Film Studies

Welcome to the research guide to Film Resources.  This guide will help connect you to both scholarly and popular sources for the study of film.

Although UK does not have a database specifically dedicated to film studies, it is possible to find information through general databases and paper resources. For the best results, search by the film's

• title, such as "Citizen Kane"
• director, such as "Hitchcock, Alfred"
• country of origin, such as "motion pictures--Germany"
• genre, such as "gangster films"
• topic, such as "Violence in Motion Pictures."   

 When searching, also be aware of the three common synonyms: film, cinema, and motion pictures; older indexes also use "moving pictures," and a few use "movies." Any or all might be used in indexing as well as in the text and titles for articles and books.

Note: If you would just like to browse, many books on film are located in the W.T. Young Library in the Reference and Ready Reference sections on the 2nd Floor and on the 4^th and 5th floors under call numbers PN1990-PN1999 and  Z5784. UK Libraries also has paper and online subscriptions to many of the most famous and prestigious film journals, which can be found on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Search in InfoKat Discovery for exact locations.

To find films, search InfoKat Discovery, limiting your search to “videos” or adding the term “videorecording” to your search. 

Most films are located at Young Library and can be retrieved at the main Circulation desk.

If a film is located in another campus library, be sure to note the library location and call number. Check the Hours & Locations page to view the hours for the library location that has your film.

Another helpful resource for finding videos is the Theatre in Video website, which has full-length films and video clips of plays that have been made into movies.

Find links to and information about UK Libraries various streaming video services here:

Streaming Media at the University of Kentucky Libraries