Description Framework for a EU-wide Audiovisual Orphan Works Registry.The assessment of the rights status for audiovisual works is critical for their re-use in commercial distribution or for cultural and educational purposes, for example in the context of large digitization projects. Unfortunately, the rights status of such works is often unclear and very difficult to assess, making a significant amount of works inaccessible. The most relevant problem, making the whole issue on audiovisual rights in Europa so complicated, is the lack of a solid, structured and EU-wide information resources. FORWARD wants to relief commercial entities, cultural institutions and all potential users of audiovisual work of this complexity by creating an automated system that will search, harvest and process information on audiovisual works. This way, users will be provided with an answer about the rights status of a precise work:Is it Orphan?Is it in Public Domain? Is it in-Copyright? Where can the rights be cleared? This innovative and relevant project aims at a harmonised process in Europe on rights’ status definition, allowing a systematised and simplified access to a vast portion of Europe’s currently underused or unknown cultural assets. The FORWARD and ARROW systems will be fully compatible and interacting realities, opening the possibility of further integration of Directive 2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain permitted uses of orphan works was adopted on 25 October 2012. The FORWARD project will be aimed at helping the implementation of the orphan works directive by Film Heritage Institutions. Definitions and workflow established by this Directive and its implementation by Member States will be taken on board by the FORWARD.