Free Trial of World Cinema, a foreign films service

Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) is pleased to announce the launch of World Cinema, a free streaming service featuring foreign films and domestic films from Hollywood’s golden age.

World Cinema is a new film collection provided by Infobase, a streaming video platform the library already uses to deliver non-fiction video clips, films, and television. Because local library patrons are such strong users of Infobase materials, the company offered FCPL a free trial of the World Cinema service through June 2015. FCPL will collect statistics on usage of the streaming service, as well as feedback on the service and collection of films from patrons, and then determine if an ongoing subscription to World Cinema is warranted.

“Many patrons have requested films in other languages, and there is definitely a local audience that enjoys foreign films, so we believe our patrons will like World Cinema,” says Linda Kelly, Assistant Director for Materials.

World Cinema is a unique collection that includes the best of the silent era, groundbreaking international directors, American and European masterpieces, and award-winning contemporary films. Initially, the collection includes 380 films and is expected to expand each month.

Users will have access to German, French, Japanese, Eastern European, Asian, British, African, Indian, Italian, Chinese, Latin American, Turkish, and Middle Eastern films from such directors as Fritz Lang, Georges Melies, Jean Renoir, Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Yilmaz Guney, and Satyajit Ray. All foreign language films are accompanied by English subtitles.

To access World Cinema from any location, patrons simply visit www.forsythpl.org and click “eLibrary,” then click “eVideos,” and then "Infobase Access Video". From there, you can select "Collections" and browse all Infobase offers, or click "World Cinema" to start streaming the film of your choice. Films may be streamed with unlimited access and are compatible with iPad, PC, Mac, and Android devices.

For more information on World Cinema, please visit www.forsythpl.org or attend the November 8 movie screening to receive an overview of the service.