Film Resources Library

• Due to the limited number of copies of any one film, we ask that titles be returned promptly after use. 
• There is a return slot located in the door to UC 1126 (Katie Foster's office), which may be used at any hour the university is open.
• Any titles that have been requested for screenings will be kept in the library for the duration of the semester and may only be taken out by the instructor or TA involved in the class.

If you are a Faculty member who would like to screen film titles for an upcoming class, please use the process outlined below:

• Before you start: Make sure you've performed a search of our Library Database first to confirm if we have your title in our collection already. Make sure to keep in mind the following:
  • Is it on IMDB.com? If you can't find your film on IMDB.com, that might be a problem - or you might need to try some other information.
  • Consider alternate titles: Sometimes the title is listed under a different name. This happens often if it is a foreign language film. 
  • Try alternate information: if you're having no luck with the title, you may be able to find it under the director's name.
  • Consider the release date: If the title you're looking for has been released in the last year or so, it's possible that it's not available online anywhere yet. 
• Title is listed in the database: Please reach out to kfoste58@uwo.ca to request a copy to be loaned, or to have this copy digitised.

• Title is not listed : If you cannot find the title you are looking for, you may very likely find it on one of the below external platforms, available to all current faculty, staff and students via Western Libraries:
  • Audio-Cine Films  is  the exclusive Canadian rights representative for Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Tristar Pictures, Screen Gems, Universal Studios Canada (MCA), MGM Studios, United Artists, and many more. 
  • Criterion on Demand   is an online digital delivery feature film platform that provides easy access to educationally relevant feature films used in Canadian higher education institutions. Includes more than 1,600 English-language titles, 1,300 French-language titles, and 135 world language films with English sub-titles. Also includes more than 100 documentary features.
  • Kanopy  provides mediated demand streaming of feature films and award-winning documentaries from around the world covering a wide variety of topics. Featured producers include Criterion Collection, PBS, HBO, Kino Lorber, First Run Features, BBC and many more. Access is provided in collaboration with King's University College Library.
• Other considerations:
  • Commercial Streaming Platforms: If the title on your list is available on a platform that requires a paid subscription (for example, Netflix, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, Disney+, etc) please keep in mind that your students may not have access to these resources for a variety of reasons. If the title is difficult to find elsewhere, please consider an alternate title, or note that viewing it is optional.
  • Respecting copyright laws: As an education institution, it is imperative that we stay within Canadian copyright laws. If you're having a hard time finding your title anywhere online, please note that linking to illegally procured content (e.g. videos that have been torrented online) is NOT permitted. 
• I still can't find my film title...
  • Don't panic! Please reach out to kfoste58@uwo.ca to request that it be added to our collection. (If you can find a link to purchase it on Amazon.ca, that would be extra helpful.)

• British Film Institute (BFI) National Archive is one of the largest and most important collections of film and television in the world. Its teams of experts ensure that the collection is preserved and developed for future generations and made widely accessible to today’s audiences.
• British Pathé is considered to be the finest newsreel archive in the world, with 85,000 films, unrivaled in their historical and cultural significance.
• CBC Documentaries provides documentaries on demand and information about a wide variety of other documentaries that are broadcast on CBC.
•  Curio.ca provides access to educational content from CBC and Radio-Canada. Documentaries from television and radio, news reports, archival material etc. are available in both English and French. Curio.ca is developed expressly for the Canadian educational community, including school boards, government ministries, universities, colleges, cégeps, and public libraries.
• Docuseek Canadian Collection contains over 2,000 documentary films including the GOOD DOCS collection with a focus on social and environmental issues. Access is in place until April 30, 2025, in collaboration with King's University College Library.
• SAGE Video showcases highly relevant educational video across key social, behavioral, and health science disciplines. Each collection includes a breadth of video types to support diverse learning and research needs.
• TVO : documentaries is a streaming platform delivering ground-breaking and Canadian-made documentary films that enable the exploration of social, political, and current affairs through a diverse range of story-telling perspectives. Open Access.