On Kanopy: Major Studios

Kanopy is a video streaming service, available through Plano Public Library. You can learn more about setting up your account and getting started on our Getting Started blog post.

Many films from a variety of studios are available through Kanopy. A few you may know: A24, Arrow Films, BBC, The Criterion Collection, MGM and Warner Brothers.

A24

A24 is an American independent entertainment company that specializes in film and television production, as well as film distribution. It was founded in New York in 2012. You can see the A24 collection on Kanopy here, which includes films in the drama, horror and thriller, and comedy genres. Some films you may recognize:

• Lady Bird, directed by Greta Gerwig (who also directed the 2023 Barbie live-action film)
• The Lighthouse, starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe
• The Farewell, starring Awkwafina

Arrow Films

Arrow Films is a British independent film distributor and restorer specialising in world cinema, arthouse, horror and classic films. It was founded in 1991. You can see the Arrow Films collection on Kanopy here. Some films you may recognize:

• Donnie Darko, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone and Patrick Swayze
• The Hills Have Eyes, directed by Wes Craven (who also directed Scream)

BBC Studios

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at the Broadcasting House in London, originally established in 1922. BBC has films and television shows, and genres include historical drama, crime, and science fiction. You can see the BBC collection on Kanopy here. Some films/TV you may recognize:

• Whitechapel, season 1
• Father Brown
• A Young Doctor’s Notebook and Other Stories

The Criterion Collection

The Criterion Collection, Inc. is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing “important classic and contemporary films”. It was founded in 1984 in New York. You can see The Criterion Collection on Kanopy here. Some films you may recognize:

• Modern Times, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin
• Pygmalion, starring Wendy Hiller, Leslie Howard and Wilfrid Lawson
• Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa

MGM

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc., or MGM, is an American media company specializing in film and television production and distribution. Founded on 1924 and based in Beverly Hills, California. You can see the MGM collection on Kanopy here, and genres include drama, romance, action and thriller. Some films you may recognize:

• 12 Angry Men, starring Henry Fonda, Lee J. Cobb, Ed Begley and Jack Klugman
• The Manchurian Candidate, starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh 
• West Side Story, the musical
• Four Weddings and a Funeral, starring Hugh Grant

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California. It was founded in 1923. You can see the Warner Bros. collection on Kanopy here, and genres include comedy, drama, romance and thriller. Some films you may recognize:

• The Witches, based on the Roald Dahl book
• The Phantom of the Opera, the musical
• The Secret Garden, based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Your Kanopy account allows for five watch credits per month (except Kanopy Kids, with is unlimited), with some films chosen to be “credit-free.” Be sure to check the Leaving This Month category for videos about to be removed from the digital collection.