ABOUT THIS BOOK

A Choice Significant University Press Title for Undergraduates

This updated and expanded edition of A Short History of Film provides an accessible overview of the major movements, directors, studios, and genres from the 1880s to the present. Succinct yet comprehensive, with more than 250 rare stills and illustrations, this edition provides new information on contemporary horror, comic book, and franchise films; issues surrounding women and minority filmmakers; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on movies worldwide; the shift from film to digital production; the rising use of artificial intelligence in cinema; and the impact of streaming on the industry.

Beginning with the precursors of moving pictures, Wheeler Winston Dixon and Gwendolyn Audrey Foster lead a fast-paced tour through the invention of the kinetoscope, the introduction of sound and color between the two world wars, and ultimately the computer-generated imagery of the present day. They detail significant periods in world cinema, including the creation of early major industries in Europe, the dominance of the Hollywood studio system in the 1930s and 1940s, and the French New Wave of the 1960s. They also highlight independent efforts in developing nations and the corresponding more personal independent film movement that briefly flourished in the United States.

Compact and easily readable, this is a vital history of international cinema is a one-stop resource for students, teachers, and general readers alike.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

WHEELER WINSTON DIXON is the James Ryan Professor Emeritus of Film Studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. He is the author of many books, including A History of Horror, 2nd Edition (Rutgers University Press), and an internationally known experimental filmmaker.

GWENDOLYN AUDREY FOSTER is Willa Cather Professor Emerita of Film Studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She is an award-winning experimental filmmaker and a prolific author.

REVIEWS

"The authors touch all the bases—they address new trends in international moviemaking, technologies, and critical theory and the emergence of new national and ethnic cinemas—and relate film history to social history. . . . Each new technique, style, school, trend, and newly visible ethnic or feminist group takes its place in the larger history, and Dixon and Foster make it all accessible to the neophyte reader without ever breaking the pace. Uncommonly well-reproduced stills and a topically organized bibliography enhance the discussion. . . . Highly recommended."— Choice, on the first edition

"This excellent introduction stands out in a crowded field with its lively, accessible writing, broad coverage, and particular focus on traditionally marginalized figures in film history. . . . Illustrations abound, and even the best-versed cineaste will find new films to track down after reading the breezy, enthusiastic analysis in this book. Highly recommended for all collections."— Library Journal, starred review, on the first edition

"An ideal introduction to the history of international cinema and a highly recommended acquisition choice for personal, professional, community, film school, and college/university library Cinematic History collections and supplemental curriculum Cinema History/Criticism studies lists."

— Midwest Book Review

"A new history of international film at an affordable price. Nothing like those text book prices for a change. Includes perspectives on women and minorities in film along with innovations in technology, genres, studios, and conglomerates."— Stephanie Ogle, cofounder, Cinema Books

"This is the film history book we've been waiting for."— David Sterritt, chairman, National Society of Film Critics

"A comprehensive and detailed overview of the last 100 years of international film history."— LitHub, on the third edition

TABLE OF CONTENTS