Specializing in Black Video

837 Exposition Dallas , Texas 75226

Alternative Videos began in 1989, providing a breadth of video from all genres by or about Africans in Ameria and throughout the diaspora.   African-American female owned, the company grew out of the desire to have a video store selection of Black films for rental, particularly for children and educators.

We no longer sell videos nor produce a catalog. The rental inventory is now a collection and the Web listing does not list every item in the collection. The collection is housed in the old Alternative Videos' storefront in Dallas with over 2000 videos and DVD. The videos constitute a collection reflecting black cast, black subject matter and/or the black experience. Many videos have been lost from the collection throughout the years. Though collectibles are valuable, sharing is essential. Videos, including some of the rare pieces, are available on loan to scholars, filmmakers, distributors and select long-term customers for a donation of $5.00 per tape.

The current online listing is not comprehensive nor complete, and frankly, is not a priority. We have most Black videos released to the home video market. If you are interested in obtaining a title on loan, please e-mail us. We are currently working on a newsletter attached to the site which compiles African film news. Your patience is requested as we slowly add more titles available in the collection to the online list.

Moratorium (out of distribution) has claimed a  number of films significant to the history, aesthetic and study of black film, However many are finding new life on DVD. It has been particularly devastating for those that grew up in the 60's and 70's. Titles such as "The Man", "The Cool World" and "The Liberation of L.B. Jones" are no longer available. But titles returning on DVD include such vintage pieces as "Green Pastures", "Pinky", and the venerable "Purlie Victorious". Rare jazz on video is particularly vulnerable to moratorium but is alive and well on DVD along with more documentaries and African film. Semebene's masterpiece "Black Girl" is now on DVD.

Click on a category below for a sample of video titles.

 Children's Videos,  Historical Films,   Vintage,   60's & 70's,   Independent Films, Jazz,  Gospel,  Foreign Films,  Documentaries, Literary Adaptations,  Newer Releases  

www.black-video.com

email

info@black-video.com