Citing a movie in APA
Published February 2, 2021. Updated October 29, 2021.
How to Cite a Movie/Film in APA
To cite a movie in APA style, it’s helpful to know basic information including the director name, year, movie title, and production company.
The templates and examples below are based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition.
If you’re trying to cite a movie, the Chegg Writing APA citation generator could help.
Citing a film or movie in APA
For citing a movie in APA style, the director surname and year are used in the narrative and parenthetical citations.
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Year)
Bong (2003)
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname, Year)
(Bong, 2003)
Read this APA format guide for more style basics.
Reference list entry template and example:
Surname, F. M. (Director). (Year). Movie title [Film]. Production Company.
Bong, J.-H. (Director). (2003). Memories of murder [Film]. CJ Entertainment Sidus Pictures.
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 citing sources in APA, also read these guides on APA in-text citations and APA reference page examples.
APA Style: Learn More
Frequently asked questions
The title of the TV show should be italicized and not underlined. The below table shows how the reference-list entry is included for a TV show in APA.
Reference-list entry template and example:
Executive Producer’s Surname, F. M. (Executive Producer). (Year). Title of the TV show [TV series]. Production Company.
Peele, J., Roberts, I., Martel, J., Principato, P., & Young, P. (Executive Producers). (2012–2015). Key & Peele [TV series]. Monkeypaw Productions.
To cite a movie from a streaming video in APA, the core elements required are the uploader’s name, title of the movie, date, and URL. The below table shows how the in-text citation and the reference-list entry are included for a streaming movie.
In-text citation template and example:
(Artist’s Surname/Company Name, Publication Year, timestamp)
(Thrice Cooked, 2021)
Reference-list entry template and example:
Artist’s Surname/Company Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of the movie [Medium]. YouTube. URL
Thrice Cooked. (2021, August 9). Post office (short film) [Film]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/584907375
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