“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
A milestone in British cinema, this bold 1954 adaptation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm stands as the nation’s first animated feature film. When the oppressed animals of Manor Farm overthrow Farmer Jones and dream of a fairer world, their revolution soon twists into tyranny, deceit, and the chilling rise of authoritarian rule.
Created by trailblazing animators John Halas and Joy Batchelor, the film was long celebrated as a triumph of British artistry. Only decades later did the truth emerge: Animal Farm had been secretly part-funded by the CIA, its ending reshaped to serve Cold War propaganda. That revelation has become an indelible part of the film’s legacy.
Now newly restored in stunning 4K by the BFI, this landmark work returns with renewed clarity and power — a vital piece of animation history ready to be rediscovered.
• Restored from the original 35mm Successive Frame negative in 4K and presented on UHD in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Vintage audio commentary by writer and broadcaster Brian Sibley
• Newly recorded audio commentary by animation scholar Sam Summers
• Animal Farm line tests (6 mins): rare surviving line tests from Animal Farm, offering a glimpse of the film’s animation in progress as drawings are checked for movement, timing and continuity before final production
• Inside the Archive: Halas and Batchelor and Animal Farm (2026, 14 mins)
• Clapperboard (extracts) (1980, 38 mins): a selection of extracts from Clapperboard: The Halas & Batchelor Story a three-part celebration of the work of Halas & Batchelor which aired in 1980 for their 40th anniversary. John Halas talks to Chris Kelly about their history so far, discussing several key films, all of which are included on this release
• An Animated Utopia: The Life and Achievement of John Halas (2012, 67 mins): Paul Well's documentary essay is a profile of the life of work of John Halas. Made for his centenary, it features interviews with many of the people who worked with Halas and clips from his films.
• Ode to Joy (2014, 4 mins): Martin Pickles' celebration of the life and work of Joy Batchelor. Made to mark the centenary of her birth
• Halas & Batchelor: Short Films (1942-1967, 88 mins): a collection of short films selected especially for this
release. Filling the Gap, Dustbin Parade, Cold Comfort, Six Little Jungle Boys, Your Very Good Health, Robinson Charley, The Magic Canvas, The Owl and the Pussycat, Midsummer Nightmare, The Cultured Ape, Automania 2000, and The Question
• 60-page book featuring new essays on Animal Farm by Jez Stewart, Vivien Halas, Professor Paul Wells, Kevin Le
Gendre, and Charlie Brigden, and writing on the short films by Ros Cranston, Katy McGahan, Charlie Brigden, and Ellen Cheshire. Also includes rarely seen material from the archives of animator Arthur Humberstone and Halas & Batchelor.
• Newly created English descriptive subtitles
23 November