Film Resources

Go directly to: v History v Theory & Criticism v Reviews v Genres v Directors v Features v Independents v Reperatory Cinemas v Festivals v Production Resources v Selected Actors

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History

vFilm & History Links

to sites that address the history of film and the portrayal of history through film. http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~filmhis/resources/links1.htm

vEarlycinema.com

is "an introduction to the first decade of motion pictures. This site focuses on the early pioneers of this new art form and the prehistory of cinema..." http://www.earlycinema.com/

vThe Silent Film Bookshelf

"This site reprints original documents from the silent film era, and is edited by David Pierce." Full citation information appears at the end of each document. Interesting site to gather information on 'timely' topics during this era of film history. http://www.cinemaweb.com/silentfilm/bookshelf/

vBad Publicity

is a funny site that has pics of old celebrities at "lesser known moments" of their public careers. http://www.lileks.com/institute/publicity/index.html

vMedia Reference Sources & Information

Gateway site from UC Berkeley that offers links on film history. ttp://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/FilmRefMenu.html

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Theory & Criticism

vBright Lights Film Journal

"is a popular-academic hybrid of movie analysis, history, and commentary, looking at classic and commercial, independent, exploitation, and international film from a wide range of vantage points from the aesthetic to the political. A prime area of focus is on the connection between capitalist society and the images that reflect, support, or subvert it—movies as propaganda." Contributors include academics, critics, filmmakers, freelance journalists and screenwriters from all over the world. http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/reviews.html

sofia (study of film as internet application)

from imperica.com, "the core emphasis of SOFIA is the study, not the making, of a film." Using concise explanations of concepts and mechanics, along with graphics, this online text covers all the essentials of the study film. Excellent resource. Click on 'form' for film theory. http://www.imperica.com/sofia/

vScope

"Scope is an entirely free online journal of film studies edited by staff and students within the Institute of Film Studies at the University of Nottingham. As our title suggests, we provide a forum for discussion of all aspects of film history, theory and criticism." http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/film/journal/contents.htm

vOnline Film Critics Society

is an international organization of film critics who publish their reviews primarily or exclusively on the Internet. http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com/

vInternational Film Critics’ Federation (FIPRESCI) This site is not fully constructed as of 9/1/01.

"FIPRESCI – La Federation International de la Presse Cinematographique – was founded by a group of French, Italian and Belgian critics, during the International Congress on Cinema held in 1930 in Brussels. Before the War, FIPRESCI consisted of seven national sections, with nine other countries represented by individual members. After the War, FIPRESCI was revived by French and Belgian critics, and when the Cannes film festival began in 1946, FIPRESCI formed a jury, and thus gave its prize jointly to David Lean’s Brief Encounter and George Rouqier’s Farrebique. FIPRESCI accepts membership from any professional organization of film critics in a country or region, if nation-wide representation does not exist. There are currently 46 countries represented. FIPRESCI juries have been established at nearly all the major film festivals. FIPRESCI awards only one prize at a festival, and, perhaps, a Special Mention for promising talent." http://www.fipresci.org/

vPhilosophy Resources that will assist you with understanding criticism and analysis:

vIndividual Critics

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Reviews

vMovie Review Query Engine (MRQE)

indexes newspapers, periodicals, and web resources that offer movie reviews of national and international movies/films. Offers the option of simple or advanced searching and searching of precomputed lists such as, Top 10 at the US Box Office, US Video Releases for This Month, AFI's 100 Greatest American Movies, Cannes Film Festival 2000 & 2001, and 72nd Annual Academy Awards (2000). Scroll through the list of indexed sources to go directly to the source and search. http://www.mrqe.com/

vRottenTomatoes

offers online reviews authored by 'Tomatometer' critics as well as members of the Online Film Critics Society. The 'TomatoPICKER' search engine allows you to search by genre, critic, keyword, MPAA rating, year, decade, etc. Entertainment news articles and guides to movies in various genres are also available. The site is geared to "hard-core movie fans." Well organized and comprehensive. http://www.rottentomatoes.com

vRoger Ebert on Movies

is the homepage for this famous critic. Offers current and archived reviews, essays, and interviews. http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert.html

vSight and Sound Online

"Every month Sight and Sound prints reviews, synopses and full credits (the latter available only in the print edition) for all the month's new films. As a journal of record and continuing a tradition begun in the 30s by The Monthly Film Bulletin (now merged with S&S), our synopses give away the plot in every film, including surprise twists." http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/index.html

v24 framespersecond

"This journal provides a forum for uniquely personal reactions to films and filmmakers. A broad range of formats has been established for the participation and interaction of its readers. Whether submitting a list of favorite films or an essay on filmmaking, 24framespersecond is offered as an alternative to all-encompassing movie websites." http://www.24framespersecond.com/

vAuthorship and the films of David Lynch

Sample essay on the theory of authorship in film by Matt Pearson. Site also has interesting links. http://www.britishfilm.org.uk/lynch/

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Genres

vFilm Genres

is a subsection of The Greatest Films website. "The Greatest Films An award-winning, unique website since 1996, an outstanding, all-around resource for film buffs and anyone interested in films, containing:

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Directors

vGreat Directors

This site is hit or miss. It may be worth browsing through, but don't be surprised if you are led to many fan sites. http://www.zeroland.co.nz/film_directors.html

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Independents

vUndergroundfilm.com

From the Mission statement, "Undergroundfilm.com's mission is to create an online film community. We are committed to showing and selling the work of independent filmmakers, a sector of the creative community that has little or no access to the traditional tools of distribution." Integrates distribution and audience exposure of independent films via the web. Has interesting work available for viewing you may not be able to see elsewhere. http://www.undergroundfilm.com/

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Features

vThe Internet Movie Database

Good site for film students as well as buffs. Offers accurate information on actors and productions. http://us.imdb.com/

vThe Greatest Films

"an award-winning, unique website since 1996, an outstanding, all-around resource for film buffs and anyone interested in films, containing:

vAwards and Movie Lists

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Production Resources

vHereontheWeb.com

Links to all the major studios. http://www.hereontheweb.com/studios.htm

vFootage Net

"is the one source for the best footage available anywhere: the only place ad, film, TV and digital video pros can instantly search the footage trade’s best stock, archival and news footage databases all at once. ...free, instant, updated daily." http://www.footage.net/

vFineman Films

Madness from Stiller and Garofalo. http://www.finemanfilms.com/

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Festivals

vFilmFestivals.com

"Filmfestivals.com’s mission is to be the premiere online entertainment destination dedicated to showcasting film festivals around the world and fostering new film and filmmaking talent...The company was founded in 1995 and first produced a CD-Rom on the Cannes Film Festival as well as created their first official website. This successful experience developed into a focus on film festivals all over the world." Absolutely the directory for festivals. Has shorts and trailers available for broadband viewing. http://www.filmfestivalspro.com/htmpro/press/fiprescus.shtml

Cannes Film Festival

screens films in five categories, awarding prizes for best films, actors, directors, writers, and technicians. Student films (approximately 15 short and mini feature films per festival) compete in the Cinéfondation category and are presented in Salle Luis Buñuel. http://www.festival-cannes.fr/default1.php

Sundance Film Festival

under the auspices of the Sundance Institute this yearly, world-renowned festival screens the work of independent filmmakers from around the world. The Sundance Institute has many programs available that support independent artists working in the various areas of film and theatre arts. http://www.sundance.org/FilmFestArchive/Index.htm

Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin

"The Berlin International Film Festival was founded in 1951 from an American cultural-political initiative; in a wider sense an initiative of the three Western Allies. Six years after the end of the war, Berlin was a "showcase" for the free world, and only ten year later the Film Festival was an established and important part of the cultural life in Berlin. Ingmar Bergman, Satyajit Ray, Michelangelo Antonioni, Roman Polanski and the directors of the French Nouvelle Vague Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut and Claude Chabrol have all had great international success with their films at the Berlin Festival." The Golden Berlin Bear is the grand prize for the best film. A number of other prizes are awarded in various categories, including films for younger audiences. The festival includes competitive and noncompetitive screenings of films from all over the world. http://www.berlinale.de/

Telluride Film Festival

"Entry in the Telluride Film Festival is open to professional and non-professional filmmakers working in all film genres: documentary, narrative, animation and experimental. Features and shorts of all styles and lengths are eligible for consideration provided that they are new works and will remain unseen by the public until the current Labor Day Weekend...Student Prints and Calling Cards programs contain short films that highlight the work of students currently in film school or those with "resume" short films." http://www.telluridefilmfestival.com/

Avignon/New York Film Festival

"Dedicated to bringing together French and American independent films in a cross-cultural feast of premieres retrospectives, seminars and social occasions...Festival audiences vote on each film in competition. Four “Roger” statuettes, designed by sculptor James Knowles, plus $70,000 in filmmaking services and products, go to the two short and two feature films at “Avignon/New York” who receive the highest audience votes. Awards [are] announced at the Closing Ceremony..." http://www.avignonfilmfest.com/

Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema

"It's bigger and better than ever before - 200 features and shorts from 40 countries; eight intriguing themes; "festive" events ranging from gala parties to intimate discussions; the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Morgan Freeman; the annual Festival of Independents; and live performances of classic ragtime, Indian sitar music and hip hop from The Roots." Runs April 4-15, 2001. Submission being taken now till February 1, 2002. http://www.phillyfests.com/pfwc/pfwc-index.cfm

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Reperatory Cinemas

vThe Secret Cinema

"ALL SECRET CINEMA PRESENTATIONS ARE SHOWN IN 16MM FILM ON A GIANT SCREEN (NOT VIDEO...NOT EVER!)" This is the flavor of the ethic of reperatory cinema. "The Secret Cinema is a floating repertory film series devoted to keeping projected celluloid alive and to showcasing overlooked film of all kinds. Since 1992, it has presented hundreds of programs in nightclubs, coffee houses, college auditoriums, bookstores, art galleries and open fields around the Philadelphia area, New York, San Francisco, Baltimore and Spain." In the case of the Secret Cinema, its creator and curator, Jay Schwartz, screens "a whole pantheon of "low-brow" yet fascinating genres: teen exploitation, rock 'n' roll, psychedelia, oddball black comedies, "golden turkeys," '70s nostalgia and a lot more." http://www.voicenet.com/~jschwart/

vFlicker

"home page for the alternative cinematic experience. Here you will find films and videos that transgress the boundaries of the traditional viewing experience, challenge notions of physical perception and provide cutting edge alternatives to the media information technocracy." Also has listing of national and international venues for reperatory cinema. http://www.hi-beam.net/index.html

vPittsburgh Filmmakers

"Pittsburgh Filmmakers is one of the largest and oldest independent media arts centers in the country...Founded in 1971 to provide media-making tools to artists, Pittsburgh Filmmakers serves everyone from emerging artists to established artists to fellow non-profit organizations and students." http://www.pghfilmmakers.org/

v24 framespersecond

"Offering info on theaters, festivals, education, and filmmaking opportunities to be found in cities across the world." http://www.24framespersecond.com/nowshowing/locallistings/index.html

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Selected Actors

vPaul Robeson

Created and maintained by the Princeton Public Library, this gateway offers biography links on Robeson, as well as links to information on his film and theatre career. Sites with audio files of his singing and photo archives are also listed. Resources on his important political activities are also provided. http://www.princeton.lib.nj.us/robeson/links.html

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Last modified September, 2006

Created and maintained by Prof. Annmarie.B.Singh, MLS - Communication Studies Reference Librarian

E-mail comments, suggestions, & recommendations to librfabs@hofstra.edu