An investigation of the growth mechanisms, electronical and structural properties, and field emissions of carbon films obtained by chemical vapour deposition showed that field emissions from films composed of spatially oriented carbon nanotubes and plate-like graphite nanocrystals exhibit non-metallic behaviour. The experimental evidence of work function local reduction for carbon film materials is reported here. A model of the emission site is proposed and the mechanism of field emission from nanostructured carbon materials is described. In agreement with the model proposed here, the electron emission in different carbon materials results from sp3-like defects in an sp2 network of their graphite-like component.