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Media Studies Research Guide

A guide to doing research on media studies, film, cinema, radio and television at The Catholic University of America.

Online Catalogs

The American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States
This online catalog contains entries on nearly 60,000 American feature-length and 17,000 short films produced from 1893-2011, as well as AFI Awards Outstanding Movies of the Year.
British Film Institute (BFI)
The BFI is the UK's main organization for film. The BFI site offers basic information, including synopsis of plot and reception, production info, and cast and credits, for a range of British films. The "Archive & Collection" area of the site has additional historical information, for example posters. Additional articles, video or photos are available for certain films. The BFI also offers some films for purchase.

Sources for Scripts

Index to Plays in Periodicals
Print, 1979, [PN1626 .K29 I3 1979].

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Indexes more than 9,500 plays published in over 260 periodicals before 1976. Details
Plays in Periodicals: An Index to English Language Scripts in Twentieth-Century Journals
Print, 1970, [PN1626 .P31 P7].

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Indexes more than 4,000 plays published in 97 English-language periodicals between 1900 and 1968. Details.
Published Screenplays: A Checklist
Print, 1971, [PN 1626.8 .M9 M12 P8]

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Lists 338 screenplays published in whole or in part or republished as novels. An index is included. Some of the screenplays listed are now out of print.
SimplyScripts: Movie Scripts
Online.

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This site provides an alphabetical list of movie scripts and screenplays, and places to obtain them. Also available are movie transcripts (see left navigation bar) and the ability to view lists by year.
The Drama Scholars Index to Plays and Filmscripts (2 vols)
Print, 1964, [PN1626.S19 D7].

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Indexes select film, play, television and radio scripts published in anthologies/collections, series and periodicals through 1972. Details.

Film Catalogs & Indexes

A Title Guide to the Talkies
Call Number: PN 1626.8 .M9 D58 T6

Publication Date: 1965

A title guide to 16,000 films produced between October 1927 and December 1963.
American Film Institute Catalog of Motion Pictures Produced in the United States
Call Number: PN1998.A48 A5

ISBN: 0520215214

Publication Date: 1999
Directory of Irish and Irish-Related Films by Matthew Stevens (Compiled by)
Call Number: PN1993.5.I85 S7 1989

ISBN: 0948911670

Publication Date: 1989-05-01

Primarily includes films made in Ireland, by Irish directors, on Irish topics, but also lists films produced abroad by Irish directors, containing Irish themes, based on Irish literature, and/or shown at Celtic film festivals.
Silent Short Films, 1903-1929 by Richard E. Braff
Call Number: PN1998 .B65 2002

ISBN: 0786410310

Publication Date: 2002-11-21

Indexes over 25,000 silent short films produced between 1903 and 1929.
The Reel Middle Ages by Kevin J. Harty
Call Number: PN1995.9 .M52 H37 1999

ISBN: 0786405414

Publication Date: 1999-02-01

A survey of 600 cinematic depictions of the Middle Ages produced within the last century.
Within Our Gates : Ethnicity In American Feature Films, 1911-1960 by America Film Institute Staff; Alan Gevinson (Editor)
Call Number: PN1995.9.M56 W58 1997

ISBN: 0520209648

Publication Date: 1997-10-01

Detailed catalogue of 2,464 feature-length films which were produced between 1911 and 1960, and which depict racial and national ethnic experiences in the United States.

Last Updated: Oct 16, 2025 10:45 AM
URL: https://guides.lib.cua.edu/mediastudies
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Subjects: Humanities

Tags: film, film_studies, humanities, interdisciplinary, media, media_studies, radio, television