How to Cite a Movie in APA
Published April 18, 2012. Updated September 26, 2021.
Citing a Movie
APA Movie Citation Structure:
Producer Last Name, F.M. (Producer), & Director Last Name, F.M. (Director). (Release Year). Title of motion picture [Film]. Studio.
Note: If you cannot locate certain bibliographic data from the film’s cover, consult IMDB.com or a similar website.
APA Movie Citation Example:
Stiller, B. (Producer) & Ayoade, R. (Director). (2011). Submarine [Film]. Film4 Productions.
- How do I cite a movie or film in APA style?
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To cite a movie or film in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the director’s name, the year, the full movie title, and the production company’s name. The templates for in-text citations and a reference list entry of a movie or film and their examples are given below:
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Director Surname (Year)
Joon-ho (2006)
Parenthetical:
(Director Surname, Year)
(Joon-ho, 2006)
Reference list entry template and example:
Surname name, F. M. (Director). (Year). Movie title [Film]. Production Company.
Joon-ho, B. (Director). (2006). The host [Film]. Chungeorahm Film Sego Entertainment.
- How do I quote a movie in APA style?
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To cite a movie in APA style on your reference page, it is important that you know the name of the director, release date of the movie, title of the movie, and name of the production company.
In the in-text citation, use the movie director’s surname along with the release date. If you are including a direct quote, you should also include the time stamp for the beginning of the quotation. Templates and examples for the in-text citation of a movie are given below.
Narrative:
Director’s Surname (release date)
Stephenson (1999)
Parenthetical:
(Director’s Surname, release date)
(Stephenson, 1999)
With a Direct Quote:
“Quote” (Director’s Surname, release date, time stamp)
“I can work harder” (Stephenson, 1999, 1:05:42).