Film Premieres 1918-1943

UFA (Universum Film A.G.) was founded in 1917 and became established as the leading film production company in Germany. It promoted its film premieres with large advertising campaigns, using mainly posters, which circulated widely, for several weeks prior to the screening. For certain films, more than one poster was designed; in some cases, posters were designed exclusively for the premieres at the two German-speaking film capitals, Berlin and Vienna. The UFA posters were made by top graphic artists, and are indicative of the artistic movements of the time, from Expressionism and Art Deco to Neorealism.
The interest which has developed in recent years regarding the film poster genre, led Austria's National Library and the German Cinematheque to delve into their extensive archives and select approximately 4,000 posters, covering the period from 1918 to 1943.
Its 80th anniversary, in 1997, gave UFA the perfect opportunity to hold an exhibition featuring a selection of posters from this great collection.