Ephemeral films

2,881–2,928 of 19,489 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 The Ultimate Speed: An Exploration with High Energy Electrons 1966 · Educational Made for the Science Teaching Center, M.I.T., as a part of a series on relativity With report of experiment Director, Quentin Brown; photographer, Abraham… Internet Archive Streetcars and Belt Line Railroad Short · 1 min Silent footage from the Prelinger Archive of streetcars and the Belt Line railroad in San Francisco in the 1920s. Internet Archive Bread and Honey 1990 · Educational Colin Wyse, Catherine Byrne, Sean Madden Director of photography, Robert Belton ; editor, Jim Duggan Adapted from the book of the same title by Frank Asch… Internet Archive Drive-in: Rating System Film about 42 seconds. suggestion; insert clip directly before avy 'coming soon' clips when creating drive-in dvd. Internet Archive Coffee House Rendezvous 1966 · Film Film promoting consumption of coffee in youth-oriented coffee houses. Accompanied by a folk music sound track, Coffee House Rendezvous profiles seven coffee… Internet Archive Minerals and Rocks 1979 · Educational Title from data sheet Second ed. of the 1957 motion picture Collaborator, John Sampson White Investigates the structure and composition of minerals and… Internet Archive Meditation: Yoga, T'ai Chi, and Other Spiritual Trips 1972 · Educational · 20 min Title from manufacturer's catalog Includes a visit to the School of Hatha Yoga; an interview with Alan Watts; and a look at theater students working on… Internet Archive Safety - Harm Hides At Home 1974 · Film Uses a story about children who are rescued from accidents at home to create an awareness of home safety and provides examples for accident prevention. We… Internet Archive All My Babies 1952 · Film Portrayal of African American midwives in rural Georgia, with a focus on the work of Mary Coley in Albany. The film traces the course of pregnancy through… Internet Archive Ruth Mahaney And Molly Martin On Early Gay Lesbian Bookstores And Press 2019 · Film Ruth Mahaney and Molly Martin, interviewed in late 2018 and early 2019 respectively, remember early encounters with feminist bookstores and lesbian printing. Internet Archive Afterlife (Apres la Vie) 1978 · Educational Executive producer, Derek Lamb ; music, Herbie Mann ; original score, David Mills Presents a visionary image of life after death, based on recent medical… Internet Archive Juke Bar 1989 · Educational Director, script, animation, character designer, music, Martin Barry ; editor, Werner Nold ; producer, Yves Leduc Big business versus the underdog. Or never… Internet Archive Really Heavy Pants: A Collection of Short Videos About Spacesuits and Working in Space 2003 · Film These 7 short videos are part of NASA engineer Phil West’s presentation “It’s Hard to Dance in a Spacesuit,” a fun look at the suits and tools astronauts use… Internet Archive Proud Conquest : Gemini VI and VII 1966 · Film Astronauts Borman, Lovell, Schirra and Stafford tell about the first rendezvous of two manned spacecraft. The unprecedented pad turnaround at Cape Kennedy and… Internet Archive Sonic Outlaws Documental Negativland Intro 2015 · Documentary A short movie clip from Craig Baldwin's film Sonic Outlaws. Used by permission and courtesy of Craig Baldwin. Internet Archive Nina Serrano Good Times And Retaking Her Name 2016 · Film Longtime activist Nina Serrano describes how she became a poet and writer and a contributor (along with her husband and son) to the San Francisco Good Times… Internet Archive Closed Mondays 1974 · Cartoon Uses clay animation in presenting a story about a wino who wanders into an art museum where the art objects cause him to have visions Internet Archive What Is a Bird? 1962 · Educational · 15 min With teacher's guide Traces the evolutionary relationship between birds and reptiles, and explains how the bird's skeletal structure gradually adapted to the… Internet Archive Personality And Emotions 1954 · Film Presents the various emotions that are exhibited by children at different ages. Suggests recognizing emotions for what they are and using them to build… Internet Archive Beatrix Potter-- a private world. [motion picture] 1979 · Educational · 43 min Title from data sheet Director, Duncan Dallas Search Educational Film Journals at Media History Project for references to this film Summary Deals with the… Internet Archive The Emperor's Oblong Pancake 1964 · Educational Based on the story of the same title by Peter Hughes Narrator, Edward Everett Horton An animated version of the story about an emperor who tried to change… Internet Archive Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine Video Recipes 1995 · Educational "George Foreman, Heavyweight World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist, loves his burgers! Protein is an important part of any nutrition plan. During this… Internet Archive GERMAN INVASION OF POLAND 1939 WORLD WAR II FILM 78784 Film This “restricted” United States War Department Film Bulletin provides the viewer with footage of the German Army’s invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939.… Internet Archive My Son Kevin (1970) 1970 · Educational · 24 min Shows the daily activities at home, play and school, of an 11 - year - old English boy who was born without arms or legs as a result of his mother's use of… Internet Archive Photography as an Art 1959 · Educational Presents Ansel Adams as he photographs Yosemite National Park. Shows a collection of his photographs; explains how he conveys a sense of discovery or… Internet Archive Charming Display at Perfect Back Contest 1928 · Film International Newsreel story about beauty pageant contestants in Los Angeles. Preserved in collaboration with the New Zealand Film Archive and the Library of… Internet Archive Twenty-Five Hour Day 1960 · Short · 26 min Internet Archive The Revolution in Europe's Role in the World 1958 · Educational · 29 min The Revolution in Europe's Role in the World Using evidence provided by China's recent wars and present industrial development, this film analyzes the effect… Internet Archive Filmstrip: "Green, Green, Green" 1975 · Educational SOUND FILMSTRIP IS AN AT-RISK MEDIA FORMAT. I am the only person on earth preserving American filmstrips. The media format is largely forgotten and very… Internet Archive The Touch Film with Dr. Jessie Potter 1983 · Educational Host, Dr. Jessie Potter Cinematographer, Charlie Lieberman ; edited by Marc Miller Title from title screen Film: 800 ft Issued also as videorecording… Internet Archive Struggle For Existence 1925 · Educational · 4 min Internet Archive Fibers and Civilizations 1958 · Film Historical survey tracing the use of natural fibers from ancient times to the present. Commis­sioned by a synthetic textile manufacturer, the film was praised… Internet Archive The Etiquette Survival Kit 1997 · Film "...the Kit contains basic dining and social skills presented in a concise and entertaining series of workshops with host Lyndy Janes." Internet Archive Air Force Now - Thunderbirds Short · 5 min About the Air Forces Thunderbirds. Shows them boarding the jets and some of the maneuvers. To license this film and get a higher quality version for… Internet Archive A Different Approach 1978 · Educational Shows a government committee's shocked reaction to a musical comedy which presents an appeal to employ handicapped people, when they were expecting a maudlin,… Internet Archive Sigmund Freud: His Offices and Home, Vienna 1938 1974 · Educational Uses contemporary photographs to show the interior of Freud's home in Vienna in 1938. Explores the political situation in Nazi Vienna and shows why Freud left… Internet Archive Vtr-11, Stay Alert Stay Alive 1967 · Film Follows preparatory training for soldiers just arriving to Vietnam. they learn about booby traps and how to deal with the climate. This film can be purchased… Internet Archive Hot Stuff 1972 · Educational Also issued in 35 mm Producers, Robert Verrall, Wolf Koenig; director and animation, Zlatko Grgic; story, Don Arioli; music, Bill Brooks; animation camera,… Internet Archive Of Men and Machines 1963 · Educational · 28 min Describes the work and responsibilities of the manufacturing engineer while showing their disappointments and triumphs from concept to final installation.… Internet Archive Starfinder, Episode 20: Constellations 1991 · Film Starfinder, Episode 20: Constellations Description: (January 8, 1991) Episode 20 of Starfinder focuses on the study of constellations and some related myths… Internet Archive Bag Five 1966 · Film A demonstration of the creativity and skill of children, ages 9 to 13, as observed in their work in the planning and production of five short animated films… Internet Archive Creating Cartoons 1956 · Cartoon Uses demonstrations in humorous animation to explain the elements of cartooning. This film can be purchased on DVD and higher quality versions of the film can… Internet Archive Your Friend The Forest - Save It Or Destroy It 1954 · Film An animated cartoon story demonstrates the importance of preventing forest fires. This film can be purchased on DVD and higher quality versions of the film… Internet Archive Bags 1967 · Cartoon A sardonic allegory about tyranny and revolution. A greedy, swaggering bag devours every object in its path until all survivors are forced to pay homage. A… Internet Archive The Westward Movement: 3 -- The Settling of the Great Plains 1963 · Educational Collaborator, John M. Caughey Uses authentic photographs and documents to recapture the spirit of homesteading on the Great Plains. Reviews the geographic… Internet Archive Robotics: Isaac Asimov's (Clank! Clank!) Artificial Man 1972 · Educational · 20 min Presents some actual advances in robot technology. Explores the relationship between man and machine and how it may change as machines become more… Internet Archive The Chaparral Prince 1983 · Educational Title from data sheet Based on the short story of the same name by O. Henry Intended audience: Intermediate grades through senior high school students and… Internet Archive Varnette's World: A Study of a Young Artist 1980 · Educational Title from data sheet Presents a documentary on Varnette Honeywood, a painter who honors her ancestral heritage while searching for alternative skills for…