Northern Ireland Screen's Digital Film Archive is a free public access resource for teachers, students, historians and anyone who has an interest in moving images. Spanning from 1897 to the present day, the films in the Digital Film Archive cover all aspects of life in Northern Ireland and includes everything from dramas to documentaries, newsreels and features, animation to amateur footage.
This film is part of Free
Woolco Toilet Roll Race
Shoppers clear the aisles, as Ulster Television’s toilet roll racers get ready for action.
In partnership with:
Overview
Join Downtown DJ Big T and UTV’s Leslie Daws as the toilet roll flows through the aisles of Woolco. When Hugh Jones and Mike Morris came up with a winning formula to encourage shoppers to ditch their baskets and load up a shopping trolley, little did they know that a decade later UTV’s motley crew would hijack these widened gangways. The disjointed rushes create some surreal effects so prepare to enjoy some mental editing to decide who wins this race?
At the dawn of out-of-town shopping this Ards hypermarket was an unlikely trailblazer. Violence discouraged most retailers from investing in Northern Ireland however Woolco’s risk paid off. On its opening day people queued for two hours and were individually searched by the RUC and Army before they could enter the shop and start their spending spree. It may be hard to imagine now however shoppers were dazzled by the scale and bright lights we no longer notice during the weekly shop. Jones and Morris’s recipe was a success, this branch quickly topped the company sales tables and their design was rolled out across the UK becoming the layout we are now familiar with. This material is Courtesy of the UTV Archive.
Related
Watch for free
Hints and Hobbies No.11 Hints and Hobbies No.11
Cinemagazine 1926 14 mins Silent
Jiu-jitsu for ladies, how to get ink off a white apron and other life essentials courtesy of the 'Hints and Hobbies' team.
Watch for free
Lobsters Lobsters
Documentary 1936 15 mins
Follow the life cycle of the king of crustaceans in this quirky documentary by Bauhaus artist László Moholy-Nagy.
Watch for free
Audrey Hepburn Test Audrey Hepburn Test
1952 6 mins Silent
The future Holly Golightly exudes a certain grace even for a modest screen test, in the earliest known colour footage of the timeless star.
Currently unavailable
Facts and Fancies Facts and Fancies
Documentary 1951 24 mins
Joan Collins gets to grips with the by-products of coal in her first screen appearance
Watch for free
Cabtrack The Direct Auto-control Personal Taxi Service Cabtrack The Direct Auto-control Personal Taxi Service
Government sponsored film 1972 16 mins Location: London
Could computer-controlled taxis solve the traffic crisis? Maybe not, but this film's a must for technology buffs (and fans of early electronic music).
Watch for free
Is This Your Life? Is This Your Life?
Amateur film 1957 9 mins Silent
An unusual and visually sophisticated commentary on the routine drabness and drudgery of everyday suburban existence.
Watch for free
Curragh to Iona Curragh to Iona
Documentary 1963 24 mins Location: Derry / Londonderry
Join a fearless crew on a spiritual maritime adventure from the shores of Derry to Iona.
Watch for free
The Drumlin The Drumlin
Amateur film 1980 18 mins Location: Strangford Lough
Who will triumph when a game of hide and seek turns into a campaign against nuclear power?
Watch for free
St Columba St Columba
Documentary 1963 31 mins Location: Derry / Londonderry
A family holiday in Northern Ireland begins an exciting quest into the life of a saint.
Watch for free
Dedication of Colours by the Lord Bishop of down and Dromore , June 22nd 1952 Dedication of Colours by the Lord Bishop of down and Dromore , June 22nd 1952
Promotional 1952 10 mins Silent Location: Newtownards
The Princess Royal inspects members of the Red Cross in a large dedication ceremony held in Newtownards
Watch for free
The Tryzzian Exiles The Tryzzian Exiles
Amateur film 1972 24 mins Location: Newtownards
Alien outcasts run amok on planet Earth in Roy Spence's sci-fi romp, a film that draws on the lo-fi charm of Ed Wood and Roger Corman.
Watch for free
The Coming of the Black Dawn The Coming of the Black Dawn
Amateur film 1965 25 mins Location: Newtownards
Something sinister this way comes in one of The Spence Brothers earliest films.
Watch for free
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Watch for free
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Watch for free
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Watch for free
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Watch for free
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.