To Find Books and Videos
Use the MERLIN Library Catalog and the MOBIUS Union Catalog to find resources relevant to your research. Relevant works can be found using subject headings (Library of Congress) such as:
- Film Adaptations
- Film Criticism
- Film Genres
- Cinematography
- Motion Picture Actors and Actresses
- Motion Picture Music
- Motion Pictures
- Motion Pictures - Periodicals
- Motion Pictures - Reviews
Works relevant to specific genres of film can also be found using subject headings such as:
For additional information on searching for films in a specific genre, see the library guide "Finding Films and Videos by Genre or Category".
Works relevant to the study of the representation of specific groups or issues in the medium of film can be found using subject headings such as:
- African Americans in Motion Pictures
- Antisemitism in Motion Pictures
- Children in Motion Pictures
- Religion in Motion Pictures
- Social Problems in Motion Pictures
Note: Information on a specific film, actor, director, screenwriter, etc., can also be found by searching under the film's or person's name as a subject heading (e.g., "allen, woody"; "citizen kane").
Further information about searching for films is available through the library guide "Finding Films and Videos in the MERLIN Library Catalog".
To find the location of a book in Miller Nichols Library, see the Location Guide.
To Find Articles
Remote (off-campus) access to databases is available only to UMKC students, faculty, and staff. All other users must access online resources within the Libraries. Begin searching by selecting a database. After selection you will be prompted to provide a UMKC Single Sign-On user name and password OR the number 0 plus an 8-digit UMKC ID number plus the letter k (example: 0123456789k) and last name, as needed.
-
Academic Search Premier (EBSCOhost) 1975 - present.
Save to del.icio.us
Selected full text 1975 - present.
This multidisciplinary database indexes and abstracts journals in a broad range of subjects, including film studies. Full text is available for a large proportion of the titles. A high percentage of titles are peer-reviewed. - FIAF Members Publications (SilverPlatter) 1966 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Gives an overview of the books and other publications written by the members of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF). - Film
Literature Index
Ref Z5784 .M9 F45 (1973 - 2004)
Online (1976-2001)
Topics covered by this index include film, television and video-related issues drawn from several hundred journals from around the world. - Index to Film Periodicals (SilverPlatter) 1972 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Offers indexing of academic and popular film journals. -
International Index to the Performing Arts Full Text (Chadwyck Healey) 1864
- present. Save to del.icio.us
Selected full text, content varies by title.
Note: searches of this database are now through Music & Performing Arts Online.
Indexes articles related to theatre, dance, music, television and film in popular and scholarly journals in the performing arts. Includes full text for selected titles. Link to International Index of the Performing Arts user's guide. - JSTOR 1838 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Full text. Coverage varies by title.
New Additional journals are now available with the addition of these collections: A&S Complement, A&S V, and Business II.
Contains fully searchable scanned articles from selected journals in a broad range of disciplines, including film studies. Covers all published volumes of journals from the first issue of volume one; however, the most recent three to five years of journals are not generally available through this resource.
- LexisNexis Academic 1969 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Selected full text 1980 - present.
Provides citations and abstracts or the full text of materials covering general news topics, including film reviews. Available resources include newspapers, magazines, and journals. - List of Periodicals Indexed (SilverPlatter) Current edition. Save to del.icio.us
Provides addresses and other information (including ISSN) about the journals indexed in Index to Film Periodicals and Index to TV Periodicals. - Project MUSE (Premium Collection) Save to del.icio.us
Full text 1993 - present.
New Additional journals are now available with the upgrade to Project MUSE Premium Collection.
Supplies full-text articles from scholarly journals, including film criticism. - Retrospective
Index to Film Periodicals, 1930-1971
Ref Z5784 .M9 B39.
Film Studies Articles Related to Other Subject Fields
- America:
History and Life (EBSCOhost) 1964 - present. Save
to del.icio.us
Includes indexing and summaries of articles on the history of film in the United States and Canada. Link to America History and Life user's guide . - Art Full Text (Wilson) 1984 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Selected full text 1997 - present.
Film is one of the art forms covered in this resource. - ATLA Religion Database (FirstSearch) 1949 - present. Save to del.icio.us
This index includes references to articles about films from a religious perspective. - Ethnic NewsWatch (ProQuest) 1990 - present; coverage varies by title. Save to del.icio.us
Full text 1990 - present; coverage varies by title.
Articles about films in ethnic newspapers are available through this source. -
Hispanic American Periodicals (HAPI) 1970 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Includes references to articles on films related to Hispanics in the United States and Latin America. - Historical Abstracts (EBSCOhost) 1954 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Selected full text 1954 - present.
Indexes and abstracts articles on the history of film worldwide (excluding the United States and Canada). Link to History Abstracts user's guide . - Literary Reference Center (EBSCOhost) Current edition. Save to del.icio.us
Full text.
Provides articles critically discussing film, particularly as it relates to literature. - MLA International Bibliography (Chadwyck-Healey) 1884 - present. Save to del.icio.us
An index to scholarship in film, as well as literature, linguistics, folklore and cultural studies. The print version of this bibliography is available in the Miller Nichols Library Reference Index Wall Z7006 .M64 and covers 1921 - 1999.
To Find Information about Films
-
African
American Experience (Greenwood Press) 18th century - present. Save to del.icio.us
Full text.
This resource provides information about African American actors and films relevant to the African American experience. - American Film Institute Catalog (Chadwyck-Healey) 1893 - 1970. Save to del.icio.us
The AFI Catalog is a comprehensive listing of American feature films. The goal of the project is to include every film produced in the United States or sponsored and financed by an American company. Entries provide acting and production credits for American films and often includes a plot summary and references to reviews. - Gale Virtual Reference Library (InfoTrac) Save to del.icio.us
Full text.
Electronic versions of more than 70 reference books. Includes
Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television, 2004 - present
History of the American Cinema
International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers. - International Directory of Film and TV Documentation Collections (SilverPlatter) Current edition. Save to del.icio.us
Contains detailed entries on institutions with film archives. The entries indicate contact and access information, as well as thorough descriptions and enumerations of materials collected. Of particular note is the index to manuscript and special collections. -
Latino-American Experience (Greenwood Press) 1984 - present. Save to del.icio.us
Full text 1984 - present.
This resource provides information about Latino and Latina actors and films relevant to the Latino-American experience. - Treasures from the Film Archives (SilverPlatter) Current edition. Save to del.icio.us
Contains information about silent film holdings of film archives worldwide. The database encompasses features, short films, actualities, and fictional works. Citations indicate original title, alternate titles, and minimal credits and production information. For further information about the film archives, see International Directory of Film and TV Documentation Collections.
To Find Film Reviews
All call numbers in this guide refer to the UMKC Miller Nichols Library, unless otherwise noted.
| American Film Criticism, from the Beginnings to Citizen Kane: Reviews of Significant Films at the Time They First Appeared | PN1995 .K293 |
| Film Review Annual (1981-) | Ref PN1995 .F463 |
| Film Review Index (2 vols.) Covers 1882-1985. | Ref PN1995 .F54 |
| Index to Critical Film Reviews (Covers 1930-1972) | Ref Z5784 .M9 B64 |
Media Review Digest (1973-) Multi Media Reviews Index (1970-1972) |
Ref Z5784 .M9 M4 Ref Z5784 .M9 M85 |
| The New York Times Film Reviews (1913-2000) | Ref PN1995 .N4 |
| Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature (1900-2002) | Ready Ref AI3 .R48 |
| Variety Film Reviews (1907-1992) | Ref PN1993 .V36 |
Resources for Finding Journals and Articles
Tools for locating the text of an article either online or in print format include Serials Solutions and the MERLIN Library Catalog .
University Libraries Photocopying and Printing Services
Selected Journals
This list includes journals available in the University Libraries in print and/or electronic format.
Journals Available at Miller Nichols Library:
| Journal Title | Print version in Miller Nichols Library | Electronic version |
|---|---|---|
| Bright Lights Film Journal | ||
| Cineaste | Second Floor Periodicals 1973-present |
|
Cinema Journal Journal of the Society of Cinematologists |
Second Floor Periodicals
|
|
| Film Quarterly Quarterly of Film, Radio and Television Hollywood Quarterly |
Second Floor Periodicals Second Floor Periodicals Second Floor Periodicals |
|
| Images: A Journal of Film and Popular Culture |
||
| Premiere | Second Floor Periodicals 1987-present |
|
| Sight and Sound | Second Floor Periodicals Ground Floor Microfilm |
|
Reference Sources: Encyclopedias, Statistics, Bibliographies
Reference sources are useful for locating background information, definitions, general descriptions, and basic facts. Use these books to help you select or focus your research topic. Here are examples of useful reference sources. You will find other sources in the Reference Collection call numbers PN1993 - PN1998.
All call numbers in this guide refer to the UMKC Miller Nichols Library, unless otherwise noted. Titles are linked to the corresponding MERLIN Library Catalog record.
Encyclopedias and Handbooks
| Directors and Their Films: A Comprehensive Reference, 1895-1990 | Ref PN1998 .B85 1993 | Encyclopedia of American Independent Filmmaking | Ref PN1993.45 .L63 2002 | Encyclopedia of the Documentary Film (3 volumes.) | Ref PN1995.9 .D6E53 2006 | Enser's Filmed Books and Plays: A List of Books and Plays from Which Films Have Been Made, 1928-1991 | Ref PN1997.85 .E55 1993 | Motion Picture Guide Motion Picture Guide Annual (1995-1997) |
Ref PN1995 .N346 1985 Ref PN1995 .N3461 |
The New Historical Dictionary of the American Film Industry | Ref PN1993.5 .U6 S539 1998 | The New York Times Encyclopedia of Film (13 volumes.) Covers 1896-1979. | Ref PN1993.45 .N4 1984 | Western Civilization : A Critical Guide to Documentary Films | CB245 .H45 1996 |
Bibliographies
| Film, A Reference Guide | Ref PN1993.45 .A75 | Film Study: An Analytical Bibliography (4 vols.) | Ref PN1994 .M325 |
Note: Reference sources specific to a particular genre of film can be found by doing a keyword search in the MERLIN Library Catalog using the genre name (e.g., "film noir and encyclopedia," "comedy and dictionary").
Web Resources
- All Movie Guide
www.allmovie.com/ - American Film Institute
www.afi.com/ - BBC Film
www.bbc.co.uk/film/ - Black Film Center/Archive
www.indiana.edu/~bfca/ - CineMedia
cinemedia.org/welcomes/you.html - Documentary Films
documentaryfilms.net/ - Filmsound.org: The Art of Film Sound Design
filmsound.org/ - The Internet Movie Database
imdb.com - Masters of Cinema
www.mastersofcinema.org/ - Movie Review Query Engine
www.mrqe.com/ - Online Film
Dictionary
home.snafu.de/ohei/ofd/moviedict_e.html - Public Moving Image Archives and Research Centers
www.loc.gov/film/arch.html - UCLA Film and Television Archive
www.cinema.ucla.edu/ - The
University of Iowa Film Studies Resources
www.uiowa.edu/~commstud/resources/film_resources.html
Use search engines linked on the Internet Search Tools page to identify additional Web resources.
For further assistance, please contact the
Miller Nichols Library Reference Desk at (816) 235-1534.
