Academic films

1–48 of 462 films, free to watch, from the world's open archives.

Where these films come from, and who sees what

Every film here plays from the archive that keeps it: the Internet Archive, Wikimedia Commons, the NASA Image and Video Library, the Library of Congress and Open Images (the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Vision). Nothing is copied to this site. Each film's page names its archive, links to its page there, and states its licence or status as the archive does.

Archive films carry no age ratings, so each is placed from the collections it sits in and the subjects the archive gives it, cautiously. Sexual content and nudity are left out altogether.

Little OnesFilms for young children by name: nursery rhymes, lullabies, preschool.
KidsCartoons and animation, children's and family films, and educational films, unless they deal with war, propaganda, crime, horror or drugs, or carry racial caricature.
TweensDocumentaries, science, nature and space, classic comedies, newsreels, commercials and lectures.
TeensEverything else, including anything we cannot tell about; war, crime, horror and westerns go no lower.
AdultSexual themes (such as the old "sex hygiene" films), gore, surgery, slaughter, atrocity footage.
Internet Archive Introduction to Holography 1972 · Educational · 16 min This film examines the process of holography, types of holograms, and the uses of the hologram for artistic and scientific purposes, as demonstrated by Tung… Internet Archive Frames of Reference 1960 · Educational · 26 min This PSSC film utilizes a fascinating set consisting of a rotating table and furniture occupying surprisingly unpredictable spots within the viewing area. The… Internet Archive Hangman 1964 · Educational A parable about the consequences of being a bystander to evil, from a disturbing poem by Maurice Ogden, read by Herschel Bernardi. Shadows and shifting… Internet Archive Iran 1971 · Educational · 18 min Far more than a travelogue with pretty pictures, this little-known film won six international awards shortly after its release. 'Iran' consists of spectacular… Internet Archive Baja California: the Pacific Coast of Mexico 1949 · Educational · 12 min Johnson is another "lost" filmmaker, who worked out of Coronado, California. This film boasts beautiful color footage of old Baja, before Pemex stations lined… Internet Archive Cliché Family in Televisionland 1965 · Commercial · 10 min This outrageous parody of the prototype 'commercial' family was apparently made as an in-house joke by one of the largest producers of television commercials.… Internet Archive Crisis in Levittown 1957 · Educational · 32 min The Black upper middle-class Myers family moves into all-white Levittown, PA in August, 1957, and are snubbed and mistreated, in this powerful landmark… Internet Archive Basic Brown, Basic Blue 1969 · Educational · 10 min Ever wonder how Matt Groening of 'The Simpsons' got his quirky sense of humor? Probably from his filmmaker dad, Homer Groening, who passed away in 1996.… Internet Archive Journey to the Center of a Triangle 1977 · Educational · 9 min 'Journey to the Center of a Triangle' (1976) 8m, dir. Bruce & Katharine Cornwell. Another fabulous film by the Cornwells, created on the Tektronics 4051… Internet Archive Congruent Triangles 1977 · Educational · 7 min Bruce and Katharine Cornwell are primarily known for a series of remarkable animated films on the subject of geometry. Created on the Tektronics 4051 Graphics… Internet Archive Silent Snow, Secret Snow 1966 · Educational · 15 min Alienation, angst, and schizophrenia are powerful themes addressed by Kearney in this forgotten masterpiece. From a story by Conrad Aiken. Internet Archive Solar System (2nd Ed) 1977 · Educational Tom Smith headed up the Special Effects team at Industrial Light & Magic, where he created all the goodies for the 'Star Wars' films. This is his academic… Internet Archive Granite 1980 · Educational · 10 min Here, a 25 ton block of granite being burned, drilled, and blasted from the heart of a Vermont mountain, focusing on the machinery used. Filmed at the Rock of… Internet Archive Newspaper: Behind the Scenes 1970 · Educational · 15 min Shows the San Jose Mercury News of 1970 in all elements of production. Briefly shows the IBM 1130 mainframe computer (http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibit… Internet Archive Imaging the Hidden World: the Light Microscope 1984 · Educational To say Russell makes films on biology is sort of like saying Rodin threw some clay on a table and a few minutes later came up with a figure representative of… Internet Archive Youth, Maturity, Old Age And Death 1975 · Educational · 7 min In four minutes and not moving from one spot, Marcel Marceau conveys the seven ages of mankind, beginning with life emerging from the womb, through the cycles… Internet Archive Female Pelvic Examination 1957 · Educational · 9 min Female Pelvic Examination. Shows abnormalities and involuntary urination during exam. Internet Archive Coulomb's Law 1959 · Educational · 30 min Here, manic Princeton professor Eric Rogers hosts, continually removing and replacing his eyeglasses, ordering around lab assistants --- he forcefully breaks… Internet Archive Magnet Laboratory, A 1959 · Educational · 21 min In the hands of another director, the inner-workings of a magnet laboratory could have caused a whole classroom to fall asleep of boredom. No so when Leacock… Internet Archive Marxism : the Theory That Split the World 1970 · Educational · 24 min Explores the theories of Karl Marx and how they evolved as the major ideology of one third of the world. The production examines the roots of Marxism and… Internet Archive Claudius: Boy of Ancient Rome (Latin Dialogue) 1964 · Educational · 16 min A dramatization of a Roman boy's friendship with a slave in his father's household. Depicts, through the young boys' experiences and activities, the way of… Internet Archive Inside Magoo 1960 · Educational · 15 min 'Inside Magoo' (1960) 15, prod. Steve Bosustow. The nearsighted Mr. Magoo here experiences the seven danger signals of cancer and sees his doctor, even though… Internet Archive One Hundred Watts 120 Volts 1977 · Educational · 6 min The mechanized production of Duro-Test light bulbs is filmed as a dance to the tune of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto, as choreographed filaments, glass, and… Internet Archive Portable Phonograph, The 1977 · Educational · 23 min An adaptation of the short story of the same title by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, in which four men who have survived a catastrophic war share memories of their… Internet Archive 275 Capp St Stephen Parr Tribute Video 2018 · Educational This tribute video was made for the late Stephen Parr (1953-2017), founder of the Oddball Film Archives in San Francisco, California, by Oddball researcher… Internet Archive Farewell Etaoin Shrdlu 1978 · Educational · 28 min (1978) 30m, dir. David Loeb Weiss. On July 2, 1978, the last hot lead edition of the New York Times rolled off the presses. Weiss, a proofreader for the… Internet Archive The Shopping Bag Lady 1975 · Educational · 21 min Set In Manhattan's Central Park, this film is the poignant story of a teenage girl's encounter with a homeless old woman (movingly portrayed by distinguished… Internet Archive Je Parle Français, Lessons 1-13 1963 · Educational · 42 min The 'Je Parle Français' series of French Language Instruction films was filmed in 1960-61 and produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica Film's Milan Herzog in… Internet Archive The Stonecutter 1960 · Educational · 6 min The late Gerald McDermott made this, his first commercial film at the age of 19, an extremely complex animation short featuring approximately 2000 animation… Internet Archive Dong Kingman 1954 · Educational This exceptional film shows painter Kingman at work in New York's Chinatown, shot by master cinematographer James Wong Howe. Internet Archive Shaw vs. Shakespeare I: The Character of Caesar 1970 · Educational · 30 min This is the first film in Barnes' 'Shaw vs. Shakespeare' series, considered by experts to be among the finest educational films ever made. Here is wonderful… Internet Archive Centinelas del Silencio 1971 · Educational · 18 min The real star here is the late aerial photographer James Freeman, whose breathtaking helicopter shots of Mayan and Aztec ruins at sunrise and sunset won an… Internet Archive Symmetry 1966 · Educational · 10 min 'Symmetry' (1966) 10m, dir. Philip Stapp Stapp was one of the greatest animators working in the 1950-1975 era, using stylized, often pointillist abstract… Internet Archive Help, My Snowman's Burning Down 1964 · Educational · 10 min Fourteen international awards, including an Academy Award, Nomination and the Special Prize of the Jury, Cannes Intl Festival. Presents a surrealistic and… Internet Archive African Pygmy Thrills 1930 · Educational · 10 min Castle Films, whose series ‘The Adventure Parade’ resulted in a number of commercially exotic films on ethnic traditions and cultures, actually utilized… Internet Archive Japan - Miracle in Asia 1963 · Educational Explains how Japan's rapid industrial growth has influenced the way of life in the country and has affected the international political and economic position… Internet Archive Sun Flight: the Myth of Daedalus and His Son, Icarus 1966 · Educational · 7 min Tha late Gerald McDermott was an exceptional animator who made only five short animated films before he changed careers and became a Caldecott Award-winning… Internet Archive Picture In Your Mind 1948 · Educational · 16 min Sent by the U.S. government as a participant in the Marshall Plan with a specific mission to assist the French in re-gearing their animation studios, Stapp… Internet Archive French and Indian War, The: Seven Years' War in America 1962 · Educational · 15 min This film uses a large collection of paintings on the French and Indian War to offer a vivid and realistic picture of key episodes, places, and people. It… Internet Archive The Hasidim 1972 · Educational · 29 min Explores the history, traditions and practices of the Lubavitch Hasidic Community of New York. Visits their synagogue, homes, school and other parts of their… Internet Archive Maya Are People 1951 · Educational · 22 min Many explorer-adventurer hosts of historical/cultural films viewed their subjects as "objects" (e.g. C. Ernest Cadle and Carveth Wells), their colonialist… Internet Archive Protein Synthesis: an Epic on the Cellular Level 1971 · Educational · 13 min Directed by Gabriel Weiss. One of the strangest, fun, and perhaps most unforgettable films in the science genre was this, produced by University of California… Internet Archive Facts About Projection 1950 · Educational · 10 min An old-timey set-up & projection techniques film, set in a school classroom. This film teaches the young projectionist how to put on a good show, and not trip… Internet Archive Modern Business Machines for Writing, Duplicating, and Recording 1947 · Educational · 20 min An intriguing historical film, demonstrating many expensive business machines found in modern offices of the era, including electromatic and Chinese… Internet Archive Clown 1968 · Educational · 14 min Along with Larry Yust's 'Lottery', 'Clown' was likely one of the two best selling ed films ever made. On the surface, it's a cute kid & dog story. Underlying… Internet Archive Toute La Bande - Vacances En Bretagne 1970 · Educational · 15 min This is one of the films in the 'Toute La Bande' series. This film is a landmark of interracial personal relationships in educational films. In his book… Internet Archive Close-up on the Planets 1982 · Educational · 19 min Using computer animation and pictures from NASA space missions, discusses the similarities and differences among the planets. Summarizes how the solar system… Internet Archive Ancient World, The: Greece, Part 1 1955 · Educational 'Ancient World, The: Greece' (1955) 66m, dir. ray Garner. This film recreates the ancient Greek world through its extant art and literature. The narration is…