A cinephile would have found themselves sorely disappointed in the lack of film-related events at the University of South Alabama– that is, until recently. Starting in Spring 2025, a new Film Studies minor will be available for students to take through the English department. For more casual enjoyment, the South Alabama Film Society (SAFS) hosts meetings every week. Between these two, there is plenty for a film lover to entertain themselves with on campus. 

The newly created film minor will give students the opportunity to study film, television, and digital media in a more intensive fashion than the previous stand-alone courses. Students will approach film through many angles, such as genre, director, and nationality. The courses and faculty represent a wide variety of humanities disciplines including English, history, philosophy, and foreign languages. The minor will build on existing film-related courses and introduce new ones into the curriculum. 

It should be noted that this minor is different from the established Digital Film & Television Production (DFT) minor. That program exists for students who are more interested in film production, rather than cinematic analysis. Film Studies relates more to those who wish to view, appreciate, study, and write about film as a medium of art. The technical production of film is an aspect of the minor, but only to an extent that deepens understanding. Instead, Film Studies students will learn to better understand and interpret film and the issues and themes that animate them, like historical and cultural contexts. 

To earn the minor, students must take 18 credit hours pertaining to the Film Studies minor curriculum. The only required course is Introduction to Film Studies (FS 101) which is the core course and should be taken when the minor is declared. In addition, students must complete 15 credit hours in approved elective courses, which include Film History (DFT 343), International Cinema (FS 300), Majors Directors (FS 301) and more. For the upcoming spring 2025 semester, the introductory class will be taught Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:35 to 4:25 by Dr. Patrick Cesarini. See below for the full Film Studies minor curriculum. For additional information, contact Dr. Becky McLaughlin via email: bmclaughlin@southalabama.edu.

For those who love film but aren’t ready to commit to a Film Studies minor, the South Alabama Film Society welcomes all to its meetings. They describe themselves as “a community for film lovers,” and assert that they “believe in the power of movies.” Their focus is on “cinema analysis, media literacy, cultural development, and fun with film.” SAFS meets Wednesday evenings for a film screening and discussion. To stay up to date with the Film Society, follow their Instagram @southalabamafilmsociety and connect to their GroupMe, which can be found in both their Instagram and on InvolveSouth.