FTMFF: Film Programming and Film Festivals

Module code: FTMFF

Module provider: Film, Theatre and TV; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Lucia Nagib, email: l.nagib@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Mr James Kenward-Abdollahyan, email: j.kenward-abdollahyan@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 27 June 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This is a team-taught module, drawing both on representatives from the industry and on strength across the university. Through a dynamic combination of seminars, workshops and group projects, the module will equip students with advanced knowledge of modes of programming arthouse, alternative and experimental venues, as well as organising film festivals. Film festivals work as an effective (and sometimes unfair) filter of the kind of world cinema distributed to commercial and alternative venues around the world. Winners of Cannes, Venice and Berlin will almost certainly find worldwide distribution, as opposed to thousands of other films, which will run through minor festival circuits in the hope of accessing smaller or niche venues and audiences. Film festivals (such as Sundance, Rotterdam and others) are also closely connected with funding systems for independent filmmakers, who will format their projects with a view to satisfying their requirements. Understanding how both film festivals and film programming work is hence key to understanding the kind of world cinema we watch.

Aims:

The aims of this module are:

• To equip students advanced knowledge of programming arthouse, alternative and experimental venues;
• To equip students with in-depth knowledge of the workings of film festivals, be they major, minor, competitive, non-competitive, thematic, genre-oriented or experimental;
• To offer a critical insight into the filtering process promoted by the pool of world festivals;
• To offer a critical understanding of the consequences of the funding practices promoted by film festivals;
• Through practical projects, to equip students with fundamental skills for becoming film programmers;
• Through practical projects, to equip students with fundamental skills for becoming film-festival organisers.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Have an in-depth understanding of the programming structure of arthouse, alternative and experimental venues; 
2. Have an in-depth knowledge of the workings of film festivals, be they major, minor, competitive, non-competitive, thematic, genre-oriented or experimental; 
3. Develop practical projects in film programming; 
4. Develop practical projects for film festivals. 

The module will serve as a useful complement to other modules taught at MA level in FTT. It will provide students with critical view of the mainstream and alternative markets for world cinema. It will enable them to understand the degree of interdependence that can be ascribed to film festivals and commercial/non-commercial film venues. It will provide them with the necessary skills for finding employment in the sector. 

Module content

Weekly classes can include: 

1. the history and geography of film festivals; 
2. the history and international development of the arthouse and alternative circuits; 
3. the logic and consequences of the festival filter; 
4. the question of independence in arthouse and alternative venues; 
5. the question of independence in filmmaking; 
6. an arthouse case study; 
7. a major festival case study; 
8. an experimental venue case study; 
9. Group project: preparing a portfolio for a film season; 
10. Group project: proofing copyright and ethical issue in programming. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This is a team-taught module drawing on academic and industry-based expertise. There will be a combination of theoretical, historical and practical seminars and workshops addressing the main issues in the history, geography and development of film programming and festivals worldwide. Students will be active participants throughout, being the main drive in the conception and execution of the group project and written portfolio. 

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Group Screening Project 

Reassessment

Additional costs