How to Cite a Film in MLA

Films are cited by director (APA and Chicago) or by title (MLA and Harvard). This page follows MLA 9th edition, 9th edition (2021).

MLA format for a film

MLA 9th edition

Works Cited entry

Inception. Directed by Christopher Nolan, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2010.

In-text citation

(Inception, 1:12:05)

Style: MLA 9th edition

Or enter it yourself:

Check the details

4 required fields are empty: the citation will be incomplete until you fill them in.

Director (required)

Missing: most styles need this.

Release year (required)

Missing: most styles need this.

Missing: most styles need this.

Missing: most styles need this.

Cite a specific place (optional)

Need the exact moment and wording? Get the full transcript with timestamps, then search it for the quote.

Preview: MLA 9th edition

Works Cited (0)

Your citations appear here, formatted in MLA 9th edition. They are saved in this browser only: nothing is sent to us, and no account is needed.

    Where to find the details

    • The production company is in the opening or closing credits.

    Required in most styles: director, release year, film title, production company.

    Find the exact quote and timestamp

    Scrubbing through a recording for one sentence is slow. Get the full transcript with timestamps, search it, and paste the line and time into the generator.

    Free YouTube transcript generator

    Cite a film in another style

    Other sources

    Questions

    What do I need to cite a film in MLA?

    At minimum: director, release year, film title, production company. The production company is in the opening or closing credits.

    What does a film look like in MLA?

    Works Cited entry: Inception. Directed by Christopher Nolan, Warner Bros. Pictures, 2010. In-text citation: (Inception, 1:12:05)

    How do I cite a specific moment?

    Give the timestamp where the quote or point begins, in hours, minutes and seconds (for example 1:04:15). APA and Harvard put it in the in-text citation; MLA and Chicago put it after the title or in the note. Enter it in the pinpoint box and the generator places it correctly.

    Is this free?

    Yes. No account and no limit. Your bibliography is saved in this browser only, and you can export it to Word, BibTeX, RIS or CSL-JSON.

    Citations are formatted by citeproc-js by Frank Bennett (CPAL-1.0, or AGPL-1.0), the engine behind Zotero and Mendeley, running the official Citation Style Language styles (10,863 styles, commit 2e93558) and locales (commit a89adec), used under CC BY-SA 3.0. AGLC4 citations use the LexIntellect AGLC4 engine, checked against the Guide's worked examples. Always check a citation against the manual or your institution's guide before you submit.