Java Python ACF206 Contemporary Topics in Screen Cultures
Trimester 2, 2024
Film festivals are of increasing importance to filmmakers, industry professionals, audiences, and scholars alike. Emerging over 70-years ago to drive the global distribution of film, festivals now play a pivotal role in our understanding of local and international screen culture. Festivals also inform. our appreciation of the creative industries economy. This unit offers a critical introduction to film festivals today. Exploring major international festivals (such as the Berlinale, Cannes, Venice, and the Sundance Film Festival) the unit also addresses more marginal and/or online forums (Cinema Ritrovato (Bologna), Le
Giornate del Cinema Muto (Pordenone), and Webfests such as the Vancouver and Melbourne Webfest). Topics we will
explore include: different types of film festivals and the global festival landscape, festival programming and organization,
issues of film production and film distribution, the relationship between festivals and the city, festivals and celebrity culture, Webfests, and the future of festivals.
This Unit Guide provides you with the key information about this unit. Please read it carefully and refer to it frequently
throughout the study period. Your unit site also provides information about your rights and responsibilities. We will assume you have read this before the unit commences, and we expect you to refer to it throughout the study period.
To be successful in this unit, you must:
read all materials in preparation for your learning activities and follow up each with further study and research on the topic
start your assessment tasks well ahead of the due date
read or listen to all feedback carefully and use it in your future work
attend and engage in all educator facilitated (scheduled) learning activities and other learning experiences as part of the unit design
Unit development in response to student feedback
Every trimester, we ask students to tell us, through eVALUate, what helped and hindered their learning in each unit. You are strongly encouraged to provide constructive feedback for this unit when eVALUate opens (you will be emailed a link).
We have aligned ULO's with the assessment tasks, ensuring that the Assessment criteria is clear. Time for feedback on
assessment progress will be given in seminars throughout the trimester, and students will be encouraged to discuss their work with teaching staff and peers.
We have moved all content online and eliminated film screenings as a prerequisite.
We have added and additional topic/content to further explore issues relating to film festivals in more depth.
If you have any concerns about the Unit during the trimester, please contact me - preferably early in the trimester - so we can discuss your concerns, and make adjustments, if appropriate.
Towards the end of the teaching period you will be emailed a link to the unit evaluation survey. I encourage you to
participate, as constructive feedback from students will assist us to make improvements to this unit where necessary. We will adjust and respond to comments as soon as practical.
Each unit in your course is a building block towards Deakin's Graduate Learning Outcomes - not all units develop and assess every Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO).
ULO | These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes |
ULO1 | Explain the historical and contemporary contexts and functions of local and international film festivals | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO8: Global citizenship |
ULO2 | Evaluate the topics and issues established in film festival studies and the study of screen culture | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO4: Critical thinking |
ULO3 | Develop and plan a film festival program including themes, sections, logistics, and audience identification | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO3: Digital literacy GLO6: Self-management |
Assessing your achievement of the unit learning outcomes
Summative assessment (tasks that will be graded or marked)
NOTE: It is your responsibility to keep a backup copy of every assignment and the materials used to develop/complete it where possible (e.g. written/digital reports, essays, videos, images). In the unusual event that one of your
submissions becomes corrupted, is incorrectly submitted or otherwise lost, you may be asked to submit the backup copy.
Any work you submit may be checked by electronic or other means for the purposes of detecting breaches of academic
integrity such as collusion, plagiarism and contract cheating. You must understand your responsibility to act with honesty and integrity in your studies as Deakin takes all breaches very seriously. Make sure you read Your rights and responsibilities as a student in this unit to find out more about academic integrity.
Deakin has a universal assessment submission time of 8 pm AEDT/AEST. A late penalty will apply to assessments submitted after 11.59 pm AEDT/AEST.
Details | (Individual or Pairs) - Film festival presentation |
Brief description of assessment task | This in-class presentation should offer an in-depth investigation and evaluation of your chosen film festival. It will include an overview of your chosen festival, a contextualisation of the event and the positioning of the festival within existing academic research contexts. |
Detail of student output | Individual: Film/Web-festival presentation (1200 words or equivalent; 5 minutes for an individual, 10 minutes for pairs) |
Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | 30% |
This task assesses your achievement of these Unit Learning Outcome(s) | ULO1: Explain the historical and contemporary contexts and functions of local and international film festivals. ULO2: Evaluate the topics and issues established in film festival studies and the study of screen culture. |
This task assesses your achievement of these Graduate Learning Outcome(s) | GLO1. Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2. Communication GLO4. Critical thinking GLO8. Global citizenship |
How and when you will receive feedback on your work | Feedback on Summative Assessment Task will be provided. A rubric will also be returned to students in sufficient time to allow students to improve their performance in subsequent assessment items. Students can also make an appointment to get feedback. |
When and how to submit your work | Due: Friday 20 September 2024, by 8pm AEST All presentation powerpoints and related materials must be uploaded to the online unit site by the end of Week 10. All students must have presented by the end of Week 10. |
Details | Program review |
Brief description of assessment task | Review one program stream or event (film, panel, workshop, online event) at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) or any other festival. |
Detail of student output | 1200 words or equivalent |
Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | 30% |
This task assesses your achievement of these Unit Learning Outcome(s) | ULO1: Explain the historical and contemporary contexts and functions of local and international film festivals. ULO2: Evaluate the topics and issues established in film festival studies and the study of screen culture. |
This task assesses your achievement of these Graduate Learning Outcome(s) | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO8: Global citizenship |
How and when you will receive feedback on your work | Students can expect feedback on each summative task. A rubric will also be returned to students in sufficient time to allow students to improve their performance in subsequent assessment items. |
When and how to submit your work | Due: Friday 6 September 2024, by 8pm AEST. Assessment is to be uploaded to the unit site in Week 8 |