An image processing apparatus, comprising: a representative face extraction unit configured to detect face images in image frames that form part of video image data, and select, from the detected face images, face images to be used as index information of said video image data, a display, a processor configured to control the display, responsive to user input, to display thumbnail images of said face images selected to be index information, as a face index view of said video image data, and reproducing means configured, responsive to user selection of a displayed thumbnail image of said face index view, to begin playback of said video image data starting with the image frame from which the representative face extraction unit extracted the face image of the user-selected thumbnail image, wherein said representative face extraction unit is configured to determine whether the number of face images detected in an image frame is greater than the number of face images detected in the immediately previous image frame in which face images were detected and, when the number of face images detected in the image frame is greater than the number of face images detected in said immediately previous image frame in which face images were detected, to select a face image in said image frame as one of said face images to be used as index information, said representative face extraction unit being configured to calculate a respective score of each of the face images detected in the image frame, and to perform said selection of said face image to be used as index information by choosing the detected face image whose score is highest out of the scores of the face images detected in the image frame, wherein said representative face extraction unit is configured to calculate as said score of a face image an aggregate score p(Sa)+q(Sb)+r(Sc)+s(Sd), where p, q, r and s are weighting coeffients, Sa is a position score increasing in value as the face image is closer to a center of the image frame, Sb is a size score increasing in value as a size of the face image increases, Sc is a face evaluation score increasing in value as an extent of face likeliness of the face image increases, and Sd is a distance score calculated using the distance from each of the faces detected in said immediately previous frame and increasing in value as the position of the face image departs from the positions of the face images in said immediately previous image frame, and wherein the representative face extraction unit is configured not to select a face image in said image frame as a face image to be used as index information when the number of face images detected in the image frame is not greater than the number of face images detected in said immediately previous image frame in which face images were detected. a representative face extraction unit configured to detect face images in image frames that form part of video image data, and select, from the detected face images, face images to be used as index information of said video image data, a display, a processor configured to control the display, responsive to user input, to display thumbnail images of said face images selected to be index information, as a face index view of said video image data, and reproducing means configured, responsive to user selection of a displayed thumbnail image of said face index view, to begin playback of said video image data starting with the image frame from which the representative face extraction unit extracted the face image of the user-selected thumbnail image, wherein said representative face extraction unit is configured to determine whether the number of face images detected in an image frame is greater than the number of face images detected in the immediately previous image frame in which face images were detected and, when the number of face images detected in the image frame is greater than the number of face images detected in said immediately previous image frame in which face images were detected, to select a face image in said image frame as one of said face images to be used as index information, said representative face extraction unit being configured to calculate a respective score of each of the face images detected in the image frame, and to perform said selection of said face image to be used as index information by choosing the detected face image whose score is highest out of the scores of the face images detected in the image frame, wherein said representative face extraction unit is configured to calculate as said score of a face image an aggregate score p(Sa)+q(Sb)+r(Sc)+s(Sd), where p, q, r and s are weighting coeffients, Sa is a position score increasing in value as the face image is closer to a center of the image frame, Sb is a size score increasing in value as a size of the face image increases, Sc is a face evaluation score increasing in value as an extent of face likeliness of the face image increases, and Sd is a distance score calculated using the distance from each of the faces detected in said immediately previous frame and increasing in value as the position of the face image departs from the positions of the face images in said immediately previous image frame, and wherein the representative face extraction unit is configured not to select a face image in said image frame as a face image to be used as index information when the number of face images detected in the image frame is not greater than the number of face images detected in said immediately previous image frame in which face images were detected.