Ephemeral films

865–912 of 19,488 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 Proteins, structure and function 1972 · Educational · 15 min · Subtitles Richard E. Dickerson Discusses proteins, their importance, structure and formation of protein bonds Search Educational Film Journals at Media History Project… Internet Archive Girls Are Better Than Ever 1967 · Film Encourages teen-age girls to participate in total fitness programs and to take an active part in sports. Includes scenes from the lives of teen-age girls… Internet Archive Behavior theory in practice. 1966 · Educational · 21 min · Subtitles Covers the shaping of operants, fixed and variable schedules of reinforcement, and the application of behavior theory to human learning as illustrated by the… Internet Archive Corn and the Origins of Settled Life in Meso-America, parts 1-2. 1964 · Educational · 20 min · Subtitles Director, Jack Churchill; photographer, Abraham Morochnik, Adam Gifford A presentation of one fragment of evidence used by the archaeologist in his search for… Internet Archive DOPE 072 1988 · Film · Subtitles Tobacco growers woes, chemistry of stress, AIDS IVDUs and Cops, police want more drug war, Buckley & Friedman legalize drugs!, Mick Jagger didn't steal reggae… Internet Archive Copra Dock Dances 1999 · Film Modern dancers "re-purpose" the Copra Crane on Islais Creek for a stunning dance performance. The Copra Crane has been the subject of a campaign to save it as… Internet Archive DOPE 013 1986 · Film · Subtitles Richard Pry or on Baba Wawa, Geraldo Rivera wants more war on drugs, Cocaine special, CIA-Contras, Hunters Point anti-drug rally, DEA takes money from busted,… Internet Archive Fish Is Fish 1986 · Cartoon Title from data sheet Adapted from: Fish is fish / by Leo Lionni Ages 4-6 Presents an animated story about a little fish, who, when his friend the tadpole… Internet Archive Wild Goose Jack 1982 · Educational · 30 min · Subtitles Wild Goose Jack, Reel 2 Reel 1 available here A profile of Jack Miner, once a guide and avid hunter, who became the world's best known conservationist. Internet Archive Puppets 1967 · Educational · 14 min · Subtitles With teacher's guide Presents a variety of methods for making puppets, beginning with simple stick puppets and progressing to more technically involved… Internet Archive Wonder of Our Body, The 1958 · Film Functions of the human body explained with special emphasis on the senses of sight and hearing and the individual's responsibility to care for the house lived… Internet Archive Silkscreen fundamentals. 1969 · Educational · 13 min · Subtitles An introduction to the art of paper stencil and silkscreening. Covers constructing a do-it-yourself stretcher frame, stretching the commercial frame, cutting… Internet Archive Snack Bar Space Animation (from Drive-In Movie Ads) Commercial Category: Drive-In Movie Ads Title: Snack Bar Space Animation (from Drive-In Movie Ads) Length- :36 Sound: Yes (enhanced) Color Description: Whimsical musical… Internet Archive Cycling to the Fair 1915 · Film silent footage of a mass bike ride in Golden Gate Park in 1915 which was headed to the Panama-Pacific Int'l. Exposition. Internet Archive Egypt and the Nile 1954 · Educational · 14 min · Subtitles With film guide Presents a picture of Egypt and the Nile Valley of today as seen against its historical background. Emphasizes the importance of the Nile… Internet Archive King: Montgomery to Memphis 1978 · Educational Hosts: Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee, Ben Gazzara, Charlton Heston, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster, Sidney Lumet, Joseph Limankiewicz, Paul Newman, Anthony… Internet Archive Only Human 1972 · Educational · 27 min Illustrates ways in which we express attitudes toward emotional problems and mental health and encourages the acceptance of differences in the behavior and… Internet Archive SF Anti-Iraq War demo Jan. 18, 2003 2003 · Film Huge anti-Iraq War demonstrations rocked U.S. cities in autumn 2002 and winter 2003. This shows the January 18, 2003 demonstration in San Francisco. Internet Archive Stalked 1969 · Film In what could easily pass as a Twilight Zone episode, this film shows what happens when a troubled carnival owner returns back to his childhood home to escape… Internet Archive The Flapper Story 1985 · Educational Cataloged from contributor's data Camera, Karla Clement, Marilyn Waterman ; editor, Lauren Lazin Schools, libraries, women's organizations, and general… Internet Archive Learn To Argue Effectively 1951 · Film Clarifies the role of persuasive argument. Explains the components of a good argument, and contrasts the serious use of good argument against that of… Internet Archive Alcoholism: Life Under the Influence 1984 · Educational · 29 min · Subtitles Alcoholism: Life Under the Influence Reel 2 Reel 1 available here An interdisciplinary report on alcoholism, focusing on a scientific understanding of the… Internet Archive Crossroads Crash 1973 · Educational Part of a film series on typical types of automobile crashes and their causes, this films starts with a goofy sequence with Bonnie and Clyde-type characters.… Internet Archive All Together 1970 · Film Lou Rawls plays Naval recruiter trying to lure the young black whos tired of the limited work opportunities available to him or her. While the Navy did offer… Internet Archive The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 1939 · Educational Mickey Rooney, Walter Connolly, William Frawley Mark Twain's immortal classic about a boy who runs away down the Mississippi on a raft, accompanied by a… Internet Archive Controlling Behavior Through Reinforcement 1956 · Educational · 17 min Controlling Behavior Through Reinforcement Search Educational Film Journals at Media History Project for references to this film SummaryShows how varying… Internet Archive Preparedness Day cartoon 1916 · Cartoon Animation dramatizing the choice between "prosperity" and "anarchy, sedition, and lawlessness" in 1916 Internet Archive Dead Wrong; The Story of John Evans 1984 · Educational · 22 min · Subtitles Dead Wrong: The Story of John Evans Reel 2 Reel 1 available at here Chronicles the life of a criminal who had an ordinary, middle-class background. Internet Archive I am. 1971 · Educational · 14 min · Subtitles With study guide Producer, director, and writer, Gene Feldman; consultant, Lodema Burrows; photography, N. Kurita, Urs Furrer; editor, Michael Weiner Search… Internet Archive Debating Our Destiny 2000 · Film · Subtitles Jim Lehrer interviews Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Bob Dole, Ronald Reagan, John Anderson, Walter Mondale, Geraldine Ferraro, George Bush, Bill Clinton, and… Internet Archive King Is Dead 1968 · Short · 5 min King is Dead (B&W, 1968): This short, black and white documentary film offers an uncensored look at the rage in the black community following the… Internet Archive Peter Berg on One Percent Free Short · 4 min Peter Berg, an original San Francisco Digger, describes how their ubiquitous poster image called "1% Free" came to be, detailing the origin of the photo, the… Internet Archive Une Journée a la Comedie-Francaise. 1964 · Educational · 19 min · Subtitles Offers a brief history of the Comedie-Francaise, founded in 1680 by Louis XIV. Includes an interview with General Administrator Maurice Escande and points out… Internet Archive Fleet Week 1993 · Film excerpt from documentary on Fleet Week created by the Peace Navy as part of their campaign against the event. Internet Archive The Old Mill 1937 · Cartoon An animated visualization of original music by Leigh Harline. The animal population of an old mill passes through a stormy night Internet Archive Emile Zola 1964 · Educational · 21 min · Subtitles Discusses the life and works of Emile Zola and his influence on events in his time. Provides practice in aural comprehension Summary A French language film.… Internet Archive Venezuela. 1961 · Educational · 11 min · Subtitles With film guide Presents an overall picture of Venezuela--its geography, history, natural resources, and economy. Depicts the harsh poverty-stricken life in… Internet Archive Muscle: chemistry of contraction. 1969 · Educational · 14 min · Subtitles Collaborator, Georges R. Maréchal Describes the internal structure of muscles, showing that actin and myosin are the contractile elements of muscle. Uses a… Internet Archive Cooking - Kitchen Safety 1949 · Film Stresses the common safety hazards existing in every kitchen and illustrates specific examples of each. Simple precautions that can be taken to prevent… Internet Archive DOPE 011 1986 · Film · Subtitles Clean needles, AIDS reporting, legal rights, sodomy prohibitions, Reagans end civil rights, Billie Holiday, NYC police drug scandal, NOVA Can AIDS be… Internet Archive DOPE 024 1987 · Film · Subtitles AIDS in military, Ten Commandments, condom rag, Express: Alcoholic mothers, coke on Wall St., Age of JFK, Chernobyl, Bahamas DEA, Joe McCarthy, Mathilde Krim… Internet Archive DOPE 061 1987 · Film · Subtitles DOPE 61, Dec. 1987. AIDS Commission report downplays danger, JPetty & Dylan, Mathilde Krim, Washington DC pushers, Fetal alcohol syndrome, Brando's anti-drug… Internet Archive Georgia O' Keeffe 1977 · Educational · 52 min Georgia O' Keeffe Summary Presents artist Georgia O'Keeffe, who tells of her marriage to photographer Alfred Stieglitz. Recounts their involvement in the… Internet Archive Mole and the Umbrella (Krtek A Paraplicko) 1973 · Educational The eleventh episode of the children series about little Mole. A playful poetic story about Mole and the umbrella he has found and about the adventures of the… Internet Archive New York Calling 1942 · Film Travelogue sponsored by a railroad company serving New York City. Approaching the metropolis by rail, the film covers major tourist destinations such as Coney… Internet Archive DOPE 085 1988 · Film · Subtitles Jack Kerouac on A&E, Lester Young turned Kerouac on to pot, alcoholism. Jane Russell, Howard Hughes junkie, USA gymnasts, Traci Lords, Lisa Bonet AIDS video,… Internet Archive Understanding: why we take drugs, another viewpoint, a new institution 1971 · Educational · 21 min · Subtitles Assists viewers in understanding some of the causes of drug abuse and suggests possible solutions to the problem. Discusses the attitude of drug abusers.… Internet Archive A Tale of Two Cities 1935 · Educational Copyright: Metro Goldwyn Mayer Corp.; 16Dec35; LP6057 Title appears on film as: Charles Dickens' A tale of two cities Photographed by Oliver T. Marsh ;…