A Short History of Film, Fourth Edition is an in-depth and up to date resource for film history courses.

The book provides a concise and accurate overview of the history of the cinema from 1887 to the present, detailing the major movements, directors, studios and genres that comprise world cinema, with more than 250 rare stills as illustrations.
 
The book offers the student a panoramic view of the film medium as it is practiced not only in the United States, but also throughout the world, giving students a sense of the sweep of cinema in the 20th and first quarter of the 21st centuries; the key players, the key films, the stars, the directors and the film movements that changed the history of the cinema.
 
In addition, this new edition has significantly expanded entries on women in film as directors and producers; expanded material on African-America filmmakers; the effect of the Pandemic on movies worldwide; the shift to digital production away from film; the rise of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Generated Imagery in contemporary cinema; more coverage of comic book and franchise films; expanded international coverage of film around the world; and also deals with the impact of streaming on movies.
 
The book is written in a style that is direct and accessible, to reach the widest possible audience. Above all, it is written with today’s college age reader in mind, to make the past of cinema as alive as the present for contemporary cinema students.