Lotte Reiniger is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's major animation artists, pioneering a unique and distinctive style of black and white silhouette animation in her interpretations of classic myths and fairy tales.

Reiniger began her career in Germany, making The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926) (available on BFI DVD), one of the first and most ingenious full-length animated films in the history of cinema. She moved to Britain in the 1930s where she joined the GPO Film Unit and, together with her husband Carl Koch, produced this extensive series of famous fairy tales.

Released in time for Christmas in a two-disc digi-pac by the BFI, with additional features and a 22-page booklet of film notes and director biography, The Fairy Tale Films is a magical collection that should appeal to children and adults alike. The included films are as follows:

Disc 1
Cinderella (1922)
The Death Feigning Chinaman (1928)
The Golden Goose (1944)
Aladdin and his Magic Lamp (1954)
The Frog Prince (1954)
The Gallant Little Tailor (1954)
Sleeping Beauty (1954)
Snow White and Rose Red (1954)    
Cinderella (1954)
Puss in Boots (1954)

Disc 2
The Magic Horse (1954)
The Grasshopper and the Ant (1954)
The Three Wishes (1954)
Thumbelina (1954)
The Caliph Stork (1954)
Hänsel and Gretel (1954)
Jack and the Beanstalk (1955)
The Little Chimney Sweep (1956)
The Frog Prince (1961)

Disc 2 also has the following special features:

• The Art of Lotte Reiniger (John Isaacs, 1970, 16 mins);
• Mike Figgis' selection (extract from Friday Night Hijack, 2008).

Lotte Reiniger: The Fairy Tale Films will be released on UK DVD by the BFI on 1st December 2008 at the RRTP of £19.99. All films are in their original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The total running time of the films is 197 minutes, plus 18mminutes for the extras.