BFI Screenonline

FOR YOUR REFERENCE 

The site provides synopses, cast and credit lists. You can explore the Film section by genre, theme or location or trace the development of British television by decade. The Encyclopaedia of British Film has almost 6,000 references, with over 1,000 entries on British and Irish directors. Teachers looking to enliven their lessons will find the Education zone an excellent resource.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST 

Unfortunately, much of the audio and video content can only be accessed for free through registered schools, colleges, universities and libraries in the UK. This is a real shame for those without this way in. Delights such as the Oral History section, replete with interviews recorded at the National Film Theatre, pale for the unregistered user who is only able to access the transcripts.

However, the BFI Archive Interactive is available to everyone. Highlights include Paul Merton on Silent Comedy and Malcolm McDowell on Free Cinema. This section is not exactly content rich at present and let us hope that the Coalition's cuts do not undermine the development of this part of the site.

Screenonline is beautifully designed and absolutely indispensable for cineastes, film historians and anyone with a passing interest in visual culture.