Ephemeral films

3,361–3,408 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 The Music of Man: 4 -- The Age of the Composer 1979 · Educational · 59 min Guide, covering all 8 titles in the series: The music of man, with no.1 Credits: Producers, Richard Bocking, John Thomson; narrator, Yehudi Menuhin The… Internet Archive The Music of Man: 8 -- Sound or Unsound 1979 · Educational · 58 min Guide, covering all 8 titles in the series: The music of man, with no.1 Credits: Producers, Richard Bocking, John Thomson, Curtis W. Davis; directors,… Internet Archive The Renaissance: Its Beginnings in Italy 1957 · Educational Depicts achievements of the Renaissance in scholarship and science. Photographed in Italy and France Collaborator, Ulrich Middledorf Internet Archive " MEET COMRADE STUDENT " SOVIET SCHOOL SYSTEM 1962 COLD WAR DOCUMENTARY PART 1 44235 Documentary This 1962 black and white film about Soviet schools was distributed by McGraw-Hill Text-Films and produced and directed by Nicholas Webster. "Meet Comrade… Internet Archive All Kinds of People 1963 · Film Shows many people living in many different parts of the world and stresses the importance of world law as a means of keeping peace among nations. This film… Internet Archive ORIGINS Of Modern Society 1989 · Talk "Walter G. Vincenti...peers behind some popular myths about Thomas Edison, whose work profoundly shaped the character of the 20th-century technology. We learn… Internet Archive Starfinder, Episode 30: Cosmology 1991 · Film (March 7, 1991) Episode 30, the final show of Starfinder focuses on cosmology. Cosmology is the study of the organization and structure of the universe.… Internet Archive Don't push your luck [Motion picture] 1966 · Educational · 12 min Story of how Bill Frank of Chicago was tragically blinded in an on-the-job accident and what it meant to him, his family, and their way of life Summary Story… Internet Archive The Prospector 1912 · Film One-reel Essanay Western, preserved with the collaboration of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia and the Library of Congress. Internet Archive Winsor McCay: The Famous Cartoonist of the "N.Y. Herald" And His Moving Comics 1911 · Educational Silent short With Winsor McCay and John Bunny "At a gentlemen's club, Winsor McCay agrees to make 4,000 drawings in one month--drawings to be animated. He… Internet Archive EVR Demonstration on Film Film Demonstration of the EVR video/film player. To license this film and get a higher quality version for broadcast/film purposes, contact A/V Geeks LLC . Internet Archive Ikiru Part 1 Educational · 18 min · Subtitles Internet Archive Herbophrenia 2001 · Documentary Student film written and directed by Michael Niemczycki while an undergraduate at UCLA Film & Television. Tagline is "The untold story of the most important… Internet Archive Time's Lost Children 1973 · Educational Producer, Ronald R. Martin; cinematographer, Wayne Smith Examines the psychology and education of autistic children from the points of view of parents,… Internet Archive African trypanosomiasis. 1951 · Film Explains the etiology, epidemiology, symptomatology, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, prevention, and control of African typanosomiasis (sleeping sickness).… Internet Archive Owl And Fred Jones 1959 · Film Describes the role of habit in daily life and explains how habits can be controlled or changed to enhance their usefulness. This film can be purchased on DVD… Internet Archive Safety With Animals 1961 · Film Shows how to approach and handle animals, both wild and domestic, with an emphasis on dogs and horses. Surveys the general field of safety around animals… Internet Archive The Beginnings of Exploration 1965 · Educational Also issued in b & w With teacher's guide Collaborator, Theodore E. Layng Discusses the conditions in Europe that gave impetus to the age of… Internet Archive The Respiratory System 1987 · Educational Title from data sheet Camera, Mike Westphal ; editor, Bill Gudmundson ; narrator, Chuck McClennan Junior and senior high school students Examines the… Internet Archive "Rap With the Facts: Multiplication" 1987 · Film SEEKING SOUND FILMSTRIPS FOR PRESERVATION. Sound filmstrip was a 35mm film-based still image educational media format used in schools and industry. I am the… Internet Archive Productivity - Key To Plenty Short · 21 min A compilation of live footage, staged scenes and animation discussing the rise of the U.S. standard of living as it is tied to the rise of… Internet Archive Filmstrip: "Marijuana: A Foolish Fad" 1968 · 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 Health Is A Victory (Gonorrhea) 1942 · Film Describes the effects and treatment of gonorrhea. Advises possible victims of the disease to consult qualified physicians for an adequate diagnosis and to… Internet Archive Earth Sun Connection 2007 · Film Earth Sun Connection To license this film and get a higher quality version for broadcast/film purposes, contact A/V Geeks LLC . Internet Archive Lean Teen Body Sculpting 1997 · Film "A medically approved thirty minute workout and stretch program designed especially for teenagers." -- description from box. Internet Archive Attack Patterns of Sharks (1966) 1966 · Educational · 28 min Attack Patterns of Sharks (1966) Object animation by the first French animator, Emile Cole, about a moving company placing furniture in a house. Pots, pans,… Internet Archive Life: How Do We Define It? 1987 · Educational Title from data sheet Junior and senior high school students Examines the diverse characteristics of life including growth and development, metabolism,… Internet Archive Hot Dog Ad 2 (from Drive-In Movie Ads) Commercial Category: Drive-In Movie Ads Title: Hot Dog Ad 2 (from Drive-In Movie Ads) Length- :25 Sound: Yes (enhanced) Description: An animated color ad featuring a hot… Internet Archive 4- Butte -1: A Lesson in Archaeology 1968 · Educational · 34 min Uses the excavation of a Maidu Indian village in California's Sacramento Valley to reveal how archaeologists study the relationship between human artifacts… Internet Archive House 1956 · Educational Produced by Charles and Ray Eames A lyrical interpretation of a home in southern California Internet Archive Baby Meets His Parents 1948 · Film Explains how the developing personality of the child is influenced by the manner in which his parents provide for his basic needs and prepare him for social… Internet Archive Journey through the solar system. Episode 5. Assignment, Shoot The Moon 1983 · Film Host Larry Ross introduces NASA footage showing the efforts of unmanned space vehicles to provide photographs and other information about the moon in order to… Internet Archive Planting and transplanting 1969 · Educational · 21 min Demonstrates the techniques of planting and transplanting flowers, shrubs, and trees. Includes root and top-pruning, potting, watering, mulching, and soil… Internet Archive Self Service 1975 · Cartoon An animated, allegorical film which portrays the activities of a group of mosquitos who build their city around a man's vital fluids Scenografio, Giuseppe… Internet Archive Ancient Lives: 2 -- The Valley of the Kings 1986 · Educational · 29 min VHS format Photography, Peter Greenhalgh ; editor, Jonathan Morris ; music, Edward Wynne Presents a discussion of the tombs of Ipi the workman and Kha the… Internet Archive Pacific Trade and Longshoring work c 1920s Short · 4 min silent footage from the Prelinger Archive, edited to focus on the parts about Pacific Trade and the footage of longshoring, probably from the 1920s. Internet Archive Flannel Boards And How To Use Them 1958 · Film Brilliant application demonstrations. The goofy world of fifties' education. Explains what flannel boards are, how they are made and how they may be used.… 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 Dream Dances of the Kashia Pomo 1964 · Educational · 29 min Features five dances by Pomo Indian women which express cntemporary native beliefs and reflect recent influences, including Christianity and World War II.… Internet Archive LBJ: The Last Interview 1973 · Educational Produced by CBS In an interview filmed ten days before his death, former President Lyndon B. Johnson discusses with Walter Cronkite his commitment to civil… Internet Archive All Girl Melody Makers Film Three songs by Dave Schooler & his 21 - Swinghearts Tchaikowskiana, Pavanne, In an 18th Century Drawing Room. Help us get more films like this online! This… Internet Archive Making Yourself Understood: An Introduction To Communications 1953 · Film EXPLAINS THAT IN COMMUNICATION THERE ARE 5 ELEMENTS TO BE EXPRESSED: WHO,WHAT, TO WHOM, HOW & WHAT EFFECT. POINTS OUT THE NEED FOR MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING ON THE… Internet Archive Meadows Green 1974 · Film "Bread & Puppet Theater's first big "Our Domestic Resurrection Circus", made in 1974 at Goddard College, Plainfield, VT" -- description from box. Internet Archive Life and the solar system : the CRAF and Cassini missions 1986 · Film Describes plans for two unmanned missions to land probes on the surface of a comet and Saturn's moon, Titan. These probes, CRAF (Comet Rendezvous Asteroid… Internet Archive The Mohammedan World 1953 · Educational Describes the beginning of the religion of Islam in 570 A.D. and its spread from Arabia to Europe, Africa, and India. Discusses Islamic clashes with… Internet Archive The World of Enrico Fermi 1970 · Educational · 23 min A documentary which portrays the life and work of the nearly contemporary physicist, Enrico Fermi, whose work helped to transform not only physics and the… Internet Archive Keeping The Hair Clean 1931 · Film Silent. Charles and Eleanor wash their hair. Eleanor also washes her brushes and combs. This film can be purchased on DVD and higher quality versions of the… Internet Archive Ladies Wear The Blue 1974 · Film Tracing the history of Navy women from 1917, this film stresses the importance of equal employment opportunity and highlights the changes the Navy is making…