LibGuides: ACRL/EBSS Library Resources for Communication Studies (LRCS): Film Studies

About

This guide supports the study of film. Film studies is a broad and interdisciplinary field, and there are many resources, both academic and non-academic, that may be used.

Current Page Editor: Molly Strothmann

Databases

American Film Institute: Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States Includes entries on nearly 60,000 American feature-length and 17,000 short films produced from 1893-2011. Comprehensive coverage from 1893 to 1974, with records for selected major films from 1975-2008.
Art Index (fee-based) Covers Western and non-Western art, feminist art, contemporary art, art criticism, costumes, textiles, and crafts. Art Index is international in scope. Art Index Retrospective (1929-1984) is available separately.
Arts and Humanities Citation Index (fee-based) One of the Web of Science databases, indexing arts and humanities periodicals. 1976-
FIAF Databases The International Federation of Film Archives offers three databases: International Index to Film Periodicals, International Index to Television Periodicals, and Treasures from the Film Archives.
Film & Television Literature Index (fee-based) 1987-present. Covers writing about film and television for scholars, students and the general public. Subjects include film & television theory, preservation & restoration, writing, production, cinematography, technical aspects, reviews.
MLA International Bibliography (fee-based) Covers literature, language and linguistics, folklore, film, literary theory and criticism, dramatic arts, and the historical aspects of printing and publishing. Available from EBSCO, Cengage, and ProQuest.
Performing Arts Periodicals Database (fee-based) Indexes around 400 scholarly and trade journals, magazines, books, and newspapers covering theater, dance, film, television, stagecraft, broadcast arts, storytelling, and more. 134 publications are included in full text.

Suggested Subject Keywords

Motion Pictures is the standard subject heading for film. There are several hundred narrower terms available; the list below is a small sample.
Animated Films
Cinematography
Documentary Films
Feature Films
Film Critics
Film Noir
Foreign Films
Moving Pictures (used for for print materials before 1978)
Musical Films
Silent films

Please consult the Library of Congress subject headings for more ideas.

Open Educational Resources (OERs)

Understanding Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication
No attribution, University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, 2016. See Chapter 8: Movies. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.

ACRL/EBSS Library Resources for Communication Studies (LRCS)

About

Databases

Journals and Trade Publications

Suggested Subject Keywords

Open Educational Resources (OERs)

Film Studies

Research Centers

Associations and Organizations