Program Overview

Introduction to Film Studies

The Film Studies program at the University of Sydney offers students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the extraordinary diversity of world cinemas. This program allows students to study the art, history, and theory of film in all its forms, from Hollywood blockbusters to virtual reality documentaries.

Our Study Offering

Film Studies

Film Studies opens us to other worlds and other ways of seeing. This major develops critical visual literacy, equips students with a range of skills for understanding and analyzing cinema as a vital and yet everyday part of modern life, and expands their knowledge of the social, cultural, aesthetic, and political dimensions of cinema in different contexts and at different times.

Undergraduate

• Film Studies major
• Film Studies minor
• Film Studies (Honours) Available to all students studying the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Economics, and Bachelor of Visual Arts, as well as all combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degrees.

Research

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Master of Philosophy
• Master of Arts (Research)

Major in Film Studies

The Major in Film Studies provides students with a comprehensive understanding of film as an art form, a medium of communication, and a cultural phenomenon. Students will learn to analyze films from different historical periods, genres, and cultural contexts, and to develop their critical thinking and writing skills.

Our Research

We are award-winning and internationally recognized researchers with strengths across a range of areas, including:

• American cinema
• Cinema and literature
• Documentary film
• Early and silent cinema
• East Asian cinema
• European cinema
• Film aesthetics and ecopolitics
• Film history and theory
• Film philosophy
• Queer cinema

Our People

Academic Staff

• Associate Professor Bruce Isaacs
• Dr. Matilda Mroz
• Dr. Susan Potter
• Dr. Pao-chen Tang
• Professor Lee Wallace

Key Academic Contacts

• Associate Professor Ian Maxwell, Chair of Discipline
• Dr. Pao-Chen Tang, Undergraduate Coordinator
• Professor Lee Wallace, Research Director
• Dr. Isabelle Hesse, Honours Coordinator

Honorary Associates

• Dr. Alan Cholodenko

Disciplines

The School of Art, Communication, and English offers a range of disciplines, including:

• Art History
• English and Writing
• Film Studies
• Media and Communications
• Museum and Heritage Studies
• Theatre and Performance Studies