Movies are both art and commerce, creative expressions of national/cultural interests and preoccupations and part of a global entertainment market. The past century has witnessed a transformation of the movies from popular novelties into highly valued cultural icons and commodities that have promoted national identity and specific political agendas, while also affecting international trade.

This comprehensive history of the international movie industry from its inception in 1895 to the present features nineteen original essays by international scholars who examine the film industries of nineteen countries and six continents. Each chapter in The International Movie Industry focuses on a specific national movie industry’s economic and related social, aesthetic, technological, and political/ideological development within an international context during the last century. The result is a global history of the movie industry over the last one hundred years.