Skip to content
CitationEasy
← All Citation Guides

How to Cite a Documentary in Chicago (17th edition)

Learn how to cite documentary films and non-fiction films in Chicago format (17th edition). This guide includes the reference list format, in-text citation examples, and key formatting rules.

Chicago Bibliography Format

Here is the standard Chicago format for citing a documentary in your bibliography:

Director Last Name, First Name, dir. Title of Documentary. Place: Distributor, Year. Documentary.

Chicago In-Text Citation

Use one of these formats when referencing this source within your paper:

Parenthetical

(Director Year)

Narrative

Director (Year) investigates...

Key Chicago Formatting Rules

  • Italicize the documentary title.
  • List the director as the primary creator with the dir. abbreviation.
  • Include place, distributor, and year, then the medium (Documentary).
  • Name the streaming platform if you watched it online.

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Gather source information: Collect the author name, title, publication date, and URL or DOI for your documentary.
  2. Format the reference: Arrange the elements following the Chicago (17th edition) template shown above.
  3. Create the in-text citation: Add a parenthetical or narrative citation in your paper where you reference this source.
  4. Add to your bibliography: Include the full formatted citation at the end of your paper.
  5. Double-check formatting: Verify italics, punctuation, capitalization, and hanging indents match Chicago requirements.

Generate This Citation Automatically

Skip the manual formatting. Paste a DOI, URL, or ISBN into CitationEasy and get a perfectly formatted Chicago citation in seconds.

Cite in Chicago Now →

Cite a Documentary in Other Styles

Documentary in APADocumentary in MLADocumentary in HarvardDocumentary in VancouverDocumentary in IEEEDocumentary in AMADocumentary in TurabianDocumentary in CSEDocumentary in BibTeXDocumentary in NatureDocumentary in ACSDocumentary in OSCOLADocumentary in BluebookDocumentary in AGLCDocumentary in ASADocumentary in APSADocumentary in AAADocumentary in NLMDocumentary in ACMDocumentary in APSDocumentary in AIPDocumentary in CellDocumentary in ScienceDocumentary in PLOSDocumentary in BMJDocumentary in LancetDocumentary in JAMADocumentary in Elsevier HarvardDocumentary in Springer

Cite Other Sources in Chicago

Website in ChicagoBook in ChicagoJournal Article in ChicagoYouTube Video in ChicagoPodcast in ChicagoNewspaper Article in ChicagoMagazine Article in ChicagoBlog Post in ChicagoWikipedia in ChicagoPDF in ChicagoInterview in ChicagoSocial Media Post in ChicagoGovernment Document in ChicagoDissertation or Thesis in ChicagoConference Paper in ChicagoLecture or PowerPoint in ChicagoWebinar in ChicagoImage or Photograph in ChicagoMovie or Film in ChicagoTV Show in ChicagoSong or Music in ChicagoPoem in ChicagoCourt Case in ChicagoPatent in ChicagoEncyclopedia Entry in ChicagoDictionary Entry in ChicagoDataset in ChicagoSoftware or App in ChicagoVideo Game in ChicagoPress Release in ChicagoReport in ChicagoPreprint in ChicagoBook Chapter in ChicagoChatGPT in ChicagoBible in ChicagoTED Talk in ChicagoEmail in ChicagoReddit or Forum Post in ChicagoMap in Chicago

More Resources