Yours

Ephemeral films

8,881–8,928 of 19,487 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 "LONE RANGER/ PEACE PATROL" 1958 U.S. TREASURY DEPT FILM SAVINGS BONDS & STAMP PROGRAM XD49934 Film “Lone Ranger: Peace Patrol” (1958) is a United States Treasury film featuring Clayton Moore, in his Lone Ranger character, speaking about the Peace Patrol. A… Internet Archive BOFORS 20mm AUTOMATIC GUN L/70 for TURRET MOUNTING IN ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS 49114 Film This promotional film (circa 1960s) for the Bofors 20 mm L/70 automatic gun introduces a tracked armored carrier that significantly enhances the efficiency of… Internet Archive Mother and Child Under the Miki Umbrella — Filmic Walk | Sunset Park, Brooklyn Before the Downpour 2026 · Home movie New York, Brooklyn — May 6, 2020 This filmic walk unfolds through Sunset Park, Brooklyn, as an extremely strong wind moves across the neighborhood before a… Internet Archive Bike The Bridge 1997 99 Dress Wedding 2019 · Film In 1997, 1998, and 1999, a small band of bicycling protesters rode across the Bay Bridge to demonstrate against the lack of planning for bike access on the… Internet Archive RESTRICTED 1951 KOREAN WAR ARMY FILM GENERAL EISENHOWER EUROPE TOUR 76124 Film This Korean War film dates to 1951 and was restricted to viewing by members of the armed forces staff. The situation by this point was increasingly a… Internet Archive FAIRCHILD AT-21 GUNNER BOMBER CREW TRAINER PROMOTIONAL FILM 87594 Film Made during WWII, this promotional film from Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation showcases the AT-21 Gunner, an ill-fated design that failed to perform… Internet Archive " PRIDE RUNS DEEP " 1978 BALLISTIC MISSILE & ATTACK SUBMARINES U.S. NAVY FILM GROTON 46644 Film Narrated by Alexander Scourby and directed by Lt. Frank Peele and written by Peele and Robert Sibley, this 1978 U.S. Navy film, "Pride Runs Deep" was produced… Internet Archive U.S. NAVY WWII RADAR MOVIE "CONQUEST OF THE NIGHT" (Print 2) 56564 Film Dating to 1945, CONQUEST OF THE NIGHT shows the uses of one of the Allies' great weapons developments -- radar. Here the technology is used at sea to locate… Internet Archive THE MAGIC OF SULFUR MINING, REFINING, PROCESSING & USE OF SULFUR 65534 Film The educational film, The Magic of Sulphur, is a color film describing how sulfur is found and some of its uses. The film was part of the film library of the… Internet Archive " ROMANTIC ITALY " 1953 TRAVELOGUE FLORENCE SAN GIMIGNANO VENICE SIENNA WINE MAKING 85894 Film This 1953 travelogue of "Romantic Italy" showcases some of the nation's great tourist sites. Italy, renowned for its art, romance, scenery, and history,… Internet Archive North East Corner 1946 · Short · 21 min A 1946 documentary showing life in north east Scotland. Produced by Greenpark Productions for the Central Office of Information. Note: IMDb says this film is… Internet Archive On the Difference Between Words and Things 1956 · Educational Discusses the consequences of forgetting that words only point to things and are not the things themselves; explains that attention to words alone may lead to… Internet Archive 1960s " REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING" EDUCATIONAL FILM REFRIGERATORS & COOLING PH99574 Educational A Coronet Film. Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning. Educational Collaborator, Sam Adams, PhD. Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Prof. of Education,… Internet Archive " THE WILL TO LIVE " POST-WWII, POST-HOLOCAUST RESETTLEMENT OF JEWISH REFUGEES PALESTINE XD95815 Film This important film, "The Will To Live" was written by David Epstein with a score by Herman Fuchs and presented by the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in… Internet Archive VISIT TO CONEY ISLAND AMUSEMENT PARK IN THE 1940s WONDER WHEEL, CYCLONE & BOARDWALK 46414 Film Carnival is a black and white film put out by Sterling Films, produced by Bud Gamble, with narration by Ben Kramer. It shows Coney Island, in Brooklyn, New… Internet Archive The Marines have Landed Silent 1930's USMC Newsreel 74632 Newsreel Made prior to World War II by Official Films, this silent newsreel THE MARINES HAVE LANDED shows the Marine Corps' basic training including hand-to-hand… Internet Archive LOS PSYCHOS MOTORCYCLE CLUB 1970s SAN FRANCISCO BAY TRIP HOME MOVIES 16894 Home movie One of Southern California's first motorcycle clubs, The Psychos (also known as Los Psychos) formed in San Bernardino after WWII and quickly developed a… Internet Archive CONQUEST: GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE 20TH CENTURY BIRTH OF THE MOVIES ALBERT EINSTEIN 48154 Film This black and white mid-1950s television show was part of the "Conquest" series, which in season two looked at "Great Achievements of the 20th Century.” A… Internet Archive SOVIET NEWSREEL 1961 KHRUSCHEV ERA RED SQUARE PARADE & NEWS EVENTS 48854 Newsreel This Soviet newsreel, presented in Russian, shows some of the news events of the Khrushchev era. Narrator: Decisions taken at the 22 Congress of Lenin’s Party… Internet Archive VIETNAM ERA NATIONAL GUARD FILM "THE MEN AND THE MINUTE" 76114 Film This Vietnam Era film THE MEN AND THE MINUTE presents members of the National Guard flying missions over Vietnam and the many other missions of the Guard. It… Internet Archive 1968 MERCURY OUTBOARD ENGINES / BOATING IN EUROPE TRAVEL FILM NORWAY ENGLAND ITALY GERMANY 46674 Film Created by Telefilms for Kiekhaefer Mercury in 1968, this color film promotes travel in Europe and various boating activities and recreation. It is a subtle… Internet Archive 1978 TAIWAN REPUBLIC OF CHINA DOCUMENTARY "THE DOUBLE TENTH" TAPIEI CHIANG CHING-KUO 61014 Documentary Presented by the Free China Film Syndicate, The Double Tenth is a short documentary from 10 October 1978 that gives viewers a glimpse of the Republic of… Internet Archive PANAMA THE PECULIAR PRODIGY 1930s CUNARD WHITE STAR LINE PROMOTIONAL FILM PANAMA CANAL 65414 Film Most likely filmed by famed international documentary filmmaker Andre de LaVarre this silent film was released by the Cunard White Star ship lines to promote… Internet Archive UNCOMMON VALOR " DEATH PLAN FOR AN ISLAND" RABAUL USMC TV SHOW w/ GEN. HOLLAND SMITH 66694 Film Hosted by General Holland "Howlin' Mad Smith, the gritty UNCOMMON VALOR TV series documents the U.S. Marines in combat in the Pacific theater during World War… Internet Archive 1960s U.S. NAVY COLD WAR FILM SEAPOWER ON THE MOVE 88074 Film Made in 1969, SEAPOWER ON THE MOVE presents an impressive array of U.S. Navy ships, submarines and aircraft, and describes the myriad efforts that go into… Internet Archive WORLD WAR ONE CANTIGNY BATTLE NEWSREEL MAY, 1918 27034a Newsreel This silent newsreel shows the Battle of Cantigny, "America's first great battle" of the Great War, starting on May 28, 1918. At :36, French artillery manned… Internet Archive " WE ARE NOT ALONE " 1966 SEARCH FOR EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE DOCUMENTARY WALTER SULLIVAN XD8041 Documentary This 1966 documentary, "We Are Not Alone" looks at the prospects for finding extraterrestrial life. Edward P. Morgan narrates this special based on Walter… Internet Archive OPERATION CROSSROADS ATOMIC BOMB TEST SYLMAR EARTHQUAKE DE-59 USS FOSS SUNK BY TORPEDO 13334 Film This reel of footage contains various segments. First at :08:00, is raw aerial footage of the Operation Crossroads atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. This… Internet Archive LIQUID OXYGEN LOX HANDLING, RECEIPT, TRANSFER, STORAGE & DISPOSAL TRAINING FILM 23004 Film “Liquid Oxygen Receipt Transfer Storage Disposal” is a 1961 US Air Force training film prepared for personnel handling liquid oxygen — a fuel used in… Internet Archive THE BROAD FOURTEENS ROYAL NAVY MOTOR TORPEDO BOATS IN WWII 25624 Film Made in 1945, THE BROAD FOURTEENS is one of the excellent, dramatized accounts of WWII made by the Ministry of Information for morale purposes. The film shows… Internet Archive CULTIVATION, HARVEST OF PORT WINE in PORTUGAL 1950s TRAVELOGUE 86224 Film Made in 1955 and directed by the great John R.F. Stewart, "Song of the Grape" shows the making of Port wine in where else -- Portugal. It includes precious… Internet Archive GENERAL MOTORS DIESEL: THE MODERN POWER DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES BURLINGTON ZEPHYR 89444 Film First made in 1937 by General Motors and then repackaged for the WWII war effort, DIESEL THE MODERN POWER tells the story of the development and principles of… Internet Archive Curbside Recycling and the Incinerator that Wasn't Short · 2 min Ruth Gravanis, longtime board member of San Francisco Tomorrow, describes how the NIMBY's of Brisbane turned back a plan to burn San Francisco's garbage in a… Internet Archive 1936 LONDON ENGLAND TRIP 16mm HOME MOVIE (SILENT FILM) XD30214 Home movie Shot by an American tourist who visited London in 1936, these silent 16mm home movies provide fascinating views of the great city on the verge of WWII. Likely… Internet Archive “WORK SAFELY: REFRESHMENT ON THE JOB” 1951 COCA-COLA SALES FILM XD39154 Film This 1951 Coca-Cola sponsored film produced by Detroit, Michigan’s Jam Handy Studios pitches bottled cola as a tool for enhancing worker safety and… Internet Archive 1961 U.S. AIR FORCE SURVIVAL TRAINING FILM "SURVIVAL STRESSES" 28564 Film This classic 1961 United States Air Force training film, Survival Stresses (TF 1-5375), is designed to introduce members of the Air Force to the stresses of… Internet Archive PUENTE HACIA EL ESPACIO / LA HISTORIA DE CABO KENNEDY NASA FILM 34182 Film Un recorrido de Cabo Kennedy , mostrando su enorme centro cohete que puede albergar a cuatro cohetes Saturno a la vez. Película hecha en 1968. Spanish… Internet Archive USS FORRESTAL AIRCRAFT CARRIER FIRE TRIAL BY FIRE MOVIE 1967 42704 Film Made in the wake of the disastrous 1967 fire aboard the USS Forrestal, TRIAL BY FIRE recounts the incident and discusses some of the mistakes made by fire… Internet Archive “ ACT AND FACT D-DAY ” JUNE 6, 1945 BRITISH INFORMATION SERVICE FILM INVASION OF NORMANDY 43284 Film This period newsfilm depicts the beach landings which took place on June 6th, 1944. This was the Allied invasion during WW2 and it was the largest seaborne… Internet Archive " SOUTH AMERICAN VISTA " 1941 TRAVELOGUE PERU, BRAZIL, ARGENTINA BUENOS AIRES RIO (SILENT) 48094 Film This black & white educational film is about some of the tourist attractions and big cities to see in South America, primarily focusing on Argentina and… Internet Archive SUGAR CULTIVATION, REFINING AND MANUFACTURE JAMAICA & UNITED KINGDOM 87094 Film Made by Britain's esteemed sugar manufacturer Tate and Lyle in 1950, this film shows the growth and processing of sugar cane, from the fields of Jamaica to… Internet Archive " ATLANTIC HOLIDAY " 1960s OCEAN LINER SS ATLANTIC CRUISE TO ITALY, MOROCCO & JAMAICA 88754 Film This film "Atlantic Holiday" was made by American Banner Lines or American Export Lines around 1960 to promote ocean travel. The film shows a typical cruise… Internet Archive Music To Live By Film Promotional film for Hammond Organs for the home. To license this film and get a higher quality version for broadcast/film purposes, contact A/V Geeks LLC . Internet Archive Two Cooks and a Cabbage 1941 · Educational · 5 min A 1941 British instructional film on how to properly cook cabbage. Produced by A&D Productions for the Ministry of Information. Internet Archive Jerusalem of Heaven and Earth: Beyond the Walls 1983 · Educational Bethlehem, Bethauara, Jericho, Massada and the sea of Galilee. The scenes of the early ministry of Jesus are visited Internet Archive 1927 " LIFE IN HOLLYWOOD " FILM STUDIOS & SILENT MOVIE STARS BEN LYON GEORGE SIEGMANN XD14414 Film This black & white silent film, one of an obscure series by L.M. Be Dell entitled "Life in Hollywood", shows motion picture stars and studios. Copyright 1927… Internet Archive “SOUTHERN HIGHLANDERS” 1947 TRAVELOGUE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NORTH CAROLINA & TENNESSEE XD45514 Film Produced by Transfilm, this 1947 color installment of the Ford Motor Company’s “Americans at Home” short subject series depicts the Great Smoky Mountain range… Internet Archive U.S. NAVY WWII NEWSREEL KAMIKAZE PILOTS GILMORE BROTHERS 76644 Newsreel This U.S. Navy newsreel consists of several segments. The first tells the story of the Gilmore Brothers, Charles and Lyman, who attempted to build an airplane…