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See shorts and features, showing the best from the BFI, national and regional archives - including 120 years of Britain on film
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The Madness of the DanceThe Madness of the Dance
Drama200617 mins
From biting nuns to twitching schoolgirls, a professor (Maxine Peake) takes us on a musical journey through mass hysteria.
Gambling (Fun Palace outtakes)Gambling (Fun Palace outtakes)
Amateur film19636 minsSilent Location: London
Scenes from streets and betting shops, including slot machines, shoe-shining and extended shots from inside a London bookie.
For Better, For WorseFor Better, For Worse
Animation & Artists Moving Image196111 mins
Married to your television? This cartoon gives you an opportunity to re-evaluate your relationship with the gogglebox
His Birthday PresentHis Birthday Present
Animation & Artists Moving Image19151 minsSilent
Was the root of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s power his 'Imperial Moustache'?
I BirdI Bird
Animation & Artists Moving Image19835 mins Location: South Shields
Budgies for beginners: home comforts for birds explained to young pet owners.
The CandlemakerThe Candlemaker
Animation & Artists Moving Image195713 mins
An animated tale with a Lutheran message that's equal parts Christmas spirit and good old-fashioned guilt
A Bit of Old BurnleyA Bit of Old Burnley
Amateur film19405 minsSilent Location: Burnley
Come for a drive around the streets of a busy Lancashire town.
Guinness - PlinthsGuinness - Plinths
Advert19761 mins
Pete and Dud prove to be stout football fans in this Guinness commercial recalling a great sporting moment - however fleeting.
Heinz Baked Beans : Common MarketHeinz Baked Beans : Common Market
Advert19721 mins
In 1972 Britain entered the European common market full of beans. What could go wrong?
The NudistsThe Nudists
News19719 mins Location: Devon
Country House offers naturists a way to air all.
Folkestone Spacious and GraciousFolkestone Spacious and Gracious
Promotional196910 mins Location: Folkestone
There's something for everyone in Folkestone as this promotional film claims - including lidos, fine dining, cliff railways and the weirdest fitness machines ever seen
Employees of Marshall's Engineering Works, Gainsborough (1908)Employees of Marshall's Engineering Works, Gainsborough (1908)
Non-Fiction19085 minsSilent Location: Gainsborough
Edwardian engineers and their marvellous machines at Britannia Ironworks, Lincolnshire.
Mediaeval Tournament at Hawarden ParkMediaeval Tournament at Hawarden Park
Home movie196815 minsSilent Location: Hawarden/Penarlâg
The grounds of Hawarden Castle lend themselves to jousting, archery and a hog roast but modern-day ice-creams and hot dogs are on offer too.
Woodlice RacingWoodlice Racing
News19783 mins Location: Brockhampton
Woodlice racing: a practice to improve fertility or an excuse for gambling?
Haltwhistle Newspaper ClosesHaltwhistle Newspaper Closes
News19693 mins Location: Haltwhistle
The printing presses grind to a halt in Haltwhistle.
Sowerby BridgeSowerby Bridge
Factual TV19859 mins Location: Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge’s community work together to rejuvenate their neglected small town in this inspirational film filled with community spirit.
CalderdaleCalderdale
Factual TV19879 mins Location: Halifax
Halifax’s Calderdale Council inspires real and lasting positive change in the community through infrastructure investment in this film.
Battle Front in BritainBattle Front in Britain
Documentary191824 minsSilent
Growing potatoes in Green Park plus some handy uses for your old tin cans – it’s all part of the war effort on the home front.
Bully BoyBully Boy
Animation & Artists Moving Image19146 minsSilent
Lightning sketch propaganda stirs outrage about Reims bombing, and features a British bulldog eating the German sausage
The Austrian TragedyThe Austrian Tragedy
Non-Fiction19142 minsSilent
A muted newsreel tribute to Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand - victim of an assassin's bullet in an event that would soon take Europe to war.
Funeral at the FrontFuneral at the Front
Non-Fiction19151 minsSilent
Sombre and moving World War I newsreel story.
The Warrior StrainThe Warrior Strain
War192052 minsSilent
Young Lord Billy sniffs out sneaky German marauders in this flag-waving war drama - thrills for British boys, 1919-style.
Nurse and MartyrNurse and Martyr
Biopic191511 minsSilent
The moving true story of wartime heroine Nurse Edith Cavell, recreated in the aftermath of her execution.
Featured collections
Most Popular Free 2019
Our national fabric has many threads and deep colour. Each year, it gets more vivid and popular…
Watching the Trains Go By
A trackside view: see the railway as witnessed by the passenger, the enthusiast and the amateur cine-camera.
The First World War
From the home front to the front line: life during the “war to end all wars” as seen through the lens of newsreel, propaganda and drama.