International Amateur Cinema Between the Wars

In the middle decades of the twentieth century amateur filmmaking consisted of more than rough home movies: it also included polished and accomplished fictional, documentary, and experimental works that were intended to have an audience of fellow amateurs and members of the public. In the 1920s and 30s local, national, and international organizations emerged to promote and advance amateur filmmaking activities, and in doing so created an alternative film culture distinct from the profit-oriented mass culture of the film industry.

This website presents new research about amateur film culture around the world: how its films transcended borders and participated in the artistic, social, and political movements of their time.

Explore

amateur cinema history in different countries

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Read

Launching a Global Movement: Writings on Amateur Cinema, 1913-1943

Navigate

the international networks of amateur cinema

The International Amateur Cinema Between the Wars Project is an ongoing partnership project with scholars/archivists around the world. Read more about the project here.

Visit the main Amateur Movie Database site here.

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