In What Is Film?, Julie N. Books critically evaluates three philosophical doctrines of film realism (transparency, illusionism, and perceptual realism) and defends her view that films are creative works of art. By examining contemporary films, such as computer-animated films and films with computer-generated images, Dr. Books shows how films are creative works of art, thereby undermining the long-held view that films are slavish recordings of reality. This book is ideal for academics and courses on the philosophy of film, film theory, film history, filmmaking, metaphysics, and the philosophy of art.

Julie N. Books, Esq. received her A.B. with honors from Princeton University, her J.D. from The College of William and Mary¿s Marshall-Wythe School of Law, her MA in philosophy from New York University, and her PhD in philosophy from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is the author of The Supersensible in Kant¿s `Critique of Judgment¿ (2016).

Contents: Transparency - Photographs and Transparency -
Films and Transparency - Criticisms of Transparency - Illusionism - Introduction - Currie's Arguments Against Cognitive Illusionism - Arguments Against Cognitive Illusionism - Currie's Arguments Against Perceptual Illusionism - Evaluating Perceptual Illusionism - Perceptual Realism - Currie's Account of Perceptual Realism - Problems with Resemblance Theories - Summarizing the Doctrines of Film Realism - A New Theory of the Ontology of Film - Introduction - Films as Creative Works of Art.