A couple of sources recommended for students who read French and care to do advanced historical research.
- Calindex is a searchable database that is working to progressively index most of the major French language film reviews (excepting Cahiers du Cinéma) from the 1910s onwards.
- The Bibliothèque Nationale de France has also begun posting scans of their periodical collections up to 1940s. In addition to daily newspapers which ran film reviews (Le Temps, L’Humanité, Le Figaro, Le Petit Parisien), Gallica hosts most issues of Cinéa-Ciné Pour Tous (a key film journal of the 1920s), Ciné-France (review of independent cinema of the 1930s), Ciné-Mondial (Occupation era film magazine), La Semaine à Paris (useful for tracking release dates and screening locations in the 1920s and 30s), and avant-garde journals that occasionally wrote on film, such La Révolution Surréaliste (1924-1929), Documents (1929-1930) and Bifur (1929-1930).
Film Journals in French Online, FT
New content is added when available, but as of 2022 the French Collection Includes online FT versions of:
- Ciné-journal. (1908-1914, 1926)
- Cinéa. (1921-1923)
- Filmatheque Pathé-Baby.
- La Cinématographie Française. (1936-1953)
- La Revue du Cinema.
- La Revue du cinéma.
Film Journals in French Print
Request scanned journal articles (Scan & Deliver Service): Users may request scanned copies of articles from print journals held by certain UofT Libraries. Scanning is only possible when copyright permits.
- L'Avant-scène. Cinéma
- Kelly Library, (St. Michaels' College), Robarts, EJ Pratt (Victoria College); Downsview (older issues, storage - may be requested)
- Review the L'Avant-scene. Cinema library records for the range of dates available at each location. Among these locations, the entire run is available, save for a select few issues
- Cahiers du cinéma
- Kelly Library, (St. Michael's College), Downsview (storage - may be requested)
- Between these locations, the entire run of Cahiers du cinema is available (incl. current), save for a few volumes.
- L'Écran français. (1943-1952)
- Positif : revue mensuelle de cinéma.
- Review the Positif : revue mensuel de cinema record, print available at Kelly Library, St. Michael's College and selection of issues available online
Microfilm Collection at Media Commons
Request scanned journal articles (Scan & Deliver Service): Users may request scanned excerpts from publications available in Robarts Library's microform collections (microfilm and microfiche). Scanning is only possible when copyright permits.
In addition, Cinematheque Ontario's Film Reference Library (part of TIFF) has an extensive collection of English-language film journals, often complete runs i.e., from vol. 1 on. Before you visit, contact TIFF Library staff at (416) 599-8433, ext. 2 to inquire about the title, vol. and issue you are looking for; it may be worth a visit if the article is vital to your research. The Library is located in the TIFF Lightbox, at King and John Streets, on the fifth floor.
