The First Film Explained

The First Film
Director:	David Nicholas Wilkinson
Runtime:	106 minutes
Country:	United Kingdom
Language:	English

The First Film is a 2015 British documentary film about cinema pioneer Louis Le Prince, made by David Nicholas Wilkinson.^{[1] [2]} It argues the case that Le Prince, rather than the Lumière brothers, was the true inventor of moving pictures, making Roundhay Garden Scene in Leeds in 1888. Le Prince mysteriously disappeared in 1890.^{[3] [4]}

Mark Kermode, film critic of The Guardian, described the documentary as "a flickering story that blends intrigue, industrial espionage, and possibly even murder".^[5]

The world premiere of The First Film was at the 2015 Edinburgh International Film Festival. It went on general release in the United States in September 2016.^[6]

Notes and References

1. Web site: The First Film. Programme: 2015. Edinburgh Film Festival. 25 November 2016.
2. Web site: The First Film. Film 4. 5 March 2017.
3. News: Hannaford. Alex. The mystery of Leeds's long-lost movie pioneer. 25 November 2016. The Telegraph. 24 June 2015.
4. News: Youngs. Ian. Louis Le Prince, who shot the world's first film in Leeds. 25 November 2016. BBC News. 23 June 2015.
5. News: Kermode. Mark. Mark Kermode. The First Film review – a secret cinematic history. 25 November 2016. The Guardian. 5 July 2015.
6. Web site: McNary. Dave. David Nicholas Wilkinson's 'The First Film' Documentary Gets September Release. Variety. 5 March 2017. 4 August 2016.