Maryland State Library Resource Center

Enoch Pratt Free Library

Film and Television Online Research Resources - Maryland State Library Resource Center

Film and Television Online Research Resources

Anime

Anime News Network

Anime Planet

Funimation

Archival and Stock Footage Resources

See our guide to online Archival and Stock Footage Resources.

Awards

Academy Awards

Directors Guild of America

The Emmys

Golden Globes

Independent Spirit Awards

Screen Actors Guild

Best Film Lists

ALA Notable Videos for Adults

AMC Filmsite's 100 Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)

American Film Institute's 100 Years Lists

British Film Institute's 50 Greatest Films of All Time 

British Film Institute's Critics' 50 Greatest Documentaries of All Time

Sight & Sound Critics' Top 250 Films

Book to Film

Based on the Book

OCLC Top 1000 Books Into Film

Box Office

Box Office Mojo

The Numbers

Copyright, Public Domain, and Public Performance Rights

Copyright.jpgCopyright Issues Related to Film (Library of Congress) 
Records for works registered after 1977 are searchable through the Copyright Office's online database. Works registered prior to 1977 can only be searched on-site through a print card catalog.

Copyright Genie (American Library Association)
How to find out if a work is covered by U.S. copyright.

How To Find Movies in the Public Domain

How To Find Out if a Movie has Public Performance Rights 

National Archives and Records Administration (Motion Picture, Sound and Video Unit)
NARA has an extensive collection of U.S. government films that are in the public domain. Search for them using the ARC online catalog.

Public Domain Sherpa
How to tell if a title is public domain or copyrighted.

Documentary Film Resources

British Film Institute's Critics' 50 Greatest Documentaries of All Time

Resource Guide for Documentary Filmmakers

Where To Watch Free Documentaries Online

Film Discussion Groups

Movie Forums

Senses of Cinema

SparkNotes

Film Festivals

Berlin International Film Festival (February)

Cannes Film Festival (May)

Maryland Film Festival (May)

New York Film Festival (October)

Sundance Film Festival (January)

Telluride Film Festival (September)

Toronto International Film Festival (September)

Venice Film Festival (September)

Film and Television History

American Film Institute

AMC Filmsite

British Film Institute

Library of Congress National Film Registry
These "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" films are earmarked for preservation by the Library of Congress. 

Museum of Broadcast Communications

Turner Classic Movies

Film and Television Reference Resources

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Academy Awards Database
A comprehensive record of past Academy Award winners and nominees.  

AdViews 
A digital archive of over 9,000 vintage television commercials dating from the 1950s to the 1980s.

All Movie Guide
Descriptions of features and documentaries, searchable by genre, country, etc.

Can I Stream.it?
Searches the most popular streaming, rental, and purchase services to find where a movie or television show is available for streaming.

Cinefiles
Database of reviews, newspaper articles, and other documents from the Pacific Film Archive's collection.

Classic Movie Hub 
Use this site to find movies based on topic (such as  pirate movies or WWII films) OR  quotes based on topics (such as quotes about money or  kisses) OR every actor born on a certain date.

Epguides
This site contains episode lists for over 7,300 television shows.

Flicker
Alternative cinema websites, video, and venue announcements. 

Internet Movie Database
In-depth database of film information, links to reviews, and some box office data.

Moving Image Source (Museum of the Moving Image)
Gateway to online resources for criticism and theory, history, industry information, people, technology and craft.

New York Public Library's Best of the Web
Links to national arts organizations and sites devoted to film, television and video.

ScreenSite
Site aimed at educators and students, with links to related resources. 

Senses of Cinema
Internet metasite with selected information on major directors and short critical articles.

TelevisionTunes.com
An archive of over 30,000 theme songs.

TV Acres
Television show information, trivia and resources.

TV Worth Watching
Reviews and recommendations of all the "TV worth watching," including a "Seal of Approval" list of all-time best shows.

What Is My Movie?
This site lets you describe a movie (e.g., "Sean Connery in red pants") when you don't know the title.

Where To Watch
This MPAA database attempts to list every United States movie or television show that is available to be streamed legally.

Film and Television Reviews

These site provide rated reviews from a cross-section of respected critics and industry professionals.

Metacritic

Movie Review Query Engine

Rotten Tomatoes

Video Librarian

How To Cite Film, Video and Other Media

The University of California, Berkeley's Moffitt Library created this guide to assist students and scholars with their research: How To Cite Film, Video and Other Media.

Parental Reviews and Ratings Resources

movie_ratings_labelsCommon Sense Media
This nonprofit advocacy group helps families make informed media choices, with an emphasis on age ranking and positive messages.

Film Rating System  
The Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) issues ratings for motion pictures exhibited and distributed commercially in the United States since 1969.

Kids-in-Mind
This site breaks down ratings into three categories: Violence, Sex & Nudity, and Profanity.

Parent Previews 
This site uses an A-through-D grading system to review G, PG, and PG-13 films. 

Release Dates

As of 2015, production companies typically release new DVDs every Tuesday.

DVD Release Dates
Find the latest news and release dates for Blu-rays and DVDs. Users can search by date, title, genre or category (including 4K UHD, 3D, and budget-priced Blu-rays/DVDs).

Metacritic
Lists new DVD releases along with their Metacritic scores and lets you see upcoming releases three months in advance.

MovieFone
Browse new and upcoming DVD releases by date, genre, MPAA rating or popularity. MovieFone also lists what's new in theaters, television and Netflix.

On DVD Release
This site provides release dates for new DVD, Blu-rays, and online streaming titles, including Netflix, Amazon, and Redbox releases.

VideoETA
This site provides release dates for DVDs, Blu-rays, theatrical films, and video games. 

Video Streaming Resources

See our Video Streaming Resources  guide to find the best  free sites for viewing movies, television shows, and more.

Ask Us

If you need more help or if you have any other questions, e-mail us through our Live Chat with a Librarian service. You can also contact us by phone at (410) 396-4616 or by mail sent to the address below:

Best & Next Department
Enoch Pratt Free Library
State Library Resource Center
400 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

 

 

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