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Film Studies: Open Access

the study of films and film making

Journals& free journals

Useful Websites

  • British Film Institute . Includes a "FilmLinks Gateway," a regularly updated, extensive selection of reviewed Web sites on film, organized by category.
  • All Movie Guide - Film Finder . Search by film title or name of actor, director, etc to get plot summaries, short biographies and filmographies.
  • BBC-Film. A comprehensive site from the British Broadcasting Company, featuring movie reviews and release info, DVD reviews, filmmaking advice, feature articles from BBC News, and information on alternative and short films.
  • The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made. This New York Times site includes brief plot descriptions of the chosen movies, as well as the original reviews written by Times' reviewers at the time of release and trailers.
  • Black Film Center/Archive. (Indiana University) Focuses on films by and about African Americans. While users must visit the facility to access the archive's collections (only a two-hour drive from Purdue), the Web site is also useful.
  • Cinema and Media Studies: (Joseph Regenstein Library, University of Chicago) Useful site for linking to film industry and academic centers.
  • DocumentaryFilms.net. News and original reviews of documentary films and links to official film sites and to other resources of interest to filmmakers.
  • Film Studies Center: (University of Chicago) Excellent comprehensive site that links to critical and major film studies.
  • Filmmaking.net. Provides a database of more than 500 film schools, as well as answers to more than 200 frequently asked filmmaking questions
  • Film Studies Research Guide (Yale University Library) A resource for in-depth film scholarship, international and multi-lingual in scope.
  • The Internet Movie Database (IMDB). Film entries include complete cast and crew lists, production details, and technical information, as well as box office information and trivia. The homepage contains movie news, daily polls and quotes, and information on new releases.
  • Movie Review Query Engine. Reviews of more than 45,000 movies, including reviews from major newspapers, Web sites, and entertainment magazines.
  • Screen Site. From the University of Alabama Telecommunication and Film Department, this site facilitates the teaching and research of film/TV/new media and is designed principally for educators and students.
  • Simply Scripts. Links to several hundred free, downloadable movie scripts, how-to resources for writers, as well as practical information, and a message board where users can discuss and critique each other's work.
  • Women Make Movies. A good source of feminist film, their current catalog includes plot synopses and biographical information on the filmmakers. Also offers resources for aspiring filmmakers, with information on funding opportunities, internships, and job opportunities

Associations

  • The American Film Institute. The preeminent national organization dedicated to advancing and preserving film, television and other forms of the moving image.
  • International Association for Media and History. An organization of filmmakers, broadcasters, archivists and scholars dedicated to historical inquiry into film, radio, television, and related media.
  • IFP .The nation's oldest and largest organization of independent filmmakers, and also the premier advocate for them.