In what year was the first Shrek film released?

The first Shrek film was released in 2001.

Shrek premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2001 and opened in cinemas in the United States on May 18, 2001. Its release marked a major moment for DreamWorks Animation, which had been building a feature-animation division to compete with established studios.

The film follows Shrek, an isolated ogre whose swamp is occupied by displaced fairy-tale creatures. He agrees to rescue Princess Fiona so that Lord Farquaad will remove the unwanted residents, but the mission develops into a friendship and romance.

Shrek became a critical and commercial success and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, making its 2001 release especially important in animation history.