Nanocomposite films having controlled dispersion, in out-of-plane birefringence, or equivalent retardation are obtained, including films having essentially flat dispersion behavior, reverse dispersion behavior, and non-birefringence dispersion. The nanocomposite comprises film comprises metallic oxide nanoparticles dispersed in a polymer matrix. The present invention also provides a novel method for making and controlling the out-of-plane birefringence dispersion of a film using an organic-inorganic nanocomposite. The nanocomposite material exhibits high optical transmittance, low haze, and is useful in the field of liquid-crystal displays.