Through quantitative analysis of the literature related to film geography indexed in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Web of Science databases from 1970 to 2023, we utilized CiteSpace to organize the fundamental landscape of Chinese and Western film geography research, and subsequently created a visual map. The findings reveal that relevant research in China and the West shares a similar developmental trajectory, evolving from space and geography to pan-geography. However, due to factors such as disciplinary affiliation, there are differences in research paradigms, topics, and objects between the two. Currently, China’s film geography has entered the pan-geography stage, exhibiting a complex academic interweaving. Through analyzing the research patterns and trends, we define the research category and objectives at this stage, put forward research paradigms and their extension, and construct a matrix of research objects. These efforts aim to facilitate the iteration and expansion of research on film geography, fostering a continuity, regularity and fluidity knowledge ecosystem.