Student filmmakers may soon be able to major in film studies for the first time since the early 1990s if a proposal in the works garners university approval.
Film enthusiasts from half a dozen departments across the campus have been working since 2007 to resurrect the film major that became too expensive for the university to maintain. The only step forward has been the implementation of a Graduate Field Committee in Film Studies — a non-degree program for graduate students — last fall. Faculty members are putting the final touches on a proposal for an undergraduate film major. If the university approves, they hope it could begin as early as next fall, according to Elizabeth Papazian, who teaches graduate-level film studies courses.
“There are students constantly who, every time we teach a film class, ask if there’s a major,” said Papazian, who is also an associate Russian professor. “They always ask, is there one they can’t find online? Is there a film major, where is the film major? So it’s certainly something we hear about a lot.”
While the proposal is still in the works and needs to seek approval from multiple arts and humanities college departments before it makes its way to the college’s dean and other university officials for review, Papazian said the program would include two new film courses, Silent Cinema and Cinema since Sound, restricted to majors only. Next semester, the university will offer more than 35 film courses, according to the film studies website.
The program is already adding new faculty and classes in anticipation of the major. Luka Arsenjuk, one of two professors new this semester, is teaching two new courses: CMLT 498P/SLLC 468P: Political Cinema and CMLT 498C/SLLC 368G: Cinema and Globalization.
Arsenjuk said he would like to see the already diverse network of faculty film enthusiasts reach out to students on the campus.
“What I hope, especially once we have the film studies major, is we who are interested in films theoretically and historically and in studying film can develop mutual interests and can collaborate with other organizations that already exist on campus and are dedicated to film,” Arsenjuk said.
The Graduate Field Committee in Film Studies is already building momentum to expand the cinema presence on the campus. Professors are planning a series of events next semester centered on the theme of “cinema and crime,” including a main event with feature speaker and The Wire creator David Simon.
“We just hope we can build on the sort of energy that has already been generated to make this work out,” Papazian said.
Only two students since 2008 have crafted their own film-related major through the university’s Individual Studies Program, which program Director Joan Burton said indicates the field has a “need for visibility.”
Senior history major Joseph Saverino, who’s currently taking CMLT498C: Cinema and Globalization, said a major would increase the courses’ validity and provide more structure in the course load.
“We’re analyzing pieces of film, writing professional essays about the film, doing a lot of work. It’s very interesting,” he said. “The fact is, we have a few courses. There’s no program.”
Several student filmmakers, such as sophomore linguistics major Mark Altskan, said they were disappointed the proposed major was only analytical, without any hands-on courses.
“Ever since I heard about it, I was praying it would be production,” he said. “I’ll still take a couple film studies classes, but I don’t plan on adding this major if it’s going to be just film studies.”
There are no plans to pursue a second major, Papazian said, because there aren’t funds to buy the high-speed computers, cameras and editing software required to provide to hundreds of would-be film production majors. The former major, which included both production and film studies, regularly housed more than 1,000 students.
lurye@umdbk.com
