This online course presented by the British Film Institute explores the impact of early film during the reign of Queen Victoria.

While there is some dispute as to who invented the first cinematograph, early advances in filmmaking were rapidly embraced in Great Britain.

Queen Victoria herself used the emerging media format to highlight the Royal Family's personal lives, as well as exploits throughout the greater Commonwealth.

The British Film Institute, or BFI, is the United Kingdom's leading organization for everything related to the moving image.

Archives maintained by the BFI ensure the preservation and protection of films that relate to Britain's rich cultural heritage.

In this course offered through FutureLearn, BFI curators and educators Gemma Starkey, Bryony Dixon, and Mark Reid take a look at early British film and its contributions to media and entertainment.