Movie & Film Citation Generator

How to Use the Movie Citation Generator

1. 1. Enter the title. The generator prints a film's title exactly as you type it. Use sentence case for APA, and headline case for MLA and Chicago.
2. 2. Enter the director in Author(s) and the studio in Publisher / Site. Use the production company shown in the credits. For a streaming original such as a Netflix film, the service is the studio.
3. 3. Enter the release year. Give the year the film came out, not the year of a DVD reissue or the day you streamed it.
4. 4. Choose a style. Pick APA, MLA, Chicago or any of the 10,834 styles. Type Film in Format / medium for APA only, where it becomes [Film]; MLA and Chicago print it as a stray word.
5. 5. Copy, then add the film marks. APA wants (Director) after the name; MLA wants Directed by. See the notes below.

What Each Style Asks For

APA 7 (§10.12) treats a film like a book: the director stands in the author position with (Director) after the name, the title is italicized and followed by [Film], and the production company is the source. List several companies in the credits order, separated by semicolons. MLA 9 lets you choose whether the film or its director leads. When you discuss the whole film — story, performances, direction — start with the title and name the director after Directed by. When you discuss the director's choices, start with the director and add director after the name. The in-text citation follows whatever comes first in the entry. Chicago 18 names the film and the director in the note, with the studio and year in parentheses; the bibliography entry starts with the director's name and the abbreviation dir. Chicago 18 has no film example in its Quick Guide, so check a library guide if your instructor needs a DVD or disc.

Movie Citation Examples

The APA entry is the Publication Manual's own film example. The MLA and Chicago lines apply their rules to the same film.

A film watched on YouTube, using the MLA Style Center's example: the movie is the first container and the site that hosts it is the second.

What the Generator Gives You

With the Inside Out 2 details and Film in the format box, the generator returns Mann, K. (2024). Inside out 2 [Film]. Pixar Animation Studios. in APA. Add (Director) after the initials by hand, because the form has no field for the director's role. In MLA it returns Mann, Kelsey. Inside out 2. Film. Pixar Animation Studios, 2024.; leave the format box empty for MLA and Chicago, then insert Directed by before the studio or , director after the name. A streaming service typed into the journal box is treated as a container, which suits a film watched on one but quotes the title in MLA, so italicize it yourself.

Which Tool Do You Need?

• A feature film or documentary — this page.
• A TV episode or series — the TV Show Citation Generator, which cites the episode, season and writer.
• A video on YouTube, including a film uploaded there — the YouTube Citation Generator, which fetches the title and channel for you.
• A TED or TEDx talk — the TED Talk Citation Generator.
• A recorded or live webinar — the Webinar Citation Generator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a movie in APA 7?

Put the director first with (Director) after the name, then the year, the title in italics with [Film], and the production company: Mann, K. (Director). (2024). Inside out 2 [Film]. Pixar Animation Studios. In text: (Mann, 2024). Name the production company, not the streaming service you used.

How do I cite a movie in MLA 9?

Start with the title and give the director after Directed by: Inside Out 2. Directed by Kelsey Mann, Pixar Animation Studios, 2024. If your paper focuses on the director, start with the director's name and add director after it. Add the streaming service in italics and its URL if you watched it online.

How do I cite a movie in Chicago style?

In a note, give the title, directed by and the director, then the studio and year in parentheses and the running time: Inside Out 2, directed by Kelsey Mann (Pixar Animation Studios, 2024), 96 min. The bibliography entry starts with Mann, Kelsey, dir. Check a library guide for how it wants a DVD or streaming source shown.

How do I cite a documentary?

The same way as any film. The director is the author, the production company is the studio, and the title is italicized. A documentary made for television or a streaming series may be better cited as an episode, which the TV Show Citation Generator handles.

Which year do I use, the release year or the year I watched it?

The year the film was released. The viewing date matters only if the source is a web page that may change.

Which citation styles does the movie generator support?

All 10,834 styles in the library, including APA 7, MLA 9 and Chicago 18. The source type is preset to Film / Movie, and you can change it in the form.