains accessible to the public and future generations is a vital goal for all memory institutions as well as the public at large. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WorldDayforAudiovisualHeritage, #WDAH, #audiovisual ,#27october, #AudiovisualHeritageDay #AudiovisualHeritage.

EVENTS: WDAH 2023 - Celebrations around the world. At UNESCO Dar es Salaam in tanzania on 12th October 2023 from 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM, the UNESCO and partners are planning national and regional celebrations with the Launch of the AncestAR's Project by Ona Stories and the National Museum of Tanzania (NMT). This project celebrates the revival of Makonde traditions through Augmented Reality (AR) technology. The event is an immersive journey into the documentation of Makonde scarification and wood carvings, supported by Africa No Filter. Celebrations around the world of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage Day 2023 will be held in many countries and organized by national and regional sound and film archives, broadcasters, museums and libraries, and major audiovisual associations to honour audiovisual preservation professionals and institutions that safeguard our heritage for future generations. The nine associations forming the CCAAA (AMIA, ARSC, FIAF, FIAT-IFTA, FOCAL International, IASA, ICA, SEAPAVAA, IFLA) strongly encourage all their members (and any other institutions) to join in the global celebrations of the World Day on and around the 27 October. You can now visualize all events on a dedicated world map that is updated in real time. Explore the world map of WDAH 2023 events.

2024 FIAF Congress: The call for papers for the symposium of the 2024 International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) Congress in Bangkok, from 22-23 April 2024) on the theme "Film Archives in the Global South" is now open. In 2023, out of the 173 FIAF members and associates, 41 affiliates were located in what is being referred to as the "Global South", spreading predominantly across Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Despite struggling with developmental and economic challenges, alongside political and social instability, these collections are significant for their cultural diversity, local history, and poignant reflections of societal and political issues experienced by the vast majority of the world's population. As they continue their work on the preservation of the world's audiovisual memory, film archives of the Global South have become important centers for developing specific strategies, approaches and concepts of preservation beyond hegemonic models. More than that, these developments may expand preservation practices to areas and contexts that were previously ignored or considered unreachable through traditional methods and ideas, highlighting the resourcefulness and ingenuity of archival practices in the often under-resourced contexts of the Global South. Participants must fill out the online form before 8 January 2024.


ARSC's 58th Annual Conference: The Call for presentations for ARSC's 58th Annual Conference to be held in St. Paul, Minnesota, from 15 to 18 May 2024, is open until 12 January. The Association for Recorded Sound Collections welcomes all who are interested in any aspect of sound recording to attend or present at the conference. The program will include individual presentations, posters, and panel discussions with sound recording scholars, collectors, preservationists, and creators engaged in a broad range of topics that cross geographic, cultural, and collection boundaries. There will also be a silent auction and social events (screenings, Ask the Technical Committee, a Collector's Roundtable) offered each evening. Get the Conference Flyer and the Call for Presentations.

WEBINARS & WORKSHOPS

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2013, October 27.

UNESCO declared October 27 as the World Day for AV Heritage to raise awareness of the significance of AV documents and to draw attention to the need to safeguard them. Every year, activities are organized by different institutions worldwide around a theme to drum up interest in the event. More information

Message from the UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova:
English |  Français |  Español | Русский ǀ  العربية ǀ  中文

The theme for 2013 is:
“Saving Our Heritage for the Next Generation”

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Audiovisual documents, such as films, radio and television programmes, audio and video recordings, contain the primary records of the 20th and 21st centuries. 

Transcending language and cultural boundaries, appealing immediately to the eye and the ear, to the literate and illiterate, audiovisual documents have transformed society by becoming a permanent complement to the traditional written record.
However, they are extremely vulnerable and it is estimated that we have no more than 10 to 15 years to transfer audiovisual records to digital to prevent their loss. Much of the world's audiovisual heritage has already been irrevocably lost through neglect, destruction, decay and the lack of resources, skills, and structures, thus impoverishing the memory of mankind. Much more will be lost if stronger and concerted international action is not taken.
It was in this context, that the UNESCO General Conference in 2005 approved the commemoration of a World Day for Audiovisual Heritage as a mechanism to raise general awareness of the need for urgent measures to be taken and to acknowledge the importance of audiovisual documents as an integral part of national identity.

Source: UNESCO

World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
Día Mundial del Patrimonio Audiovisual
Journée mondiale du patrimoine audiovisuel
Всемирный день аудиовизуального наследия

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Get involved!

1. Link to this page: www.iasa-web.org/world-day-audiovisual-heritage
2. Let us know how your organisation will mark this important occasion. Read the instructions

• About the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage
• Andorra's national archive produces a documentary and screening
• Association for Recorded Sound Collections adds new podcasts and a blog demonstrating importance of historical sound recordings
• AVPreserve releases free tools to support digital preservation
• Biblioteca Yucatanense de la secretaria de cultura y la Fonoteca de Yucatán Adda Navarrete
• Bophana Center in Phnom Penh to host live music and dance performances
• British Library releases European music recordings
• Classic Filipino films restored by ABS CBN Film Archives
• Essex Sound and Video Archive selects a favourite item
• Estonia's film institutes organise a seminar on film as a historical source
• Events at the Municipal Archive of Granollers, Catalonia, Spain
• EYE Film Instituut Nederland: public event and screenings
• Film Archive UK launches new website
• Film Preservation Society of Tokyo publishes Japanese version of Edmondson
• FOCAL to host "Battles of the Archives" – A Thing of the Past!
• Fonoteca Nazionale Svizzera warns of loss of audio heritage
• Fourteen Swiss towns holding commemorative events
• Girona's exhibitions and screenings
• Indira Gandhi Centre, New Delhi, holds exhibition and panel discussion
• Jorge Tadeo Lozano University, Bogota, launches AV training scholarships
• Latvia’s historical sound recordings – a new digital collection of the National Library of Latvia
• Lithuanian Central State Archive presents virtual documentary cinema archives
• Memoriav to hold a colloquium in Neuchâtel, Switzerland
• Library and Archives Canada's progress in preserving Canada’s AV documentary heritage
• Musée du Léman, Nyon, Switzerland, exhibition and guided tour
• National Archives of Australia showcasing gems from its collection via social media sites
• National Autonomous University of Mexico 35mm film screening
• National Film & Sound Archive of Australia launches The Vinyl Lounge
• National Library of Australia celebrates with screening and talks
• National Library of New Zealand publishes Maori translation of audio preservation guide
• National Library of Norway to hold film conference
• Netherlands Sound & Vision institute screens digitised historic film
• New York University’s Moving Image Archiving and Preservation program presents: Surveillance
• Photographic exhibition focusing on Kathmandu Valley World Heritage
• PrestoCentre produces video clips on digital audiovisual preservation
• RTÉ Archives, Dublin, highlights recent film acquisition
• Saskatchewan Archives Digitizing Provincial Legislature Recordings
• Screenings organised by Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO
• Southern Folklife Collection at University of North Carolina highlights digitised recordings
• Spoken Word Open Day at University of West Indies, Jamaica
• "Shared Memory" conference at Istituto Luce Cinecittà, Rome
• Taiwan's Digital Archive Center for Music launches new lecture series
• UCLA's Ethnomusicology Archive presents Archive Hour
• UNESCO Bangkok's slogan competition
• Valencia declares its broadcast archives as cultural treasures
• Vienna Phonogrammarchiv launching its first online exhibition
• Vojvodina Public Broadcasting Service's multimedia exhibition

Join the Forum :  27 October is World Day of Audiovisual Heritage