Program Overview

Course Overview

The course FILM 301, Current Issues in Film Studies, focuses on significant contemporary debates and theoretical issues in Film Studies. Topics will vary, and the course will examine current debates in Film Studies about mood, including the use of concepts from psychology and philosophy. Screenings will focus mainly on European and East Asian art house cinema.

Course Details

• Dates: 7 Jul 2025 to 9 Nov 2025
• Starts: Trimester 2
• Fees:
  • NZ$1,090.60 for domestic students
  • NZ$5,560.00 for international students
• Lecture Start Times:
  • Monday 2.10pm
  • Thursday 2.10pm
• Campus: Kelburn
• Estimated Workload: Approximately 200 hours or 11.1 hours per week for 18 weeks
• Points: 20 points

Entry Restrictions

• Prerequisites: 40 pts in FILM at 200-level
• Corequisites: None
• Restrictions: None

Taught By

The course is taught by the School of Arts and Media — Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Disclaimer

This course outline may be subject to change.

Key Dates

Important dates, including mid-trimester teaching breaks, can be found on the University's key dates calendar. Assessment dates will be announced once the course has begun.

About This Course

This course will focus on the links between cinema and mood, examining current debates in Film Studies about mood, including the use of concepts from psychology and philosophy.

Course Learning Objectives

Students who pass this course should be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of key concepts, terms, and debates in film criticism.
2. Characterise and evaluate relevant scholarly and visual texts.
3. Demonstrate advanced critical and textual analysis skills.
4. Produce persuasive arguments in written, oral, and/or visual form.

How This Course Is Taught

• Screenings: A weekly three-hour screening held in-person on the Kelburn campus. Students must attend 9 out of 12 screenings to meet mandatory course requirements.
• Lectures: A two-hour weekly lecture, designed as an in-person learning environment with no synchronous Zoom option. Lectures include class discussion, collaborative activities, and opportunities to ask questions. Lecture recordings are provided as an additional study aid.
• Tutorials: In-person tutorials with no Zoom option. Students must attend at least 8 out of 10 tutorials to meet mandatory course requirements.
• Assessment: Can be submitted online.

Assessment

• Conceptual Essay: Individual, 30%
• Critical Analysis Assignment: Individual, 30%
• Research Essay or Creative Project: Individual, 40%

Mandatory Requirements

To pass this course, students must:

1. Submit all assignments by the due date (subject to the extensions policy) and achieve a mark of at least 35% for each assignment.
2. Attend at least 9 out of 12 screenings and 8 out of 10 tutorials.

Lecture Times and Rooms

• 7 July 2025 to 17 August 2025
• 1 September 2025 to 12 October 2025

What You'll Need to Get

Students may need to rent films to work on assignments.

Past Versions of This Course

Older versions of this course may be accessible through the course archive.

Student Feedback

Previous students' feedback on this course can be found in the student feedback database.