How to Cite a Film or Documentary in APA 7th Edition

This guide explains how to format a film or documentary citation in APA 7th Edition. Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a film or documentary in APA 7th Edition:

Template

Director, A. A. (Director). (Year). *Title of film* [Film]. Production Company.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Gerwig, 2023)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Gerwig, G. (Director). (2023). Barbie [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the director
List the director's last name, comma, and initials, followed by (Director) in parentheses. For multiple directors, list all and add (Directors).
2
Add the year
Place the year of release in parentheses, followed by a period.
3
Write the film title
Italicize the title using sentence case. Add [Film] in square brackets immediately after the title (not italicized). End with a period.
4
Add the production company
List the production company or studio. If there are multiple production companies, separate them with semicolons. End with a period.
5
Include a URL if applicable
If you accessed the film through an online platform and a URL is available and useful for retrieval, include it at the end.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Listing an actor or producer as the author instead of the director.
Forgetting to include (Director) after the director's name.
Omitting the bracketed description [Film] after the title.
Not italicizing the film title.
Including the city or country of the production company, which is not required in APA 7th edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the film has multiple directors?

List all directors in the author position, separated by commas with an ampersand before the last: Coen, J., & Coen, E. (Directors). (2007). No country for old men [Film]. Paramount Vantage; Miramax Films.

How do I cite a film I watched on a streaming service?

The format is the same. You do not need to include the streaming service name unless the film was produced exclusively by and for that platform (e.g., a Netflix Original), in which case the platform is listed as the production company.

How do I cite a specific scene or timestamp in a film?

APA does not have a standard format for timestamps. In the in-text citation, you can include a description to help the reader locate the content: (Gerwig, 2023, 1:05:30).

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your film or documentary:

Director
Title
Production Company
Year
Format/Platform

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the director

List the director's last name, comma, and initials, followed by (Director) in parentheses. For multiple directors, list all and add (Directors).

Add the year

Place the year of release in parentheses, followed by a period.

Write the film title

Italicize the title using sentence case. Add [Film] in square brackets immediately after the title (not italicized). End with a period.

Add the production company

List the production company or studio. If there are multiple production companies, separate them with semicolons. End with a period.

Include a URL if applicable

If you accessed the film through an online platform and a URL is available and useful for retrieval, include it at the end.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Listing an actor or producer as the author instead of the director.

Forgetting to include (Director) after the director's name.

Omitting the bracketed description [Film] after the title.

Not italicizing the film title.

Including the city or country of the production company, which is not required in APA 7th edition.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the film has multiple directors?

How do I cite a film I watched on a streaming service?

How do I cite a specific scene or timestamp in a film?

APA does not have a standard format for timestamps. In the in-text citation, you can include a description to help the reader locate the content: (Gerwig, 2023, 1:05:30).