Free
Free
Explore archive films
See shorts and features, showing the best from the BFI, national and regional archives - including 120 years of Britain on film
What we're watching
Burns Cottage and MemorialBurns Cottage and Memorial
Non-Fiction19282 mins Location: Alloway
A scenic tour of the Ayrshire birthplace of Scotland's beloved bard.
Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital and SanctuaryMousehole Wild Bird Hospital and Sanctuary
Current affairs19751 minsSilent Location: Mousehole
The cliffs of Raginnis Hill in Mousehole provide a perfect haven for injured birds.
Auld AyrshireAuld Ayrshire
Travelogue19302 minsSilent Location: Alloway
A tour of Rabbie Burns' beautiful home county, in enchanting colour.
The Whisky of His AncestorsThe Whisky of His Ancestors
Advert19772 mins
Dewar’s were so proud of making one of the world’s first cinema ads, they recycled it seven decades later
The Magic BoxThe Magic Box
Home movie19656 mins Location: Crigglestone
A young girl takes on the Desmond Morris (or perhaps Johnny Morris) role for this enchanting film of a family birdwatching in their back garden.
The Pub with no beerThe Pub with no beer
News19805 mins Location: Armagh
How can opening a pub help you resist the temptation of a drink? Meet the Armagh Pioneers to find your answer.
ApachesApaches
Documentary197727 mins
One of the most disturbing public safety films depicts six children being picked off one-by-one by deadly farming machinery.
YellowYellow
Drama202313 mins
In Taliban controlled Afghanistan, Laili walks into a Chadari store in Kabul to buy her first full body veil from a Talib shopkeeper and face a new future.
Fiona Richmond at her PleasureFiona Richmond at her Pleasure
Current affairs19709 mins Location: Plymouth
Fiona Richmond is interviewed about her Men Only column and attitudes towards sex.
Scenes from Village LifeScenes from Village Life
Amateur film194818 mins Location: Burghclere
This epic and wistful record of Yesterday's Britain shows rural life in the villages of Highclere and Burghclere just after the war
Hedd WynHedd Wyn
Historical drama1992115 mins Location: Trawsfynydd
The stirring story of poet Ellis Evans-Hedd Wyn, the Welsh poet posthumously awarded the Eisteddfod chair at Birkenhead in 1917 after failing to return from 1st World War trenches.
The VolunteerThe Volunteer
Government sponsored film194442 mins Location: Denham
Entertaining and evocative Fleet Air Arm drama-doc propaganda piece, written and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
You and Your HealthYou and Your Health
Documentary197922 mins
The Community Health Council of Wales blows its own trumpet in myriad ways, including animation, to draw attention to their NHS advisory service.
Organ Donor Card: Organ BoxOrgan Donor Card: Organ Box
19931 mins
An urgently filmed appeal for organ donation.
The British Way of HealthThe British Way of Health
Documentary197327 mins Location: London
A portrayal of the NHS which shows off the “marvellous” system to audiences around the world.
Back to the CommunityBack to the Community
Documentary198629 mins Location: Bolton
Local authorities trial the Thatcher government’s new ‘care in the community’ initiative.
Tracing the Spread of InfectionTracing the Spread of Infection
Documentary194923 mins
Doctors undertake forensic-style detective work to identify the origins of outbreaks, in the fascinating film from the early days of the NHS.
The Strange Case of Penny AllisonThe Strange Case of Penny Allison
Government sponsored film200218 mins
Imelda Staunton and Hugh Laurie as you've not quite seen them before: in a comedy training video for Britain’s National Blood Service.
Stop Motion
Reality and fantasy collide to extraordinary effect when you bring the inanimate to life, one frame at a time.
Short Tribute From Blues To YouShort Tribute From Blues To You
Amateur film19892 minsSilent Location: Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Model music men - an unusual appreciation of some legendary figures of rock.
SupertedSuperted
Animation & Artists Moving Image19759 mins
Don’t tell the Spotty man but Superted has a new friend. A stop motion predecessor of the superhero teddy idea
South Sea SweetheartsSouth Sea Sweethearts
Advert19386 mins
Say aloha to a Technicolor cinema ad for Horlicks from the master of the Puppetoon, George Pal
UkiUki
Animation & Artists Moving Image20186 mins
A short stop-frame animation following a lonely Inuit who struggles to survive after an oil tanker leaks oil off the coast of Alaska, killing all the wildlife in the area.
Animated PuttyAnimated Putty
Animation & Artists Moving Image19114 minsSilent
Long, long before Wallace met Gromit filmmakers performed malleable magic to bring clay to life
Damaged GoodsDamaged Goods
Animation & Artists Moving Image20089 mins
A tragic story is played out by porcelain figurines residing in a bric-a-brac shop.
Featured collections
Carol Morley
Dreams, memories and reveries - the collected works of one of Britain's most distinctive filmmakers.
Black Britain on Film
Striking, illuminating and sometimes surprising images of black culture, community and characters, spanning over a century of British film and TV.
Stop Motion
Reality and fantasy collide to extraordinary effect when you bring the inanimate to life, one frame at a time.