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Film Studies: Databases

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Databases provide access to high-quality peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters, dissertations and many other resources. 

These databases have been especially selected for this subject area. When carrying out your research for a piece of work, you will need to search more than one database to find all of the journal articles relevant to your topic, as each database covers different journal titles.

Database Spotlight

BFI Player interface

BFI Player
BFI Player is a video on demand service from the British Film Institute, streaming acclaimed, landmark and archive films.

The BFI Player is available institution-wide for the duration of the current academic year (2024/25). Simply follow the ’New User’ instructions on Library Search (in the ‘Access Note’ under the link) to register for free access using your University email address. Once you’ve registered, head for the BFI Player website and sign in to select and view from the subscription collection.

The BFI Player complements the Library’s other major streaming services by offering UK productions and expanding the diversity and inclusivity of provision, in terms of both ‘world’ cinema and of gender. The portfolio of over 550 films effectively encompasses a century of cinema, extending from Nosferatu (1922) to the current Oscar nominee, The Quiet Girl. In addition to the contemporary and the classic from across the globe (Seven Samurai, Citizen Kane, L'Atalante), there’s also a host of cult favourites, ranging from The Draughtsman’s Contract and The Harder They Come to La Haine, for you to enjoy.

In line with most streaming platforms, the films available change from time to time: new titles are added every month and some may drop off. Individual titles are accordingly listed on Library Search and details of each film’s ‘lifespan’ can also be found there. Once you’ve registered, it’s well worth bookmarking the BFI Player website https://player.bfi.org.uk/subscription and paying it a regular visit.

Library Stack content: Front covers of A Credible Utopia, A Second Life, After Video

Library Stack

Library Stack is a unique archive and lending library with digital collections relating to art, design, film, architecture, experimental sound and critical theory. By working directly with a variety of publishers, firms, artists, and academics, Library Stack provides access to a diverse array of born-digital resources ranging from articles, eBooks and zines to podcasts, music and films.

In addition to providing digital publications from established commercial publishers including Aperture, Sternberg and MACK, Library Stack’s ongoing collaboration with small independent presses, companies, and individuals means that users can access resources that exist outside of mainstream academic and commercial publishing.

The content on offer will be of interest to students across a wide variety of courses here at the University and represents a rich and varied range of innovative formats that extend beyond traditional outputs such as articles and books - including software, sound recordings, and artworks.

Students and staff from the University of Manchester should register using their University email address in order to gain access to both the Open Access and reserved circulation items. By creating an account, you can also make use of the ‘Bookshelf’ feature which allows you to borrow reserved circulation items and save, organise and annotate items, creating your own collections based on your research interests.

Various covers of Entertainment Industry Magazine

Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive (EIMA) – newly expanded coverage

To continue our support of performance-based studies in the challenging post-COVID environment the Library has recently arranged for the expansion of its coverage of the Entertainment Industry Magazine Archive to encompass its complete portfolio on film and television.  Material from major trade publications such as The Hollywood Reporter (1930-2015); American Cinematographer (1920-2015) and Kine Weekly (1907-1971) are now readily accessible online to researchers looking at the economics of the entertainment industry and the production, marketing and reception of its outputs. Professional publications such as Written By… (the in-house magazine for the Screenwriter’s Guild of America), together with historical mass market consumer magazines such as Boy’s Cinema (1919-1940) are also included in this readily searchable compilation offering key primary sources for the critical examination of trends and developments in popular culture across the entire 20th century and into the 21st.

This complements our existing collection which addresses music, radio and theatre and includes renowned titles such as Billboard (1894-2000) and The Stage (1880-2000), together with key publications such as Variety (1905-2000), Boxoffice (1920-2000) and Broadcast (1960-2000). To further facilitate discovery all titles in these archival collections are also individually indexed on Library Search.

Essential databases

The following are important databases for this subject area, however if you don't see what you're looking for, please go to the Database Directory for Film Studies to browse a wider selection.

 

Key database categories

Follow the links below to browse databases for specific types of resources.

Database Directory

You can use our Database Directory to browse a broader range of databases that are relevant to Film Studies as well as other subjects. The directory also allows you to identify databases that provide access to specific types of resources (e.g. Full Text Articles, Streaming Video, Patents, Theses and Dissertations, and much more).

Database Directory - Film Studies

Research at The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester's research is internationally recognised. Go to Research Explorer, Manchester's research database, to discover the breadth of research produced by staff across the University.

Browse research publications from the Department of Drama (please note: whilst many of the publications listed are available to access/Open Access, some records are for forthcoming titles awaiting publication).

 

Research Explorer Search Interface

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