Join us as you explore the stylistic, industrial and cultural diversities of global cinema, through the close study of films from different historical and regional contexts. Whilst developing your analytical skills you will examine variations in cinematic style, aesthetics and production modes and consider how films reflect and shape social, political and industrial landscapes.

Through lectures, screenings, readings and discussions, you will explore major cinematic movements and traditions such as:

• Silent cinema
• Classical Hollywood
• Global Neorealism
• Middle Eastern and European New Waves
• Contemporary independent filmmaking

You will also engage with key debates on:

• Film authorship
• Digital technologies
• Genre evolution
• Film circulation
• Emerging identities in cinema

By analysing case studies from mainstream and avant-garde traditions across different regions, you will gain a broader understanding of the theoretical and cross-cultural connections that shape world cinema. By the end of the module, you will have developed critical perspectives on the continuities, ruptures, and debates in film history.

Building on the relationship between theoretical understanding and artistic practice, this module will introduce you to a broad range of theories and ideas relevant to contemporary art practice and thinking. You will explore ideas such as:

• New materialism
• Fourth and fifth-wave feminisms
• Object-oriented philosophy
• Posthumanism
• The Anthropocene
• Hauntology
• The relations that exist between art and science

Join us as we combine intellectual rigour and curiosity with the freedom to confidently explore your creativity from an increasingly informed position. You will be encouraged to explore different forms of writing that enable you to develop ideas and express yourself in a range of appropriate formats.

Imagination, experimentation, creative risk-taking, and transformation are at the heart of this module and fundamental to your development as a practicing artist.

You will engage creatively with workshops that encourage experimentation and risk-taking, exploring ideas and processes that extend beyond traditional studio practice including collaborative, site-specific, socially engaged, and curatorial projects.

Exploring diverse themes such as the environment and sustainability, global connections and local place, you will dive into the transformative role of art in the wider world. Developing digital skills relevant to these contexts will equip you to create innovative and forward-thinking approaches to contemporary art.

Move beyond introductory concepts to explore film theory in depth, examining how films construct meaning through form, representation, and audience engagement.

You will critically assess cinema’s relationship with artistic expression and spectatorship, engaging with complex debates that have shaped film scholarship since the medium’s inception. Focusing on advanced theoretical analysis, this module equips you with the conceptual knowledge and critical vocabulary to interpret films using semiotic, psychoanalytic, formalist, philosophical and cognitivist approaches.

You will explore key concepts such as cinematic modernism, subjectivity in film perception and cinema’s evolving relationship with philosophy. The module fosters independent critical engagement with the works of influential theorists, deepening your understanding of theoretical frameworks.

By applying these perspectives to a range of case studies, you will refine your ability to conduct detailed textual analysis. By the end of the module, you will have developed sophisticated theoretical and analytical skills essential for higher-level film study.

In this module, you will collaboratively develop, produce, and complete a short dramatic film while engaging with sustainable industry-standard production practices. The emphasis is on technical competence, creative problem-solving, and reflective collaboration.

At the start of the module, you'll form your own production groups and assign yourself one of the key creative roles within the team—Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Art Director, Sound Recordist/Designer, or Editor. Where needed, roles may be shared or doubled up to ensure all production responsibilities are met.

The module is supported by advanced technical workshops in camera, lighting, grip, sound, editing, and post-production workflows, preparing you to meet contemporary professional standards while reflecting on sustainability and resource-conscious filmmaking.

In your third year you will study at one of our international partner universities. This will help you to expand your global outlook and professional network, as well as developing your cultural and personal skills. It is also an opportunity to gain a different perspective on your subject through studying it in another country.

You will choose specialist modules relating to your degree and potentially modules from other subjects offered by the host university that are specific to that university and country.

The availability of places at overseas partners varies each year. In previous years destinations for students in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences have included Australia, USA, Canada, Europe and Asia.

This is the culmination of your studies, combining everything you have learnt to undertake an in-depth, self-directed research project on the topic of your choice. You will propose an area of investigation, and an appropriate supervisor will be assigned to provide guidance, helping you refine your research focus and methodology.

Supporting independent research, creative exploration, and critical engagement with film and media practices, this module gives you the freedom to explore your personal interests. You may choose to complete one of the following:

• A traditional written dissertation
• An individual practice-based project such as a short film, screenplay, or other media work accompanied by a written critical piece
• A small group practical project in which you will collaboratively produce a short film with individual critical reflections

By the end of the module, you will have produced a substantial piece of work demonstrating advanced conceptual engagement, independent thinking and project management, preparing you for further study or a career in research, filmmaking or the media industry.

Refine your practical skills as you develop and present a professional body of practical work appropriate for a Fine Art degree show.

Over the course of this year-long module, your growth as an artist will be supported through lectures, workshops, tutorials, and peer reviews, all guided by tutors who are practicing artists and writers. You will also build a strong foundation in professional practices and transferable skills essential for a successful career in the arts.

Through deepening your understanding of your own practice, the art world, curation, and the transformative power of creativity, you will be prepared to contribute meaningfully to local, national, and global artistic discourses and practices.

You can also choose to take additional credits in either Advanced Art Practice or Writing for Artists, enabling you to build on your strengths, interests, and career aspirations.

Examining the evolution of film genres in a global context, this module focuses on the ways contemporary filmmakers innovate within established and classic genre traditions. You will analyse key genres (which may include Science Fiction, Horror and Comic Book films), considering their artistic, industrial and technological developments across different cinematic traditions.

Through case studies, you will explore how genre conventions adapt to national and transnational influences, addressing topics such as digital effects and world-building, genre hybridity and the role of franchises in global media. The module also considers how streaming platforms, audience reception and fan cultures shape contemporary genre filmmaking.

By the end of the module, you will have gained an advanced understanding of modern genre as a dynamic cinematic form. You will be equipped with critical and analytical skills essential for further research or careers in film criticism, curation and media industries.

This advanced, practice-based module provides an industry-informed approach to documentary filmmaking.

Working in small groups, you will research, develop and produce a short documentary, choosing either to pursue an independent concept or respond to a stakeholder brief. The module supports a broad range of documentary genres and styles, encouraging experimentation with form while maintaining professional standards.

Through workshops and practical training, you will refine your skills in cinematography, sound recording and editing, while gaining awareness of ethical considerations, industry expectations, funding opportunities and distribution strategies across traditional and digital platforms.

Collaboration is central to this module, requiring you to navigate real-world production challenges, from research and planning to post-production. By the end of the module, you will have created a completed short documentary and developed the technical, conceptual and professional skills essential for careers in documentary filmmaking and beyond.

This hands-on module uses engaging workshops to explore Experimental Cinema and discover how it challenges mainstream narratives and disrupts traditional modes of spectatorship.

Through a combination of critical discussions on selected films and hands-on creative experimentation, this module challenges you to rethink film form beyond conventional storytelling while encouraging you to bring your visions to life through practice.

You will study key movements and approaches, starting from the historical avant-gardes – the influence of artistic movements like Dada, Surrealism and Structuralism- to contemporary artists’ moving image.

By the end of the module, you will have developed a critical and practical understanding of experimental cinema, gaining experience in challenging the boundaries of film aesthetics and spectatorship. Emphasising creative risk-taking and critical inquiry, this module encourages an expanded approach to filmmaking that transcends conventional modes of production and exhibition.