APA Film Citation

←Back to APA Citation Examples

How to Cite a Movie/Film in APA

If you were wondering how to cite a movie in APA format, you’re in luck! Use the following guide to cite a film/movie using the APA citation format. We also provide style guides for the MLA and Chicago styles. To have your bibliography or works cited list automatically made for you, check out our free APA citation maker.

Once you’re finished with your citations, we can also help you with creating an APA title page.

Citing a film or movie in APA

Structure:

   Producer, A. (Producer), & Director, A. (Director). (Release Year). Title of motion picture [Motion Picture]. Country of Origin: Studio.

Example:

   Bender, L. (Producer), & Tarantino, Q. (Director). (1994). Pulp fiction [Motion Picture]. United States: Miramax.

Citing a YouTube video in APA

Structure:

   Author, A. [screename]. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Title of video [Video file]. Retrieved from URL

Example:

   Smith, Rick. (2013, September 20). Favre to Moss!. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOP_L6hBjn8

Notes: When citing a video from YouTube, keep in mind:

• Screen names are more prominent that actual names on YouTube. If you come across a user whose real name isn’t available, use only their screen name without brackets.

Citing a YouTube channel in APA

Structure:

   Author, A. OR Screen name. (n.d.). Home [YouTube Channel]. URL of YouTube channel

Example:

   The Art of Photography. (n.d.). Home. [YouTube Channel]. https://www.youtube.com/user/theartofphotography

Notes: When citing a channel from YouTube, keep in mind:

• YouTube channels are undated. You will always use “n.d.” for “no date”.

Citing a YouTube comment in APA

Structure:

   Commenter’s Last Name, First Initial OR Commenter’s Username. (Year, Month Day). Title of comment OR up to first 20 words. [Comment on the video “Title of video”]. YouTube. URL of YouTube video

Example:

    Kanoot. (2020). One of the most informative things I’ve watched on Youtube – thanks!. [Comment on the video “Sharpness”]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV4uXfWy-eU

For more information on how to cite in APA, check out Cornell.

←Back to APA Citation Guide

“You can’t edit a blank page.”
— Nora Roberts

How do I format an in-text citation for a film in APA style?

An in-text citation in APA, in general, includes only the surname(s) of the author(s) and the publication year. The author, or contributor, of an audiovisual work depends on the type of medium. For a film, the name of the director should be used in the author’s place. Therefore, to cite a film in the text, you need to include the director’s surname and the publication year. It is not necessary to include the film name in in-text citations.

Below you will find templates and examples of how to format an in-text citation for a film in APA style.

Templates:

Narrative: Director’s Surname (Year)

Parenthetical: (Director’s Surname, Year)

Examples:

Narrative: Cameron (1997)

Parenthetical: (Cameron, 1997)

How do I format an in-text citation for a comment on a YouTube video in APA style?

For an in-text citation for a comment on YouTube, use the commenter’s name (their username or ideally, their real last name) and the year in which the comment was made.

Format

(Last Name, Year)

(Username, Year)

Example

(Dikshit, 2003)

(Angel CityGirl, 2022)

How do I format a reference list entry for a film in APA style?

To provide a reference list entry for a film in APA style, use the director’s name, the year the film was released, the title of the film, and the production company. Use the following format to cite a film in a reference list in APA style:

Template:

Director’s Last Name, First Initial. (Director). (Year). Name of the film [Film]. Production Company Name.

Example:

Wheldon, J. (Director). (2012). The Avengers [Film]. Marvel Studios.

How do I format a reference list entry for an entire YouTube channel in APA style?

Per APA guidelines, when citing an entire YouTube channel, include the channel’s name and/or the name of the person who runs the channel, the channel’s URL, and a retrieval date for when the channel was accessed. Since the information on the channel may change, “n.d.” should be used in the date field. You should also include “YouTube channel” in square brackets following the name of the channel page you are citing.

The templates and examples below show how to cite a YouTube channel in a reference list in APA style.

Templates:

Channel Name [Username (if different from channel name)]. (n.d.). Name of page/tab [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Uploader’s Last Name, First Initial. [Username]. (n.d.). Name of page/tab [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Examples:

Chegg. (n.d.). Home [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/user/CheggChannel

Fogarty, M. [Grammar Girl]. (n.d.). Playlists [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved February 14, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/c/grammargirl/playlists