Frequently Asked Questions

  • Yes you can order offline if you wish! To order by mail or fax, download our Sales Agreement (requires Adobe Acrobat reader) and fax or mail along with a purchase order or check to:

    Zipporah Films, Inc.
    32 Widgeon Cove Lane
    Harpswell, Maine 04079
    F: 617.864.8006


    Online orders will be confirmed by return email immediately. Offline orders will be shipped within 4 business days.

  • The films are priced for two different kinds of licenses: one that includes public performance rights and one that does not. Purchasing a film at the educational license rate gives you the right to show it to others outside of a home setting, as long as you do not charge admission for these screenings. The middle tier of pricing offers public performance rights at a discount for high schools and other primarily volunteer organizations (such as domestic violence shelters and religious or civic organizations). Purchasing a film at the individual price does not include public performance rights and does not give you permission to screen the film to others outside of a home setting.

  • Most Wiseman films are available, except for THE COOL WORLD and A COUPLE

  • We do not rent DVDs for home use. For public performance rentals, please contact us directly for rates and information. If you want to rent a Wiseman DVD for home viewing, please contact your local video store.

  • Please contact us at orders@zipporah.com to work out special arrangements. We sometimes offer discounts for minimum orders of Wiseman DVDs.

  • In keeping with Mr. Wiseman's filmmaking style, no commentaries or extraneous materials have been added.

  • No. Most DVDs are Region 0. This means that they can be played on a DVD player in any country. Exceptions: LA DANSE and CRAZY HORSE are only available from Zipporah Films in Region 1. Some films have international sales restrictions; click here to see if the film you're looking for has an international distributor.

  • All of the documentary DVDs are NTSC with Dolby Digital Stereo audio. They are on single-layer discs. Our lab uses high quality DVD-Rs, which have an archival life of 30-50 years. All Wiseman films are 4:3 (fullscreen) except: LA DANSE, AT BERKELEY, NATIONAL GALLERY, IN JACKSON HEIGHTS, and EX LIBRIS - The New York Public Library.

  • THE LAST LETTER, LA COMEDIE FRANCAISE, LA DANSE, and CRAZY HORSE are in French with English subtitles. IN JACKSON HEIGHTS includes English subtitles during scenes with foreign languages. Unfortunately, no Wiseman films have closed captioning.

  • Information on how to rent a 16mm copy of a film can be found on our Sales & Rentals page or by emailing info@zipporah.com.

  • Films can be purchased online via credit card or Paypal. Simply click on the Educational or Individual price of the film on its page. Films may be purchased offline via purchase order or check; contact info@zipporah.com for information. To obtain a Sales & License Agreement, which is required for offline orders, click here. We are usually able to ship within two business days of receiving an order. If you require expedited delivery, choose Priority or UPS Next Day as your shipping method. Visit our Sales & Rentals page for complete information on purchases.

  • Yes, in most cases we will ship to an international customer. For a list of international distributors for certain films, click here.

  • Yes. When renting 3 or more films at the same time (may be spaced over 2 semesters) the rental rate is reduced by 10% of the list price. A listing of our sales discounts can be found here.

  • Yes! Please inquire at orders@zipporah.com for details.

  • No. Zipporah Films is a small distribution company and is unable to accommodate preview requests. We will send reviews on the film you are interested to help you determine if it is suitable for your class or send a link to the film's trailer if available.

  • We prefer prints to be returned via UPS or FedEx, but Express Mail, Airborne, TNT, DHL or any shipping method that is trackable is acceptable. Prints are to be returned directly to Zipporah Films and insured for $800 or the value indicated on the packing slip, whichever is greater.

  • No. We do not allow duplication of DVDs, videos, or 16mm prints. If you wish to have a backup copy please contact us directly with specifics of your request.

  • We do not allow one organization to purchase a film copy that will then be put in a consortium or lending library arrangement. Zipporah Films is a small distribution company that survives by its distribution efforts. Our sales agreement is very specific about this and no exceptions will be allowed. University libraries who purchase an educational license may make the copy available for physical (not internet) circulation. Municipal libraries may purchase at the individual rate to add to their circulation catalog. Please contact us for more information.

  • Mr. Wiseman speaks frequently throughout the world in conjunction with screenings of his films. Please contact Karen at Zipporah Films well in advance with your interest and possible dates. We will then work together to arrange a lecture or retrospective. Frederick is also available via Zoom

  • Of course! If your organization already owns a copy of a Frederick Wiseman film and is planning on showing it, we would be happy to post it on our website. Email us at info@zipporah.com with details on the screening(s) and a link to your website, if applicable.