Research Guides: Documentary Film: Home

Welcome Documentary Filmmakers!

Discover a wealth of information specifically for those who love the Documentary Film genre.

Kanopy Streaming This link opens in a new window
Kanopy Streaming provides access to contemporary and classic feature films and documentaries, from the major Hollywood studios and well as independent and international filmmakers.
Digitalia Film Library This link opens in a new window
Digitalia Film Library is a multinational, multilingual collection of feature films and documentaries from South America, Asia, and Europe.
Filmakers Library Online This link opens in a new window
Filmakers Library Online is a multidisciplinary collection of over 1500 documentaries from the 1970s to present.
Ethnographic Video Online This link opens in a new window
Ethnographic Video Online is a resource for the study of human culture, behavior and society around the world. The collection contains over 1,300 hours of video, including ethnographic films, documentaries, select feature films, and previously unpublished fieldwork footage.
Human Rights Studies Online This link opens in a new window
Human Rights Studies Online is a research and learning database providing comparative documentation, analysis, and interpretation of major human rights violations and atrocity crimes worldwide from 1900 to 2010. The collection includes primary and secondary materials across multiple media formats and content types for each selected event, including Armenia, the Holocaust, Cambodia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rwanda, Darfur, and more than thirty additional subjects.

Op-Docs Video Channel - NYTimes.com
Op-Docs is the New York Times’ award-winning series of short documentaries by independent filmmakers. From emerging directors to Oscar winners, Op-Docs brings you the very best nonfiction filmmaking from around the world.
How to Submit an Opinion Video

Economist Film Project
The Economist Film Project is an initiative by The Economist, in partnership with PBS NewsHour, to share the work of independent, international documentary filmmakers with global audiences interested in learning more about our world and its untold stories. Selected films have been jointly curated by The Economist and PBS NewsHour to bring to the fore work by filmmakers who share these goals. We welcome your voice in this conversation. The films you can explore on this website were first featured in news segments aired on PBS NewsHour. More films will be added on a regular basis through the end of 2011, so check back frequently to explore new stories.

The Library of Congress Lets You Stream Hundreds of Free Films
Smithsonian Open Access
You can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images—right now, without asking.

13 Rules for Making Documentary Films
The following is the text of a speech Michael Moore gave at Toronto International Film Festival.