A Chronology of Film: A Cultural Timeline from the Magic Lantern to the Digital Screen

A Chronology of Film presents a fresh perspective on the medium by taking a purely chronological approach to its history, tracing the complex links between technical innovations, social changes and artistic interventions.

Organized around a central timeline that charts the development of film from the earliest moving images to the present-day blockbusters, it features key films, together with commentaries and contextual information about the social, political and cultural events of the period in which they were produced. Special feature spreads highlight important technical developments and key practitioners. Covering a wide selection of genres, styles, and directors, it is invaluable as a comprehensive guide to film in all its different forms.

Ian Haydn Smith is the author of Selling the Movie and Cult Filmmakers, and is also the update editor on 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. Haydn Smith is also the editor of BFI Filmmakers Magazine and Curzon Magazine.