diff --git a/components/filters/years.vue b/components/filters/years.vue
index 32d0b45..29e1f97 100644
--- a/components/filters/years.vue
+++ b/components/filters/years.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 <script setup>
-import { ref } from 'vue';
+import { computed, ref } from 'vue';
+
+import Range from '#/components/form/range.vue';
 
 const props = defineProps({
 	filters: {
@@ -13,36 +15,86 @@ const props = defineProps({
 });
 
 const emit = defineEmits(['update']);
-const selected = ref(props.filters.years);
 
-function updateYears() {
-	emit('update', 'years', selected.value);
+// values while dragging, before the change is committed and the scenes reload
+const dragging = ref(null);
+
+const slider = computed(() => {
+	const aggYears = (props.years || []).map((year) => year.year);
+	const currentYear = new Date().getFullYear();
+	const min = aggYears.length > 0 ? Math.min(...aggYears) : currentYear - 1;
+	const max = Math.max(aggYears.length > 0 ? Math.max(...aggYears) : currentYear, min + 1); // keep at least one step
+	const range = props.filters.yearRange;
+	const list = props.filters.years || [];
+
+	// a year list from an older link is shown as the span it covers
+	const value = list.length > 0
+		? [Math.min(...list), Math.max(...list)]
+		: [range?.min ?? min, range?.max ?? max];
+
+	return {
+		min,
+		max,
+		value,
+		positions: [flipYear(value[1], min, max), flipYear(value[0], min, max)],
+		display: dragging.value || value,
+		isFiltered: !!range || list.length > 0,
+		mountKey: `${min}-${max}-${value.join('-')}`, // remount when the bounds or filter change, the slider only reads its value on mount
+	};
+});
+
+// the slider runs from newest on the left to oldest on the right, by mirroring the years onto the ascending slider positions
+// the same function converts both ways: years to positions and positions to years
+function flipYear(yearOrPosition, min, max) {
+	return min + max - yearOrPosition;
 }
 
 function clearYears() {
-	selected.value = [];
-	emit('update', 'years', selected.value);
+	emit('update', 'years', [], false);
+	emit('update', 'yearRange', null, true);
+}
+
+function updateRange([positionA, positionB], reload) {
+	const min = flipYear(positionB, slider.value.min, slider.value.max);
+	const max = flipYear(positionA, slider.value.min, slider.value.max);
+
+	if (!reload) {
+		dragging.value = [min, max];
+		return;
+	}
+
+	dragging.value = null;
+
+	// ends at the slider limits are left open, so 'and later' keeps including new years, the full range means no filter
+	const range = {
+		min: min === slider.value.min ? null : min,
+		max: max === slider.value.max ? null : max,
+	};
+
+	emit('update', 'years', [], false); // replaces a year list from an older link
+	emit('update', 'yearRange', range.min === null && range.max === null ? null : range, true);
 }
 </script>
 
 <template>
-	<div class="years-container">
-		<select
-			v-model="selected"
-			class="years nobar"
-			multiple
-			@change="updateYears"
-		>
-			<option
-				v-for="year in years"
-				:key="`year-${year.year}`"
-				class="year"
-				:value="year.year"
-			>{{ year.year }}</option>
-		</select>
+	<div class="years-filter">
+		<div class="years-range">
+			<Range
+				:key="slider.mountKey"
+				:min="slider.min"
+				:max="slider.max"
+				:value="slider.positions"
+				:allow-enable="false"
+				@input="(positions) => updateRange(positions, false)"
+				@change="(positions) => updateRange(positions, true)"
+			>
+				<template #start><span class="range-label">{{ slider.display[1] }}</span></template>
+				<template #end><span class="range-label">{{ slider.display[0] }}</span></template>
+			</Range>
+		</div>
 
 		<Icon
-			v-show="selected.length > 0"
+			v-show="slider.isFiltered"
 			icon="cross2"
 			class="clear"
 			@click="clearYears"
@@ -51,54 +103,22 @@ function clearYears() {
 </template>
 
 <style scoped>
-.years-container {
+.years-filter {
 	display: flex;
 	align-items: stretch;
 	border-bottom: solid 1px var(--glass-weak-30);
 }
 
-.years {
-	height: 2.5rem;
-	padding: .5rem;
+.years-range {
+	padding: .25rem 0;
 	flex-grow: 1;
-	border: none;
-	overflow-x: auto;
-	overflow-y: hidden;
-	background: none;
-	color: var(--text);
-
-	&:focus .year:checked {
-		background: var(--primary) linear-gradient(0deg, var(--primary) 0%, var(--primary) 100%);
-	}
-
-	&:focus {
-		outline: none;
-	}
-}
-
-.year {
-	display: inline-block;
-	padding: .25rem;
-	color: var(--text);
-	font-size: .8rem;
-
-	&:hover {
-		color: var(--primary);
-		cursor: pointer;
-	}
-
-	&:checked {
-		color: var(--primary);
-		background: none;
-		font-weight: bold;
-	}
 }
 
 .clear {
 	height: auto;
 	display: flex;
 	align-items: center;
-	padding: 0 .5rem;
+	padding: 0 .5rem 0 0;
 	fill: var(--glass);
 
 	&:hover {
@@ -106,4 +126,13 @@ function clearYears() {
 		cursor: pointer;
 	}
 }
+
+.range-label {
+	display: inline-block;
+	min-width: 2.5rem;
+	color: var(--glass-strong-10);
+	font-size: .8rem;
+	font-weight: bold;
+	text-align: center;
+}
 </style>
diff --git a/components/movies/movies.vue b/components/movies/movies.vue
index e8294d8..3bd6766 100644
--- a/components/movies/movies.vue
+++ b/components/movies/movies.vue
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { get } from '#/src/api.js';
 import events from '#/src/events.js';
 import navigate from '#/src/navigate.js';
 import { getActorIdentifier, parseActorIdentifier } from '#/src/query.js';
+import { formatYears, parseYears } from '#/utils/parse-range.js';
 
 const pageContext = inject('pageContext');
 const { pageProps, routeParams, urlParsed } = pageContext;
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ const queryEntity = networks[urlParsed.search.e] || channels[urlParsed.search.e]
 
 const filters = ref({
 	search: urlParsed.search.q,
-	years: urlParsed.search.years?.split(',').map((year) => Number(year)).filter(Boolean) || [],
+	...parseYears(urlParsed.search.years),
 	tags: urlParsed.search.tags?.split(',').filter(Boolean) || [],
 	entity: queryEntity,
 	actors: queryActors,
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@ async function search(options = {}) {
 
 	navigate(getPath(scope.value, false), {
 		...query,
-		years: filters.value.years.join(',') || undefined,
+		years: formatYears(filters.value),
 		actors: filters.value.actors.map((filterActor) => getActorIdentifier(filterActor)).join(',') || undefined, // don't include page actor ID in query, already a parameter
 		tags: filters.value.tags.join(',') || undefined,
 		e: filters.value.entity?.type === 'network' ? `_${filters.value.entity.slug}` : (filters.value.entity?.slug || undefined),
@@ -111,7 +112,7 @@ async function search(options = {}) {
 
 	const res = await get('/movies', {
 		...query,
-		years: filters.value.years.filter(Boolean).join(','), // if we're on an actor page, that actor ID needs to be included
+		years: formatYears(filters.value),
 		actors: [pageActor, ...filters.value.actors].filter(Boolean).map((filterActor) => getActorIdentifier(filterActor)).join(','), // if we're on an actor page, that actor ID needs to be included
 		tags: [pageTag?.slug, ...filters.value.tags].filter(Boolean).join(','),
 		e: entitySlug,
diff --git a/components/scenes/scenes.vue b/components/scenes/scenes.vue
index 6194c8f..97d9011 100644
--- a/components/scenes/scenes.vue
+++ b/components/scenes/scenes.vue
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import { get } from '#/src/api.js';
 import entityPrefixes from '#/src/entities-prefixes.js';
 import navigate from '#/src/navigate.js';
 import { getActorIdentifier, parseActorIdentifier } from '#/src/query.js';
-import { formatRange, parseRange } from '#/utils/parse-range.js';
+import { formatRange, formatYears, parseRange, parseYears } from '#/utils/parse-range.js';
 
 const props = defineProps({
 	showFilters: {
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ const queryEntity = networks[urlParsed.search.e] || channels[urlParsed.search.e]
 
 const filters = ref({
 	search: urlParsed.search.q,
-	years: urlParsed.search.years?.split(',').filter(Boolean).map(Number) || [],
+	...parseYears(urlParsed.search.years),
 	tags: urlParsed.search.tags?.split(',').filter(Boolean) || [],
 	onlyActorTags: Object.hasOwn(urlParsed.search, 'at'),
 	entity: queryEntity,
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ async function search(options = {}) {
 
 	navigate(getPath(scope.value, false), {
 		...query,
-		years: filters.value.years.join(',') || undefined,
+		years: formatYears(filters.value),
 		actors: filters.value.actors.map((filterActor) => getActorIdentifier(filterActor)).join(',') || undefined, // don't include page actor ID in query, already a parameter
 		tags: filters.value.tags.join(',') || undefined,
 		at: (filters.value.tags.length > 0 && filters.value.onlyActorTags) || undefined,
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ async function search(options = {}) {
 
 	const res = await get('/scenes', {
 		...query,
-		years: filters.value.years.filter(Boolean).join(','), // if we're on an actor page, that actor ID needs to be included
+		years: formatYears(filters.value),
 		actors: [pageActor, ...filters.value.actors].filter(Boolean).map((filterActor) => getActorIdentifier(filterActor)).join(','), // if we're on an actor page, that actor ID needs to be included
 		tags: [pageTag?.slug, ...filters.value.tags].filter(Boolean).join(','),
 		at: !!filters.value.onlyActorTags,
diff --git a/src/movies.js b/src/movies.js
index ee58abb..09f17c7 100644
--- a/src/movies.js
+++ b/src/movies.js
@@ -289,6 +289,14 @@ async function queryManticoreSql(filters, options) {
 					builder.whereIn('effective_year', filters.years);
 				}
 
+				if (typeof filters.yearRange?.min === 'number') {
+					builder.where('effective_year', '>=', filters.yearRange.min);
+				}
+
+				if (typeof filters.yearRange?.max === 'number') {
+					builder.where('effective_year', '<=', filters.yearRange.max);
+				}
+
 				filters.tagIds?.forEach((tagId) => {
 					builder.where('any(tag_ids)', tagId);
 				});
@@ -428,9 +436,24 @@ export async function fetchMovies(filters, rawOptions, reqUser, context) {
 	console.log(options);
 	console.log(filters);
 
-	const result = await queryManticoreSql(filters, options);
+	// an active year filter would narrow the year range to the filtered years, get the full range from a lightweight parallel query
+	const hasYearFilter = options.aggregateYears && (filters.years?.length > 0 || !!filters.yearRange);
 
-	const aggYears = options.aggregateYears && result.aggregations.years.map((bucket) => ({ year: bucket.key, count: bucket.doc_count }));
+	const yearsOptions = {
+		...options,
+		limit: 1,
+		page: 1,
+		aggregateActors: false,
+		aggregateTags: false,
+		aggregateChannels: false,
+	};
+
+	const [result, yearsResult] = await Promise.all([
+		queryManticoreSql(filters, options),
+		hasYearFilter ? queryManticoreSql({ ...filters, years: [], yearRange: null }, yearsOptions) : null,
+	]);
+
+	const aggYears = options.aggregateYears && (yearsResult || result).aggregations.years.map((bucket) => ({ year: bucket.key, count: bucket.doc_count }));
 
 	const actorCounts = options.aggregateActors && countAggregations(result.aggregations?.actorIds);
 	const tagCounts = options.aggregateTags && countAggregations(result.aggregations?.tagIds);
diff --git a/src/scenes.js b/src/scenes.js
index 1a16dd7..7a8be5e 100644
--- a/src/scenes.js
+++ b/src/scenes.js
@@ -558,6 +558,14 @@ async function queryManticoreSql(filters, options, _reqUser) {
 					builder.whereIn('effective_year', filters.years);
 				}
 
+				if (typeof filters.yearRange?.min === 'number') {
+					builder.where('effective_year', '>=', filters.yearRange.min);
+				}
+
+				if (typeof filters.yearRange?.max === 'number') {
+					builder.where('effective_year', '<=', filters.yearRange.max);
+				}
+
 				filters.tagIds?.forEach((tagId) => {
 					if (filters.onlyActorTags) {
 						builder.where((whereBuilder) => {
@@ -776,18 +784,22 @@ export async function fetchScenes(filters, rawOptions, reqUser, context) {
 		console.log('options', options);
 	}
 
-	// an active count filter would narrow its own range to the filtered value, get the unfiltered ranges from a lightweight parallel query (~10ms vs 40-500ms for the main query with its actor and tag facets)
+	// an active count or year filter would narrow its own aggregation to the filtered values, get the unfiltered ranges from a lightweight parallel query (~10ms vs 40-500ms for the main query with its actor and tag facets)
+	// the range filters are stripped together, so with several active, each of their aggregations ignores the others
 	const activeCountKeys = options.aggregateActorCounts
 		? Object.keys(actorCountFilters).filter((key) => filters[actorCountFilters[key]])
 		: [];
 
-	const countsFilters = Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(filters).filter(([key]) => !Object.values(actorCountFilters).includes(key)));
+	const hasYearFilter = options.aggregateYears && (filters.years?.length > 0 || !!filters.yearRange);
+	const rangeFilterKeys = [...Object.values(actorCountFilters), 'years', 'yearRange'];
+
+	const countsFilters = Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(filters).filter(([key]) => !rangeFilterKeys.includes(key)));
 
 	const countsOptions = {
 		...options,
 		limit: 1,
 		page: 1,
-		aggregateYears: false,
+		aggregateYears: hasYearFilter,
 		aggregateActors: false,
 		aggregateTags: false,
 		aggregateChannels: false,
@@ -797,12 +809,12 @@ export async function fetchScenes(filters, rawOptions, reqUser, context) {
 
 	const [result, countsResult] = await Promise.all([
 		queryManticoreSql(filters, options, reqUser),
-		activeCountKeys.length > 0 ? queryManticoreSql(countsFilters, countsOptions, reqUser) : null,
+		activeCountKeys.length > 0 || hasYearFilter ? queryManticoreSql(countsFilters, countsOptions, reqUser) : null,
 	]);
 
 	console.timeEnd('manticore sql');
 
-	const aggYears = options.aggregateYears && result.aggregations.years.map((bucket) => ({ year: bucket.key, count: bucket.doc_count }));
+	const aggYears = options.aggregateYears && (hasYearFilter ? countsResult : result).aggregations.years.map((bucket) => ({ year: bucket.key, count: bucket.doc_count }));
 	const entityIds = options.aggregateChannels && [...(result.aggregations.channelIds || []), ...(result.aggregations.studioIds || [])];
 
 	// keyed by URL parameter, e.g. { group: [{ value: 2, count: 1234 }, ...], females: [...] }, sorted by value so the first and last bucket give the range
diff --git a/src/web/movies.js b/src/web/movies.js
index c671608..cae57cb 100644
--- a/src/web/movies.js
+++ b/src/web/movies.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { parseYears } from '../../utils/parse-range.js';
 import promiseProps from '../../utils/promise-props.js';
 import slugify from '../../utils/slugify.js';
 import { getIdsBySlug } from '../cache.js';
@@ -10,7 +11,7 @@ export async function curateMoviesQuery(query) {
 	return {
 		scope: query.scope || 'latest',
 		query: query.q,
-		years: query.years?.split(',')?.map((year) => Number(year)).filter(Boolean) || [],
+		...parseYears(query.years),
 		actorIds: [query.actorId, ...(query.actors?.split(',') || []).map((identifier) => parseActorIdentifier(identifier)?.id)].filter(Boolean),
 		tagIds: await getIdsBySlug([query.tagSlug, ...(query.tags?.split(',') || [])], 'tags'),
 		entityId: query.e ? await getIdsBySlug([query.e], 'entities').then(([id]) => id) : query.entityId,
diff --git a/src/web/scenes.js b/src/web/scenes.js
index cf627bf..8a5b657 100644
--- a/src/web/scenes.js
+++ b/src/web/scenes.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Router } from 'express';
 
-import { parseRange } from '../../utils/parse-range.js';
+import { parseRange, parseYears } from '../../utils/parse-range.js';
 
 import promiseProps from '../../utils/promise-props.js';
 import slugify from '../../utils/slugify.js';
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
 import { fetchStashByUsernameAndSlug } from '../stashes.js';
 
 export async function curateScenesQuery(query) {
-	const splitYears = query.years?.split(',') || [];
+	const { years, yearRange } = parseYears(query.years);
 	const splitTags = query.tags?.split(',') || [];
 	const splitActors = query.actors?.split(',') || [];
 	const splitEntities = query.e?.split(',') || [];
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ export async function curateScenesQuery(query) {
 	return {
 		scope: query.scope || 'latest',
 		query: query.q,
-		years: splitYears.map((year) => Number(year)).filter(Boolean) || [],
+		years,
+		yearRange,
 		actorIds: [query.actorId, ...splitActors.filter((actor) => actor.charAt(0) !== '!').map((identifier) => parseActorIdentifier(identifier)?.id)].filter(Boolean),
 		notActorIds: splitActors.filter((actor) => actor.charAt(0) === '!').map((identifier) => parseActorIdentifier(identifier.slice(1))?.id).filter(Boolean),
 		actorCount: parseRange(query.group),
diff --git a/tools/manticore-actors.js b/tools/manticore-actors.js
index fdec725..92607a5 100644
--- a/tools/manticore-actors.js
+++ b/tools/manticore-actors.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { syncManticoreActors } from '../src/sync.js';
 async function init() {
 	if (argv.update) {
 		await utilsApi.sql('drop table if exists actors');
+		// bigint rather than timestamp, which is unsigned 32-bit and wraps dates before 1970 into the 2100s
 		await utilsApi.sql(`create table actors(
 			 id int,
 			 name text,
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ async function init() {
 			 entity_id int,
 			 alias_for int,
 			 gender string,
-			 date_of_birth timestamp,
+			 date_of_birth bigint,
 			 country string,
 			 has_avatar bool,
 			 mass int,
diff --git a/tools/manticore-movies.js b/tools/manticore-movies.js
index 5143742..08e78f5 100644
--- a/tools/manticore-movies.js
+++ b/tools/manticore-movies.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { syncManticoreMovies } from '../src/sync.js';
 async function init() {
 	if (argv.update) {
 		await utilsApi.sql('drop table if exists movies');
+		// bigint rather than timestamp, which is unsigned 32-bit and wraps dates before 1970 into the 2100s
 		await utilsApi.sql(`create table movies (
 			 id int,
 			 title text,
@@ -23,10 +24,10 @@ async function init() {
 			 tag_ids multi,
 			 tags text,
 			 meta text,
-			 date timestamp,
+			 date bigint,
 			 has_cover bool,
-			 created_at timestamp,
-			 effective_date timestamp,
+			 created_at bigint,
+			 effective_date bigint,
 			 stashed int,
 			 stashed_scenes int,
 			 stashed_total int,
diff --git a/tools/manticore-scenes.js b/tools/manticore-scenes.js
index 03d9854..11f1f4a 100644
--- a/tools/manticore-scenes.js
+++ b/tools/manticore-scenes.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { syncManticoreScenes } from '../src/sync.js';
 async function init() {
 	if (argv.update) {
 		await utilsApi.sql('drop table if exists scenes');
+		// bigint rather than timestamp, which is unsigned 32-bit and wraps dates before 1970 into the 2100s
 		await utilsApi.sql(`create table scenes (
 			 id int,
 			 title text,
@@ -38,11 +39,11 @@ async function init() {
 			 serie_ids multi,
 			 series text,
 			 meta text,
-			 date timestamp,
+			 date bigint,
 			 fingerprints text,
 			 is_showcased bool,
-			 created_at timestamp,
-			 effective_date timestamp,
+			 created_at bigint,
+			 effective_date bigint,
 			 stashed int,
 			 dupe_index int
 		)`);
diff --git a/utils/parse-range.js b/utils/parse-range.js
index 4cd7b83..e929d3d 100644
--- a/utils/parse-range.js
+++ b/utils/parse-range.js
@@ -38,3 +38,19 @@ export function formatRange(range) {
 
 	return `${range.min ?? ''}-${range.max ?? ''}`;
 }
+
+// years are a range like 2015-2020 or 2020-, or a list like 2015,2019 from older links
+export function parseYears(yearsString) {
+	if (yearsString?.includes('-')) {
+		return { years: [], yearRange: parseRange(yearsString) };
+	}
+
+	return {
+		years: yearsString?.split(',').map((year) => Number(year)).filter(Boolean) || [],
+		yearRange: null,
+	};
+}
+
+export function formatYears({ years, yearRange }) {
+	return formatRange(yearRange) || years?.filter(Boolean).join(',') || undefined;
+}