Also known as films or motion pictures, movies are sequences of still images shown rapidly in succession, creating the illusion of continuous movement. They combine visual, auditory, and narrative elements to tell stories, evoke emotions, and simulate reality across a wide range of genres and styles.

The term movie is an American colloquialism, a shortened form of "moving picture," which gained popularity in the early 20th century. Motion picture is the more formal term, still common in industry contexts. The formal term emphasizes the illusion of movement created by rapidly displaying sequential still images. The term film stems from the thin strip of celluloid material on which images were recorded in the pre-digital era. Other expressions include silver screen (a reference to early projection surfaces), cinema (from the Greek, "kinēma," meaning movement, and the pictures in early British slang.

The heart of cinema rests on a single optical principle: persistence of vision, where the human eye perceives continuous motion when images change at sufficient speed.

Early film used mechanical cameras that advanced a strip of celluloid through a shutter at 16-24 frames per second. Digital formats now capture and store images as sequences of high-resolution stills. In the pre-digital age, reels were physically shipped to theaters, although modern distribution uses satellite links, encrypted hard drives, and online streaming platforms, enabling global releases in seconds.

Optical toys (Zoetrope, Phenakistiscope and photography experiments laid the groundwork for cinema. In the late 1800s, inventors like Thomas Edison and the Lumière brothers (Auguste and Louis) developed devices (Kinetoscope, Cinématographe) to capture sequential still images on light-sensitive film. Celluloid film stock allowed for rapid exposure and projection.

The birth of narrative cinemas was in the 1900s and 1910s, featuring silent films with live music. The 1920s are known as the "Golden Age" of silent cinema, leading to the transition to sound with The Jazz Singer in 1927. The Hollywood studio system dominated the industry in the 1930s and 1940s. During this period, Technicolor was popularized, and wartime propaganda films emerged. Widescreen formats and 3D were introduced in the 1950s to compete with television. New Wave movements came about in the 1960s and 1970s, with the rise of auteur directors, and the era of blockbusters, such as Jaws and Star Wars. The 1980s and 1990s introduced advancements in special effects and the use of CGI. Independent cinemas gained visibility during this time, as well. Digital filmmaking, globalized distribution, the dominance of franchises, and the streaming of movies began in the 2000s.

Film theory considers cinema not just as entertainment, but as a medium of artistic expression. Theories include formalism (emphasis on visual composition, editing rhythm, and stylistic innovation), realism (focus on authentic representation of life, natural performances, and minimal intervention), auteur (treats the director as the author, whose creative vision shapes a film), and psychoanalytic and structuralist (explores how films encode meaning through symbols, narrative structure, and the unconscious).

Movies can be classified in multiple ways: by length (feature films, shorts), by mode (narrative, documentary, experimental), by genre (drama, comedy, action, horror, romance, science fiction, fantasy, musical, thriller, western, animation), and by format (silent, sound, black-and-white, color, 2D, 3F, IMAX, VR).

The film industry operates on a vast scale, spanning production (script development, financing, casting, shooting, and post-production), distribution (theatrical releases, physical media, television, and streaming platforms), and exhibition (from grand cinemas to personal devices). Although independent outlets are taking a larger part of the market every year, the major production hubs include Hollywood (United States), Bollywood (India), Nollywood (Nigeria), and an increasingly interconnected global market.

Organizations and associations that influence standards, preservation, and advocacy for the movie industry include the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars), the British Film Institute (BFI), the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Cannes Film Festival (French Ministry of Culture), and UNESCO (film heritage programs).

Through frequent changes in technology and demands, the movie industry continues to reinvent itself while retaining the power to connect people across languages and continents.

Topics relating to movies are relevant in this part of our web guide.

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