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Women's Studies Resources for Film and Video |
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Women's Studies Resources for Film and Video |
This site is designed to assist Women's Studies Librarians and other collection developers in finding resources for the purchase and evaluation of film and video. The site will focus less on mainstream Hollywood films, than on educational, documentary, and subject-specific materials covering topics in gender and sexuality. Traditionally, these items go out of print more quickly, are more expensive, and are more limited in their distribution. Examples of key collections arranged by subject, print bibliographies, and review sources are also added to assist in the selection process.
AK
Press
AK Press is an independent publisher and distributor "organized around anarchist
principles." The video/DVD page offers numerous very affordable titles of
relevance to the study of gender, sexuality and activism.
Appalshop:
Film & Video on Culture and Social Issues
Appalshop films are part of a larger program to support multimedia production
in Appalachia. The site lists films by subject, including several titles
under "Women's Stories."
Arab
Film Distribution (Institutional Sales)
AFD distributes a number of Arab feature films and documentaries on DVD
and video. In addition to films on women and Islamic culture, AFD now offers
a documentary "Women Pioneers Collection" featuring "the achievements of
Arab female figures who were considered avant-garde in their society."
Berkeley
Media LLC (Women's Studies/Gender Studies Video Page)
Berkeley Media is a distributor
of independently produced documentaries and educational media. It was founded
as a result of the unfortunate closing of the UC Extension's Center for
Media and Independent Learning. More than 100 of the titles from Berkeley
Media were formerly distributed by the Center.
Bullfrog
Films
Known for distribution of environmental and social justice films, Bullfrog
offers short titles dedicated to the exploration of women's rights in a
global perspective.
BuyIndies.com
This site sells independent, educational and hard-to-find films on VHS,
DVD, and video download. Also offers a nice page organizing titles on different
topics related to gender
issues. If purchasing as an educational institution, make sure you are
looking at the "educators
channel" rather then the individual consumers channel. Prices can vary
dramatically depending on public performance rights.
California
Newsreel
With an emphasis on African cinema and educational videos about African
American life, this catalog does not have a separate subject section on
women's issues. However, several titles explicitly deal with biographical
and socio-political topics relevant to gender studies.
Cambridge
Documentary Films
CDF sells documentaries on a range of social issues, including eating disorders,
rape, women's health, gender & media literacy, and GLBT topics.
Center
for Media and Independent Learning (University of California Extension)
The Center closed in June 2005, but currently still maintains a useful catalog
index. Many of these are important sociological and anthropological documentaries
still in the process of finding new distributors.
Center
for New American Media
Producer of educational videos, including titles that have been featured
on the Oxygen channel and P.O.V. (PBS program). Several titles relate to
women's issues. Study guides are also available for many of the tapes.
The
Cinema Guild
Film and video distribution company with large number of documentary titles
available for purchase. The online catalog contains over 800 titles, and
has separate viewable sections under "Social Studies" for Women's Studies
and Gay, Lesbian, and Gender Studies.
Concentric
Media
A video production company that offers video dealing primarily with reproductive
rights and related issues. Some tapes are also offered with Spanish subtitles.
Contemporary
Arts Media
CAM is an Australian vendor that usually offers video in both PAL and NTSC
formats with educational pricing. While it specializes largely on the fine
and performing arts, the catalog does offer several titles featuring women
artists or gender issues in the media.
DCTV
Productions
DCTV (Downtown Community Television Center) creates and distributes social
issue documentaries on international politics, crime, and a range of domestic
topics. Unique titles include video from the "Pro-TV" program, featuring
work by students from at-risk communities. It's worth requesting a current
print catalog, since the website doesn' t always include everything available.
Deep
Focus Productions
Arthur Dong's production and distribution company offers short clips, descriptions,
and sales information on his films. Most titles address Chinese American,
gender, and gay/lesbian social issues, including Sewing Woman and
Lotus. Institutional prices are much more expensive than those for
individuals.
DEFA
Film Library Catalog
Located at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, DEFA (Deutsche Film
Aktiengesellschaft) sells East German films made between 1946-1990 and an
expanding collection of other previously unavailable German titles. Several
works are of interest to both gender and queer studies.
Direct
Cinema Limited
With a focus on educational users, Direct Cinema distributes and promotes
independent filmmakers; catalog has categories for feminism, women's studies,
and women's health. Educational prices include a public performance license.
Discovery
Channel Store Online
Discovery Channel distributes
several videos on sex differences, sex change surgery, gender differences
during adolescence, and an extensive visually-oriented "Body Atlas" set.
Documentary
Educational Resources
This site features titles on documentary and ethnographic film in a global
context. Most film and video can either be purchased or rented. Subjects
include marriage and family, gender roles, marriage, and women's studies
topics.
Docuseek**
Docuseek's database searches for independent documentary, social issue,
and educational videos available in the U.S. and Canada. This is very useful
for searching across several major distributors' offerings.
Educational
Video Center (EVC)
EVC supports documentaries written and directed by teens on a range of social
issues. Discounts available for K-12 schools.
Educational
Video Group, Inc.
EVG sells videos of various
speeches and speech education topics, with a strength in politics. Speeches
include those by Golda Meir, Eleanor Roosevelt, Naomi Wolf, and Camille
Paglia, among many others. Other titles focus on gender communication issues.
Facets Multimedia**
A general distributor based in Chicago; provides both rental services and
video/DVD for purchase. Though it covers major releases, Facets also maintains
numerous experimental, feminist, and documentary titles.
Fanlight
Productions
Fanlight distributes independent documentaries and educational films on
healthcare, aging, mental health, disabilities, ethics, family and gender
issues. This is a good distributor for titles on women's health, as well
as LGBT health issues.
Feminist
Majority Foundation: Film, TV, & Radio
The Feminist Majority offers short activist documentaries for sale, covering
topics like abortion rights, the Taliban, and the political right wing.
Film
Distributors Database
Allows a search or browse of vendors in documentary and educational video,
as well as used and out of distribution titles. From UC Berkeley's Media
Center.
Filmakers
Library
Large selection of titles in global and multicultural studies, women's studies,
LGBT issues, and sexual violence.
Films Media Group [includes
Films for the Humanities and Social Sciences and Meridian Education Corporation]
This company focuses entirely on the educational market (primarily upper
high school - undergraduate level); Numerous Women's Studies titles on the
media, eating disorders, women's history, etc. Films Media Group now sells
streaming video as well as more traditional formats. This vendor charges
institutions for performance rights, and quality of content varies.
First
Run/Icarus Films
Browse a list of titles on Women's Studies, including global documentaries
and independent feminist narrative films.
Forward
in Time
Offers videos on community awareness issues and some gender-related topics
like parenting and sexuality.
Frameline
Distribution
Frameline offers a collection of narrative, documentary, and short fiction
films for rental and sale. Dedicated to the distribution of lesbian and
gay video, the company offers several titles on women's sexuality and gender
identity.
Kino
on Video
Kino's strength is in making available older and unjustly forgotten films,
usually in nicely restored condition. Look for good deals on their box sets
and titles by women directors like Ida Lupino.
Media
Education Foundation
MEF is a non-profit educational organization devoted to media research and
production of media resources to aid educators. It distributes several key
Women's Studies titles, including Slim Hopes, Dreamworlds,
Tough Guise, and Killing Us Softly.
Media
Projects, Inc.
Founded by filmmakers Allen Mondell and Cynthia Salzman Mondell, this company
produces and distributes documentary/educational films. Many of these are
on women's studies, violence prevention, and sex education, including Sisters
of '77: The Spirit of Women.
Midwest
Tape
Though Midwest Tape is a very general distributor with more focus on feature
film, it is recommended for reasonable pricing and responsive service to
libraries. The database requires setting up a (free) log-in to search, but
it is best only for title searching since many directors' names are not
included.
Milestone
Films: Films by and About Women page
Selection of films from Milestone, mostly comprised of older classics. Milestone
is particularly strong in its coverage of Mary Pickford, but also offers
many lesser-known works of historical importance.
National
Asian American Telecommunications Association (NAATA)
NAATA distributes a number of educational videos on Asian Pacific peoples.
The subject index lists titles on women, sexuality, and GLB studies.
National
Film Board of Canada
The NFB store sells video and DVD on Canadian and international topics,
including narrative film and documentaries on topics ranging from political
activism to pornography. Note: there is a significant increase in price
for U.S. institutions.
New
Day Films
Offers works by independent filmmakers on a range of social topics. Many
titles concern gender and sexuality, and are priced for the educational
market. Some descriptions also give links to reviews.
New
Video
This site features video programming
available from Docurama, The History Channel, A&E Home Video, Scholastic,
and New Video NYC. Coverage is strong for LGBT issues, television programming,
and independent film. Other distributors also offer these titles, but this
site is a bit easier to browse.
Outcast
Films
Relatively new company focused on representation and promotion of Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Queer film and video.
Progressive
Films
Distributes films and videos which offer a "progressive perspective, promote
human rights and are created to advance social justice, multiracial equality
and cross cultural understanding." Focus is on global workforce issues and
ethnicity more than gender per se, but issues are often intertwined. Institutional
pricing is more reasonable than some other vendors.
Shenandoah
Films: Women's Issues
Distributor of "educational Videos and DVDs produced by Native Americans
and from the Native perspective." Shenandoah sells titles on various topics,
including women's issues.
ShopPBS
for Teachers
Online store for PBS educational programming. The American Experience
collection in particular contains a number of videos on women's history.
Note that most videos are a different price for institutions, which is reflected
on this website.
Sisters
in Cinema
This site features the work of
documentary filmmaker Yvonne Welbon, including an order form for her work.
It also provides a list of works by other African American filmmakers. Welbon's
works include Sisters in Cinema, Living with Pride: Ruth Ellis @ 100,
and The Cinematic Jazz of Julie Dash. Pricing is different depending
on the type of institution, and there is a discount for ordering a group
of titles.
SubCine
One of the few sources that covers independent Latino film and video with
any comprehensiveness. While the focus is more specifically on ethnicity,
SubCine offers numerous titles of interest to gender studies.
Third
World Newsreel
An alternative media arts organization that fosters the creation, appreciation
and dissemination of independent film and video by and about people of color.
The online catalog has pre-set categories for women, feminist issues, lesbian
experience, and more.
TLA
Video: Lesbian DVDs
TLA has absorbed the titles formerly offered by OutTakes, and also sells
gay & lesbian books.
Video
Data Bank
A distributor of contemporary media art, the VDB houses experimental and
documentary works on sexuality, gender, and feminism. Also offers CD-Roms,
compilations, and free video clips online.
Video
Den Collection (RareVideo.com)
A good source for out of print and hard to find videos, DVDs, and laser
discs. Also offers transfers for PAL, Beta, and SECAM tapes. Stonger coverage
of narrative films than documentaries, but can be a very useful source for
finding items no longer available from traditional vendors.
Video
Distributors of Women-Related Videos**
Extensive A-Z list of video distributors, with contact information. Maintained
by the University of Wisconsin System. This is one of the most comprehensive
source lists for Women's Studies video available online.
Women Make Movies**
The distributor with the most wide-reaching committment to independent women's
film and video, including direct support of women filmmakers. Offers rental
and purchase as options, with wide geographic coverage. Website frequently
offers special discounts for multiple purchases.
Women's
Educational Media
Producer of educational films primarily regarding social justice, environmental
activism, and family issues. Several titles concern gay marriage and adoption.
WEM outsources sales of its titles to different distributors, including
New Day films. This site provides a link for the relevant vendor of each
title.
Zeitgeist
Films: Non-Theatrical and Educational Booking
Zeitgeist sells institutional copies (with public performance rights) of
numerous important documentaries
and feature films, including The Brandon Teena Story and Paris
Was a Woman.
**Most comprehensive vendors
Subject Bibliographies & Videographies:
WAVE:
Women's Audiovisuals in English
Maintained by the University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Librarian's
Office, this database lists documentary, experimental, and feature film
and video productions by and about women with subject classification. Distributor
information is included.
Women
and Gender Studies (UC Berkeley Media Center)
Offers videographies of holdings by subject, with annotations. UCB also
has a similar Gay,
Lesbian, and Transgender site, which lists bibliographies and additional
vendors.
Women
in Cinema: A Reference Guide
Extensive bibliography of print and electronic guides to women in film.
This has not been updated in a while, but is still a good starting point.
MIC:
Moving Image Collections
MIC is a relatively new attempt to provide a union catalog for moving image
collections worldwide. The project is still in its beginning stages, but
will increasingly be an excellent resource for searching film and television
collection holdings.
Video
AIDS
Contains critical reviews of AIDS educational videos, including lists of
titles directed at specific audiences. Also includes distributor and pricing
information about each title.
The Bent Lens: A World
Guide to Gay and Lesbian Film.
Lisa Daniel, Claire Jackson, and James I. Walsh, Eds. Alyson Publications,
2003.
The 2nd edition to the guide, which includes features, shorts, and documentaries.
Beyond typical indexing, this guide takes the more uncommon approach of
also including short essays by international scholars in the field.
Bowker's Complete
Video Directory. yearly.
This annual publication typically includes a subject arrangement of video
currently on the market, with emphasis on educational titles.
Between the Sheets,
in the Streets: Queer, Lesbian, and Gay Documentary. Eds. Chris Holmlund
and Cynthia Fuchs. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1997.
Contains annotated videography in the back section on queer studies documentary.
Feminism and
Documentary. Eds. Diane
Waldman and Jane Walker. Minneapolis: U of Minnesota P, 1999.
Part of the same "Visible Evidence"
series as Between the
Sheets, this volume also includes a helpful annotated videography in
the last section.
In Her Own Image:
Films and Videos Empowering Women for the Future, A Media Network Guide.
New York: Media Network, 1991.
While the prices and format options listed in this guide are now out of
date, it is still a valuable resource for finding media on women in the
developing world. Lists distributors, and has geographic, subject, and audience
indexes.
Sullivan, Kaye.
Films For, By, and About Women (Series I and II). Metuchen, N.J.:
Scarecrow, 1980 & 1985.
Coverage is now dated in scope, but lists educational and short films otherwise
difficult to find referenced.
Women Filmmakers
& Their Films.
Ed. by Amy L. Unterburger. Detroit: St. James P, 1998.
More of an auteurist resource, this international encyclopedia contains
short descriptive sketches, bibliographies, and filmographies of women filmmakers.
Also contains a useful awards index and listing of directors by country.
Women's Companion
to International Film. Ed. Annette Kuhn with Susannah Radstone. Berkeley:
U of California P, 1990.
A-Z resource by names, countries, and subjects. This covers major theorists
and directors, and several entries contain videographies.
Zaniello, Tom. Working Stiffs, Union Maids, Reds, and Riffraff: An Organized Guide to Films about Labor. Itahaca: Cornell UP, 2003 (revised edition). Index includes listing of film focusing on women in the workforce.
Film/Literature
Index Online
The print edition of this important
film criticism and review index has been digitized for the years 1976-2001
through a grant from NEH. It is currently available free of charge, and
the advanced search includes a pre-limit to reviews. While there is no full-text
content, this resource is very useful for its indexing content of film journals
and magazines in several different languages.
Docuseek
Reviews
Provides list of sites that offer reviews of film and video, with focus
on independent documentary, social issue, and educational titles.
Educational
Media Reviews Online
Database with subject searching, recommendation rankings, and more for major
titles from educational and documentary distributors. The search screen
has a pre-limit to "women's studies" video.
Feminist
Collections: A Quarterly Review of Women's Studies Resources
Publication (online & in print) from the University of Wisconsin; offers
reviews on Women's Studies video, with focus on academic and nonfiction
titles.
MC
Journal: The Journal of Academic Media Librarianship
A freely available electronic journal, offering a searchable database called
"Educational Media
Reviews Online." Women's Studies can be searched as a subject for short
reviews and audience level information.
Video
Librarian Online
The less comprehensive electronic version of the print magazine Video
Librarian, this site has extra features for members. It also has freely
available video and DVD reviews for recent releases; although the emphasis
is on mainstream film, the reviews list recommended audiences and tend to
look closely at the quality of DVD extras. There is a "Video Librarian Plus"
subscription available that provides access to the backfiles of all reviews
and other features.
Women's
Studies Database Film Reviews
Database with reviews of mostly mainstream films (including some foreign
titles) with emphasis on women's roles.
Despite the current domination of the DVD format in commercial markets, vendors for academic nonfiction, documentary, and experimental film still sometimes only offers VHS as a format. In many cases, collecting and lending institutions must grapple with a range of formats--many of which rely on hardware that is no longer manufactured. These select resources are intended as a starting place for understanding the differences between types of media.
AMIA
Manuals, Q&As, & Fact Sheets
This website from the Association of Moving Image Archivists links to a
variety of useful information and position papers about film and video formats.
Includes information on video preservation, different sizes and formats
of videotape, and amateur/small gauge film. Also contains full text link
to Jim Wheeler's Videotape Preservation Handbook.
DVD
FAQ (And Answers)
Jim Taylor's frequently updated and very informative online guide to the
DVD format (including DVD-ROM). This is one of the best places to find non-commercial
facts and explanations. It acts as a supplement to Taylor's book, DVD
Demystified: The Guidebook for DVD-Video and DVD-ROM (McGraw-Hilll;
3rd edition 2006; ISBN 0071423966)--also recommended.
Video
Preservation
Part of larger Conservation OnLine site, this page provides more information
on video standards and format differences. Note special section on digital
video information, and separate pages on motion picture film and electronic
media.
More
than One Hundred Years of Film Sizes
This site explains the difference between different gauges of film stock,
with numerous pictures for identification and links to similar information
pages.
Video
Technology General Information Page
The "glossary" section may be of greatest use to librarians, which contains
explanations of aspect ratios and confusing acronyms. See also the DVD
technology page from the same source.
DV,
DVCAM, & DVCPRO Formats
Explains different digital video formats, though much of the focus is directed
at filmmakers rather than institutions.
Kula, Sam. Appraising Moving
Images: Assessing the Archival and Monetary Value of Film and Video Records.
Lanham, MD: Scarecrow, 2002.
For institutions with large archival collections of film and video, this
book specifically addresses the history and appraisal methodology for managing
these formats.
Video Collection Development
in Multi-Type Libraries: A Handbook.
Ed. Gary P. Handman. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2002.
This is the 2nd edition of the handbook, covering different types of libraries
and strategies for selecting and evaluating video.
Digitized Video Available Online:
Increasingly, filmmakers and distributors have made certain types of moving images freely available for online use through streaming video. Classroom use of this material is sporadic, but collection developers should be aware of its presence as a resource. Because much of it is focused on stock and ephemeral footage, historical out-of-print materials, etc., there is potential for the study of gender in popular culture and educational pedagogy. Knowing about stock footage vendors can also help you lead patrons in need of visual materials for projects to the proper distributors.
Internet
Moving Images Archive
This metasite links to the Prelinger Archives and other online moving images
on a variety of topics. These are useful for advertising, industrial, and
educational film footage. Download time varies significantly, depending
on the connection and running time.
American
Memory
This large digital collection from the Library of Congress also includes
several collections of motion picture footage. You can search across collections,
or browse the subject index of specific moving image collections on historical
topics.
Folkstreams
This free archive of documentary roots culture recordings includes a number
of short films on women. Most films are completely online, but those with
commercial distributors may only have a sample clip available.
Open
Video Project
Shared digital video project featuring documentary, educational, and ephemeral
films.
indiefilmpage.com
Short Films Online
List of websites with downloadable short films by contemporary independent
and underground filmmakers.
FOOTAGE.net
This is one of the more comprehensive sites for locating stock footage content,
including news and other archival sources. Demo reels of content are available
from different sources for online viewing and helpful transcripts/descriptions
provide content and date info, but access to the actual footage must be
purchased/requested from the different image archives. Requires free registration
to search.
Fotosearch:
Stock Photography and Footage
Searches more than fifty stock photo and footage vendors. Make sure to limit
search to stock footage only, since photographs/images are also included
on the site. Includes short clips of footage available for consumer purchase,
with distributor and price info.
Send comments about WSS Film & Video page to:
Diana King
Arts Library
University of California, Los Angeles
diking@library.ucla.edu
Originally created: November 2002
Last updated: August 2007