Film Studies

Study the art, history and theory of film in all its forms, from Hollywood blockbusters to virtual reality documentaries.

Since its invention at the end of the nineteenth century, film has been continuously reborn across different kinds of screens and viewing situations – from the commercial movie house to the art gallery, from home television to in-flight monitors and mobile devices. Films entertain, educate, offend, shock and surprise us, and in doing so they mirror and expand our worlds and our sense of who we are. In our contemporary moment, it is vital to reflect on how we are addressed by, and consume, moving images as a ubiquitous technological form.

We offer an exciting program of study that will deepen your appreciation of cinema in all its historical, political, philosophical and cultural dimensions. Whatever your level of study, from undergraduate to PhD, you will have access to the rich collections of films in Fisher Library and the Schaeffer Fine Arts Library. You will also be connected to local and international film festivals and related cultural events and, more importantly, the filmmakers, critics, and scholars who make them happen.