London Film School, offer full-time MA Degree courses in both Film Making and Screewriting.

MA Film Curating

The MA Film Curating, offered for the first time in October 2010, is a collaboration between the London Consortium (University of London) and the London Film School which aims to provide students with a historical, theoretical and practical overview of the subject. Bringing together recent thinking about curating contemporary art with the constantly evolving world of film, film festivals and the movie business, it offers a theoretical exploration into the role of film curating in an age in which digital distribution technologies are transforming both the traditional notion of curating and the commercial film distribution sector. The consideration of contemporary festival culture is central to this MA and a key attraction of the programme is the privileged access that students have to established film festivals (Cannes and Rotterdam in 2010-11). Attendance at at least two festivals is included in the fee and access is encouraged to a number of other events. At the end of the year, each student curates a film-related event of his or her own devising, drawing on the combined resources and expertise of the London Film School and the constituent institutions of the London Consortium.

Aims

In recent years there has been a steady increase in the prominence of curating, both as a concept and as a career path. At the same time, moving image formats have undergone a rapid process of diffusion and diversification, and the different kinds of venue for viewing film have multiplied. For much the same reason, the number of film festivals worldwide has (at least) doubled in the past 20 years and continues to grow. This innovative new degree will look at all the aspects of film programming and presentation, in the context of film festivals as well as the institutional and commercial sectors. The institutional partnerships of the London Consortium (in particular the involvement of Tate, the Institute of Contemporary Arts and the Science Museum), make it an ideal context for students who occupy curatorial positions or wish to have careers in this area. This new collaboration with the London Film School addresses the need for a specific training and the investigation of a career path in film curating.

Film Curating

Film curating is similar to more traditional forms of curating: it involves the selection, organisation and exhibition of artefacts in a particular context. However, film is distinguished from other art forms in that it can rarely be separated from its industrial or commercial context. The MA Film Curating will focus on the most common point of contact between the cinemagoer or film researcher on the one hand, and between film culture and the film industry on the other: that is, the specialised curation of film festivals, film events and the programming of seasons at various institutions. The changes currently taking place within the commercial film distribution sector as a result of shifting economic paradigms and, more particularly, technological developments, suggest that, in the very near future, curatorial skills will be as relevant to those working outside the institutional sector as those working within it. Traditional methods of film distribution are being replaced by those mandated by digital technology, which means that film programming is likely to become a far more sophisticated and intellectually challenging activity than the kind of work done by the film ‘buyers’ of the traditional cinema chains. Film festivals will likewise not be immune to these changes. The MA Film Curating seeks to make students aware of these changes and to develop skills backed up by a fund of knowledge that will enable them to operate effectively in either sector.

Structure

Students follow one core course provided by the London Film School for all LFS students (Director Strategies) and one existing course at the London Consortium (Research Skills and Methods). Alongside these run two courses unique to the MA Film Curating: one devoted to the development of industrial models of film distribution and modern festival programming through a two-term core course on Production/Distribution/Exhibition; and one examining the current situation with regard to curatorial practice in the art world (Curating Theory and Practice). Students also gain practical experience of curating, both within the context of existing institutions, and through the practical curation of a film or film/related event. Assessment is by means of two essays and a final curated project. There are also numerous practical exercises and seminars, and one 'virtual' project to be curated purely as a learning exercise during the Spring Term.

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