Discover Hidden Streaming Treasures: Your Western Libraries Holiday Movie Guide
Published on December 03, 2025
Free access to premium streaming services during the holiday season—and year-round.
As the holiday season approaches and cozy movie nights beckon, you might be reaching for the same familiar streaming platforms. But there's a treasure trove of festive entertainment you may not have discovered yet—right at your fingertips through Western Libraries. We provide access to a wide range of streaming services like Kanopy, Medici.tv, and the National Film Board of Canada, bringing you beloved holiday classics, thought-provoking documentaries, world-class ballet performances, and rare international films.
Best of all? Western students, faculty, and staff can access these services completely free.
To help you get started, we've curated a selection of festive favourites and hidden gems across our licensed streaming platforms. Whether you're looking for something traditional, thought-provoking, or simply fun, there's something here for everyone. Happy watching!
How to access: To access these films, simply navigate to the respective streaming platform (a full list can be found here) and log in using your Western credentials.
Note: For some of the following links to work you need to log in with your UWO credentials.
Holiday Crowd Pleasers
Audio Cine Films features popular favourites that have become holiday traditions. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, starring Jim Carrey, brings the classic tale to life with spectacular sets and costumes. Christmas With the Kranks offers comedy about a couple attempting to skip Christmas entirely. Love Actually weaves together multiple love stories set during the Christmas season in London, while Little Women brings Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel to life with its themes of family, love, and perseverance.
Home for the Holidays, available through Criterion on Demand, features Jodie Foster in a bittersweet comedy about a dysfunctional family's chaotic Thanksgiving reunion that perfectly captures the joy and stress of holiday gatherings.
Timeless Holiday Favourites
For those who love traditional holiday cinema, we got some wonderful options for you. A Christmas Carol (1951), available through Criterion on Demand, features Alastair Sim's unforgettable performance as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Classic favourites from Audio Cine Films include Holiday Inn (1942), the beloved Bing Crosby classic that introduced the world to "White Christmas," and Going My Way (1944), another Crosby gem about a young priest bringing new ideas to a traditional parish.
Family-Friendly Films for All Ages
Planning for a movie night? Audio Cine Films offers an extensive selection of holiday classics perfect for family viewing. Disney favourites include Frozen, Frozen II, and Frozen Fever, along with The Grinch (the animated version). Classic Christmas stories are represented with Disney's A Christmas Carol, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, and The Muppet Christmas Carol.
Live-action family films include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, and The Witch and the Wardrobe.
The National Film Board of Canada is a wonderful source for family-friendly short films, including:
- The Sweater – an animated short based on Roch Carrier's story about a boy who receives a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey instead of his beloved Montreal Canadiens jersey
- The Great Toy Robbery – a playful animated spoof of the Wild West starring Santa Claus as the world's most-wanted good guy
- Ludovic: The Snow Gift – an animated adventure where Ludovic and George's snow creations come to life
- The Days Before Christmas – a documentary capturing Christmas time in Montreal with milling crowds, department store Santas, and the festive atmosphere of the city
- The Story of Christmas, an innovative retelling using glowing zinc cut-outs, and
- The Pony, a heartwarming black and white tale of two Saskatchewan farm children and their beloved pony.
Documentaries About the Holidays
For those interested in the stories behind the holiday season, Kanopy offers two documentaries that explore the world of professional Santas from different perspectives: Believe: The True Story of Real Bearded Santas, a cinematic journey into the lives of Santas for whom the role is a year-round calling, and American Santa, which follows Black Santa Stafford Braxton as he provides holiday cheer for families seeking inclusive holiday experiences , while confronting the racist backlash he faces.
Kanopy’s A Calcutta Christmas provides an intimate portrait of elderly Anglo-Indians at the Tollygunge Home in Calcutta as they prepare for their annual Christmas celebration.
Xmas Without China, available through Docuseek, explores the intersection of consumerism and immigration as Chinese immigrant Tom Xia challenges his Southern California neighbours to celebrate Christmas without any Chinese products, leading to deeper questions about identity, connection, and the American dream.
Ballet, Opera, Classical Music & Theatre Performances
For lovers of classical music, ballet, opera, and theatre, Medici.tv and Drama Online open the doors to some of the world's most prestigious concert halls and theatre companies.
Medici.tv offers multiple productions of The Nutcracker ballet, plus over 1,800 videos including concerts, ballets, operas, documentaries, and master classes. The platform streams 150+ live events annually from venues like the Opéra National de Paris, Berliner Philharmoniker, and Carnegie Hall. Missing your annual trip to hear Handel's Messiah? Medici.tv features performances from around the world.
Drama Online features 800+ hours of filmed theatre from companies including the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe, and the Royal Shakespeare Company. For the holidays, consider Shakespeare's Twelfth Night—named for the final evening of the twelve days of Christmas festivities—or J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, which has been a staple of Christmas theatre in the UK since 1904.
Digital Theatre Plus offers performances of the holiday classic A Christmas Carol from Bristol Old Vic and Theatre Calgary.
Beyond the Holidays
While this guide focuses on seasonal viewing, remember that these streaming platforms offer the Western community year-round access to thousands of films, documentaries, and performances across every subject imaginable. Western Libraries also provides free access to audio streaming platforms featuring music, audiobooks, and more.
They're invaluable resources for:
- Course instructors seeking video or audio content for classes
- Researchers exploring visual or audio media
- Students working on projects and presentations
- Anyone in the Western community looking to explore new perspectives and ideas
Questions or Need Help?
If you need assistance accessing any of these resources, contact Western Libraries:
- Ask a Librarian
- Email: library@uwo.ca
- Phone: 519-661-3166
Happy viewing, and happy holidays from Western Libraries!
