Department Handbook: Film

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Film Department Info: Mission Statement | Major Requirements | Programs & Certificates | Course Descriptions | Degree Requirement Worksheets | Enrollment Information | Faculty Bios | Organizations & Associations | Equipment | Fees | Agreements, Ownership & Copyright | Events | Additional Resources | Staff

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Mission Statement

We are a diverse group of filmmakers and scholars who share a vision of facilitating creative, bold, and important work by new generations of filmmakers and scholars. Our approach integrates training in philosophical and interpretive studies, screenwriting, and production, which together lead to BA, BA Honours or BFA Honours in Film degrees, to a life of making meaningful, perceptive, and sometimes provocative discourses, whether in writing, on film, video, and in other media.

In the film studies area, students learn about the critical and theoretical aspects of cinema. We study how films (and other audio-visual media) acquire the status of art, popular culture and documentary in our culture.

In the area of film and video production, students integrate studies and writing with the creative crafts of cinematography, editing and sound. We encourage students to develop innovative and thoughtful short documentaries, fictions and experimental/hybrid works on film and video.

Students of screenwriting bridge the gap between production and studies, learning to craft films of their own design while reworking and rethinking films written by others.

Students choose one area for emphasis, but every student is expected to be a creator and analyst, discursive in images and in words, comfortable with practice and theory. Our courses value both tradition and innovation: they introduce classical methods and facilitate experimental work; they teach skills and require courage; they expect apprenticeship and foster creativity.

Supported by a dedicated professional staff that ensures the daily successes of our programs, we are able to admit and to advance through our programs students who excelled in high school or who have previous diplomas, degrees, and a wealth of life experiences. We are excited by Canada's multicultural realities, and we aim to involve you in our local contributions as well as in our significant participation in the world's film culture. Our students win awards and are recognized for achievements in independent film, in the media industries, in scholarly activities, in public education and at all levels of government.