How do I place an order?

There are several ways to order:

Online at www.mediaed.org:
Visit the Video Store section of our site, go to the page for the video or collection you are interested in, and then simply add it to your cart. You may purchase online with a credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover). We also accept purchase orders from institutions (colleges, universities, high schools, nonprofits, and public libraries). Just create an account using your appropriate licensing level, enter a purchase order number at checkout, and we will fulfill your order and bill you. We invoice POs with Net 30 terms. If requested, we can bill a specific office that processes payments and fulfill the order with a separate department.

By mail:
Download and print out an order form or use the order form in the back of a catalog. Fill out the order form and send to: Media Education Foundation 60 Masonic Street Northampton, MA 01060 If you’re ordering for a college, university, high school, nonprofit organization, or public library, we also accept purchase orders. Please include $8.00 for shipping and handling for one film, and $1.00 for each additional title in your order.

By fax:
Download and print an order form. Fill it in and fax to (413) 586.8398. You may also fax us an official purchase order from your institution.

By phone: (Credit card orders only)
Phone the sales department at (413) 584-8500 to place your order. Please have your credit card ready.

By e-mail:
Send a purchase order to [email protected].

PLEASE NOTE: We require that all orders placed from outside the U.S. be pre-paid with a credit card, check, or money order. Checks and money orders must be in USD and drawn from a U.S. bank. Please note that checks drawn on foreign banks are non-negotiable and will be returned to you, resulting in a delay in your order.

All orders, whether they are prepaid or billed, will be charged shipping/handling.

Can I watch a video before deciding to buy it?

Absolutely! You can easily preview the full-length video online to help you make up your mind. Just hit the “Request a Full-Length Preview” button below, enter your info, pick the film you want to check out, and click “request.” You can start watching the video right away!

Additionally, you can find the “Request a Full-Length Preview” button conveniently located at the bottom of each film page.

Do MEF films come with Public Performance Rights (PPR)?

Our DVDs and streaming subscriptions come with public performance rights at most licensing levels*. This means that they can be shown in non-classroom settings provided there is no charge for the screening.

There are currently five films in our catalog (produced by outside filmmakers) where this is not permitted: Fire in the Blood, Google & the World Brain, Sugar Coated, Do the Math, and Education Inc. If you wish to have a screening of these titles outside of a face-to-face classroom setting, please contact us.

Otherwise, we encourage screenings of our films! We have some posters and promotional materials for some of our more popular films. Please contact us to inquire.

*Home-Use, Individual Educator, and Public Library “circulation-only” licenses do not come with public performance rights. If you have purchased at this licensing level and wish to have a screening, please contact us.

How much does shipping cost?

If you are ordering online, shipping will be calculated by the cart when you place your order. MEF ships all orders via USPS (U.S. Postal Service). We offer a variety of delivery options and rates to choose from. If you are submitting a purchase order or mailing in a check, please include $8.00 for shipping and handling for one film, and $1.00 for each additional title in your order. International shipping rates are higher and differ based on the destination country.

How do I place an order for DVDs as an international customer?

MEF ships to every country in the world. We require that all orders placed from outside the U.S. be pre-paid with a credit card, check, or money order. Checks and money orders must be in USD and drawn from a U.S. bank. Please note that checks drawn on foreign banks are non-negotiable and will be returned to you, resulting in a delay in your order.

International customers may always order directly from MEF, but to make your purchasing as easy as possible, we also have a number of MEF-approved educational distributors abroad. 

What is MEF’s exchange and return policy?

MEF takes pride in the quality of our videos and guarantee 100% satisfaction. We will replace any damaged or defective product for free within 90 days of purchase. If you deem that any video is inappropriate for your classroom or library, we will accept its return for a full refund or credit, if it is shipped back in 100% re-sellable condition within 90 days of purchase. Your only cost is return postage. Click here for more details.

Does MEF offer a volume discount?

MEF offers discounts for purchasing more than one title. Please call 1.800.897.0089 or email [email protected] for our volume discount rates.

Are universities or colleges ever eligible for a nonprofit rate?

No. Although many universities and colleges have tax-exempt statuses, they do not qualify for MEF’s Nonprofit/NGO discount. This discount is solely reserved for non-profit organizations performing community service such as domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, family planning agencies, youth advocacy organization, etc. Universities and colleges may purchase DVDs, hosted streaming, and digital site licensing at the University/College price. The nonprofit Media Education Foundation relies on institutional purchases to support the production of our films.

What is the price for Public Libraries?

We offer two options for public libraries: purchase a DVD for circulation only, or purchase a DVD with public performance rights. After you log in as a public library on our website, you’ll be able to see both options and their pricing. Films ordered with a public library license must be shipped to a public library address.

Our films are also available to public libraries through the Kanopy platform.

Can you explain in more detail your pricing method?

MEF is aware that many schools and organizations are on tight budgets and have to come up with creative solutions to purchase our films. For that, we say THANK YOU for supporting us! MEF survives primarily on institutional film sales. Sales from our films allow us to continue to produce cutting-edge films. Please keep in mind that our pricing reflects extensive market research for the university, high school, nonprofit, and public library markets for AV materials. In addition to DVDs, we also offer options such as 1-year streaming subscriptions and 7-day streaming rentals, which are often less expensive than a DVD purchase and may fit better into your budget. Many of our DVDs include non-theatrical, educational screening rights, so you may hold campus screenings without an additional charge. We also offer discounts off the list price for community colleges, high schools, nonprofits/NGOs, individual educators/teachers, churches & religious organizations, and individuals looking to purchase our films for home-use. Simply create an account and login to see these special discounts.

I am hosting a grassroots screening of one of your films and I would like to sell films at the event. May I do this, and can I order the films on consignment?

Yes, we allow grassroots screening organizers to resell films at their event. We will even give you a resellers discount, so your organization or group can raise some funds in the process. MEF grants consignment terms on a limited basis, usually to groups that are reselling our DVDs at an event and would like to make sure they have enough for sale. In order to provide consignment terms, MEF requires a credit card on file. We will not charge this card until the consignment terms are due. If the customer prefers to pay their balance with a check or money order, they should make sure to send this to arrive by their due date to avoid their card being charged. Films on consignment are due back in 30 days. Extended consignment terns may be granted at the discretion of MEF. MEF will send up to 50 DVDs on consignment. Any DVDs above this number must be pre-paid. To place a consignment order, please call or email us.

I am interested in buying one of your videos/DVDs for my own personal use. Is there a non-institutional price for individuals?

If you are purchasing the film for your personal collection and you are using it in a classroom or workshop, we do offer discounts at our discretion. Please call 1.800.897.0089 or email [email protected]and inquire about reduced pricing.

Please note that when you purchase films at the individual price, you are not purchasing the public screening license, so you won’t be able to screen it in a classroom or in any other public place.

We also recommend that individuals who wish to purchase our DVDs contact their local library so that all members of their community can have access to the program.

Nonprofits and high schools working with low income populations might qualify for further reduced pricing. Please e-mail [email protected] for more information.

How long will it take for me to receive a purchased video once I place an order?

Once we receive your order, we’ll do our best to process, invoice, and ship your DVDs within 1-2 business days. All orders are shipped via USPS (U.S. Postal Service). Domestic orders will arrive within 1-5 business days, depending on your location. International orders will arrive within 1-3 weeks, depending on your location. Orders shipped to destinations outside the U.S. must pass through customs, which may cause some delay. Please note that individual orders and orders placed from outside the U.S. require pre-payment and will not be processed until payment has been received.

Can MEF ship videos/DVDs to a Post Office Box or do I need to supply a street address?

Yes, we are able to ship to P.O. Box addresses. MEF ships via USPS (U.S. Postal Service). Please indicate if the shipping address is different than the billing address.

Are MEF videos closed-captioned?

The majority of our DVDs have English subtitles which are often a suitable substitution for closed-captions. To see whether a title has been subtitled, please navigate to the film of your choice and look in the “About” tab. Click here to see a list of films that are subtitled in languages other than English. If you require closed captioning, we often will grant permission for your school to do this. To request permission, please e-mail [email protected] or call 1.800.897.0089.

If our school has purchased an MEF video, do we have permission to broadcast it on closed-circuit TV?

Yes. All purchased videos and DVDs are licensed for closed-circuit viewing within the institution that made the purchase. This licensing also includes satellite campus, and limited-access distance education broadcasting. In addition, many of our DVDs are licensed for classroom viewing and public screening where no admission is charged. This policy does not include “streaming” or “webcasting” MEF programs via an internet server (regardless if it’s password protected). For digital licensing information, click here.

Can we make copies of our video/DVD?

Duplication of our purchased or preview videos and DVDs is strictly prohibited unless you receive direct permission from the Media Education Foundation. However, we do generally permit school librarians to make an archival copy of a title purchased from MEF. Our DVDs are copy-protected.

If you buy a DVD, additional copies of the same title can be purchased for $75 each. (This discount is not currently available through our online shopping cart. Please place your order via phone, mail, or fax).

For information about bulk orders of 10 or more copies of the same title, please email [email protected] or call 1.800.897.0089 for further discounts.

Does Media Education Foundation allow their programs to be broadcast on community access TV or other channels?

Normally, we do grant permission for our films to be broadcast on community access stations. Please contact us to request a broadcast permissions letter for the film you wish to broadcast. We ask only that our 800 number and website are displayed before or after the broadcast so that anyone interested in ordering a video for their institution may contact us. For all other forms of broadcast, permission, and licensing, arrangements must be requested by contacting the Media Education Foundation directly.

If our school has purchased a MEF video, do we have the rights to stream the film on the internet?

In order to digitally stream an MEF film, you will need to purchase a digital license for the title. MEF currently offers multiple ways to stream films:

For information on our licenses, technical specifications, and ordering instructions, click here.

You may purchase digital licenses online with a credit card after agreeing to the terms and conditions. Alternatively, you may call 1.800.897.0089 to order digital licensing via phone.

What happens if a DVD I have purchased breaks, or is misplaced? Is there any discount available or would I have to pay full price again to replace the video?

MEF offers a much-reduced replacement cost for DVDs that have been damaged or misplaced. Instead of the original institutional cost, the cost of a replacement copy is $75. This DVD includes the original public screening rights from the previously owned DVD.

This discount is not currently available through our online shopping cart. Please place your order via mail or fax, or call 1.800.897.0089.

Do your DVDs work in international DVD players? What about NTSC or PAL?

All MEF DVDs are non-regionally encoded and play on any type/region of DVD player.