The Library

Film Studies

Collection Statement

The emphasis of the print and electronic film collection is on materials appropriate for undergraduate level studies as well as graduate student and faculty study and research mirroring curriculum strengths at UCSD. This includes materials on film history, theory, and criticism, film production, commercial and documentary film and experimental film and film making.

The collection supports the study of film world-wide with particular strengths in United States and European cinema and growing collections in the area of Pacific Rim cinema. Holdings include materials supporting the study of films produced in Latin America, Russia and the former Soviet Republics, Africa, the Subcontinent, Melanesia, Australia, and New Zealand..

The study of film is rigorously taught through several departments including but not limited to; Literature, Visual Arts, Communications, Ethnic Studies, History, Sociology and Theater. Though there is no formal Film Studies Department at UCSD, in 2001 a cross-departmental Film Studies minor was established, requiring students to take 7 film courses from at least 2 different academic departments.

Primary Library of Congress call numbers

PN 1993-1999 Motion pictures
TR 845-899 Cinematography. Motion pictures.

Key Resources for Film Studies

  • American Film Institute Catalog [UCSD Only]

  • Comprehensive information on all American films, 1893 to 1970 with plot summaries, production history, and cast information.

  • Art Abstracts and Art Full Text [UCSD Only]

    1984-present. Abstracts and text of journal articles on art, architecture, photography, film and related disciplines.

  • FIAF: International Filmarchive [UCSD Only]

  • 1972-present. Includes International Index to Film Periodicals and International Index to Television Periodicals. Also several other more specialized databases on film research.

  • International Index to the Performing Arts (Full-Text) (IIPA-FT) [UCSD Only]

    An index to over 200 journals and magazines in the fields of dance, drama, film, theater, opera, puppetry, circus, and other forms of performance art.

  • Internet Movie Database

    Reviews, plot summaries, cast information; television too: over 200,000 movie and TV titles are covered.

  • Oxford History of World Cinema

    Edited by Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, 1996. Authoritative resource for cinema history. Covers 1895-1995 with articles by some of the best film historians.

  • See all listings for Film Studies

Course Materials

  • Course reserves including text, e-text, film & video reserves, DMR (digital media reserves), DIR (digital image reserves), DAR (digital audio reserve) by department, faculty or course name.

Contact Information

Lia Friedman
Bibliographer: Film Studies
Arts Libraries
University of California, San Diego
9500 Gilman Drive, 0175F
La Jolla, CA 92093-0175
Phone (858) 822-2784
Fax (858) 534-0189
lgfriedman@ucsd.edu