Research Resources:
Subject Research Guides:
Cinema Studies:
Subject Matter, Synopses, and Credits
General Resources for Film Information, Synopses and Credits
Online Resources
Internet Movie Database
Two essential sites for basic information on individual films. Film
entries include plot summaries and credits.
All Movie Guide
MediaRights.org
A site dedicated to providing information on independently-produced
documentaries. Titles and topics can be both browsed by category and
searched with the search engine.
**PBS VIDEOindex Online
Indexes selected PBS produced video titles that are newly reissued in time-coded versions.
Indexing provides access to descriptions of over 2,200 video chapters and 36,000 individual video segments.
All titles in this series are owned by Rutgers University Libraries.
Print Resources
**The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced
in the United States.
In-progress attempt to "provide complete cataloging of every
feature, short, serial and newsreel produced by the American film community
since 1893." Entries include production and distribution information,
cast, and brief summary. Indexes: chronological, name, subject, genre,
geographic, literary and dramatic source, and songwriters and composers.
Includes some foreign films released in the U.S.
PN1998.A57
EFLA Evaluations.
PN1995.9.E9E31 [1971-1987]
AFVA Evaluations.
Guide to educational and non-theatrical films.
PN1995.9.E9E31 [1988-1992]
Halliwell's Film Guide.
Comprehensive list of films with credits and brief plot summaries.
REF PN1993.45.H27a yr.1989
The International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers.
5-volume set. The first volume has entries on individual films.
REF PN1997.8.I58 1990
**Magill's Survey of Cinema: English Language Films. First series. PN1995.M3 [1980]
**Magill's Survey of Cinema: English Language Films. Second series. PN1995.M3 [1981]
**Magill's Survey of Cinema: Foreign Language Films. PN1993.45.M34 1985
**Magill's Survey of Cinema: Silent Films. PN1995.75.M33 1982
The Magill's Survey series uses the familiar Masterplots format. Entries for films include plot summaries as well as commentary.
The Motion Picture Guide.
Multi-volume set with summaries and brief commentary on major films.
REF PN1995.N346 1985
The Movie Guide.
REF PN1998.M6 1995
The Oxford Companion to Film.
One-volume general encyclopedia with articles on people, individual
films, and subjects. Good coverage of foreign film.
REF PN1993.45.O9 [1976]
Time Out Film Guide.
PN1998.T46 2001
Finding Films by Subject, Genre and Nationality
Subject indexes in reference books
Many of the film guides listed above and on
the Reference Sources page of this guide
include subject indexes, either at the back of the book or in separate
volumes of multi-volume sets.
Genre guides
Most of the genre guides on the Reference Sources page
of this research guide include entries on individual films.
National cinema guides
Most of the guides to national
cinemas on the Reference Sources page of this research guide include
entries on individual films.
Films by nationality using IRIS
Try searching IRIS
using geographic subdivisions with Library of Congress Subject Headings.
For example, for French feature films, try FEATURE FILMS FRANCE. For
Indian documentaries, try DOCUMENTARY FILMS INDIA. For more on using
Library of Congress Subject Headings, see the
Searching IRIS page of this guide.
