We find that theCe3+ion in polycrystalline sputtered SrS:Ce thin films resides in a distorted octahedral environment, as opposed to the cubic host environment. Using electron paramagnetic resonance and x-ray diffraction analysis, we show that the degree of axial distortion is related to the preferential growth direction of the SrS films. To first order, the blue-emission properties (emission wavelength and decay times) of the SrS:Ce films do not appear to be affected by the amount of distortion in the localCe3+environment. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.