1908

A Visit to the Seaside (1908) was the first successful motion picture in natural color, filmed with Kinemacolor. It is an 8 minute short film directed by George Albert Smith of Brighton, showing people doing everyday activities. It is ranked of high historical importance. Kinemacolor later influenced and replaced by Technicolor, which was used from 1916 to 1952.

The Thieving Hand is a 1908 American silent short film. It is credited for its astounding trick photography and effects for its age. It was directed and produced by J. Stuart Blackton of Vitagraph Studios.

The Taming of the Shrew is a 1908 silent film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was based on Shakespeare's play of the same name.

Stenka Razin (Russian: Стенька Разин) is the first finished Russian narrative film. The 10-minute silent film is a fictionalized account of episodes from the life of Stenka Razin. It premiered on 28 October  1908.

The first ever American film version of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet was a silent film short made in 1908 made by Vitagraph Studios. Directed by J. Stuart Blackton, it was filmed in Central Park in Manhattan, New York.

Rescued from an Eagle's Nest is a 1908 American silent action-drama co-directed by Edwin S Porter and J. Searle Dawley for the Edison film studios.

The Reprieve: An Episode in the Life of Abraham Lincoln was a 1908 film that included US President Abraham Lincoln pardoning a sleeping sentry. It is possibly the first motion picture based on his life.

Macbeth is a silent 1908 American film directed by James Stuart Blackton based on the William Shakespeare play of the same name. It is the earliest known film version of that play. It was a black and white silent film that had English intertitles. It is currently unknown if any print of the film still exists.

Fantasmagorie is a 1908 French animated film by Émile Cohl. It is one of the earliest examples of traditional (hand-drawn) animation, and considered by film historians to be the first animated cartoon.

The Fairylogue and Radio-Plays was an early attempt to bring L. Frank Baum's Oz books to the motion picture screen. It was a mixture of live actors, hand-tinted magic lantern slides, and film. Baum himself would appear as if he were giving a lecture, while he interacted with the characters (both on stage and on screen). Although acclaimed throughout its tour, the show experienced budgetary problems (with the show costing more to produce than the money that sold-out houses could bring in) and folded after two months of performances. It opened in Grand Rapids, Michigan on September 24, 1908. It later moved to New York City, where it reportedly closed December 16. It was scheduled to run through December 31, and ads for it continued to run in The New York Times until then.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1908 Selig Polyscope Company silent horror motion picture starring Hobart Bosworth, and Betty Harte in her film debut.

The Assassination of the Duke of Guise (1908) (original French title: La Mort du duc de Guise; often referred to as L'Assassinat du duc de Guise) is a French historical film directed by Charles Le Bargy and André Calmettes, adapted by Henri Lavedan, and featuring actors of the Comédie-Française and prominent set designers. It is one of the first films to feature both an original film score, composed by Camille Saint-Saëns, and a screenplay by an eminent screenwriter.

Antony and Cleopatra is a 1908 film starring Maurice Costello and Florence Lawrence in the title roles, based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. Dramatizing the ill-fated romance between Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII of Egypt, it was the earliest motion picture to do so.

After Many Years is a 1908 American silent drama film directed by D. W. Griffith. Prints of the film exist in the Library of Congress film archive. The film is an adaptation of Enoch Arden.

The Adventures of Dollie is a 1908 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith. It was Griffith's debut film as a director. A print of the film survives in the Library of Congress film archive. The film tells the story of a young girl who, after being kidnapped by a gypsy peddler, ends up trapped in a barrel as it floats downriver toward a waterfall.