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Videos in the Library Collection

Videos available via the CSU Stanislaus Library.

Educational Videos / Documentaries / Art Films - Free Online

Some free sources for documentaries, educational videos, and public domain motion pictures:

  • Public Domain Movies - Directory of motion pictures in the public domain and streamed on YouTube.
  • PBS Videos - Some PBS content is available for free online streaming, although it often has a limited window of access. PBS Passport offers additional videos for those who donate to their local PBS station on a monthly basis.
  • TED Talks - TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less).
  • OpenCulture.com - A thoughtful collection of links to hundreds of Indie Films, Film Noir, Documentaries & More.
  • Annenberg Foundation Learner Resources - Teacher resources across the curriculum - short films on a variety of subjects.
  • Top Documentary Films - More than 1200 documentary films available for streaming. Subjects are varied and cover a wide range of personal, social, scientific, political, historical topics.
  • FolkStreams - A National Preserve of Documentary Films about American Roots Cultures streamed with essays about the traditions and film-making. The site includes transcriptions, study and teaching guides, suggested readings, and links to related websites.
  • YouTube - Many organizations and individuals post videos on just about any topic. Even some feature films are available for free on YouTube.
  • Netflix Free Videos on YouTube - A few, selected Netflix original productions were made available for viewing on YouTube during the Pandemic, and remain free and accessible.

Credit: List and descriptions are based on material from CSU East-Bay Library.

Motion Pictures / Films

Some "free with ads" streaming sites like Amazon FreeVee, PlutoTV, Tubi, etc., are the main sources of the limited free online access to motion pictures / commercial films.  These sites license motion pictures for general viewing and pay for their licenses with advertisements.  A tool like JustWatch.com can identify what free, subscription, and purchase options are available, especially for commercial films / motion pictures (tips on using JustWatch).

Using a free site can provide an affordable alternative to licensing a commercial film at $255 per year or requiring students to rent the film.

Recommendations when Relying on Free Commercial Film / Motion Picture sites:

  • Instructors are advised to re-check for free access just prior to use in a course. Access to specific films at these sites tend to last months or years, but can end.
  • Options for back-up plans include:
    • Request the library purchase a DVD before the start of term as an emergency back-up.
    • Review possible rental options for students (usually listed on a site like JustWatch.com).

Examples of Free Sites Not Requiring a Login

Look for free videos using a site like JustWatch.com. Some examples of sites with free content:

Using JustWatch.com

A service like JustWatch.com tracks where specific film/tv/documentary titles are available from major streaming services.  These include:

  • Free (with Ads) services (Amazon FreeVee, Pluto, Tubi, YouTube free, etc.).
  • Subscription services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Max, Disney+, etc.)
  • Rent of buy a video (Amazon, AppleTV, GooglePlay, YouTube purchase, etc.)

At JustWatch.com, look for a service with Ads underneath the service icon, or go to the full title and choose free options to see what's available. 

Note: JustWatch.com listing of free Kanopy access is incorrect for Stan State users. (Kanopy is only free if viewers are members of a public or academic library which can afford unlimited "PDA" access of the entire Kanopy collection.  This has become very rare.)