Modern Language Association, or MLA, style is used often to cite films in the humanities. To cite a film, you must first list the title of the film in italics followed by a period. List the director's name using the abbreviation "Dir." first then the director's first and last name, and place a period after the name. List any necessary actors with the abbreviation "Perf." preceding the name, first name followed by last. Use commas to separate the names of the performers and end the list with a period. Next, list the distributor and the year of release, separated by a comma. Add a period after the year of release. List the medium of publication last (DVD, VHS, etc.). If the film is still in theaters, write film. End the citation with a period.
The American Psychological Association (APA) offers another popular style used to cite films. List the last name followed by a comma, and then the first initial of the film's personnel, typically the director and/or producer. In parentheses, list the personnel type followed by a period after the parenthesis. List the film's year of release, in parentheses, followed by a period after the parenthesis. Write the name of the film in italics. Identify the type of film (motion picture, documentary, etc.) in brackets followed by a period, outside the bracket. Next, list the country of origin, followed by a colon and the name of the distributor. End the citation with a period.
The Chicago Manual of Style is used to cite films for such disciplines as history and political science. Cite personnel responsible for the film, such as the writer or producer, with their last names, a comma, and their first names. Follow this with a period. Write the name of the film in italics followed by a period. Type "Directed by" followed by the first and last name of the director and a period. List the city in which the film's distributor is located, followed by a colon. Type the name of the distributor, followed by a comma and the year of release. End the citation with a period.