Film Studies 491F - S- All About Festivals

This course introduces students to the history, practice, and cultural impact of film festivals, with a special focus on UMass Amherst's long-standing tradition of festival curation and programming. UMass has been home to a vibrant festival culture for decades, including the Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival (MMFF, now in its 30+ years), the Catalan Film Festival, and the Latin American, Indigenous, and Lusophone film festivals, among others. In this course, students will learn how to design and organize a festival of their own - developing skills such as curating programs, preparing budgets, and planning audience engagement - while also gaining practical insight into how filmmakers submit their work to festivals. In the second half of the semester, students will actively participate in the MMFF, applying their knowledge and experiencing firsthand the challenges and rewards of festival production.