2023- applicants in cinema studies (film studies)

[shershfield]

Hi everyone! Wanted to start a forum for folks applying to cinema studies in the 2023 cycle. I did my MA in english lit at the University of Toronto but have mostly done cultural studies/film within my work in english, so I am hoping to transition to cinema studies for my PhD. My research has to do with the Frankfurt School and film- I am currently working on applications for U of T, Cambridge, and Berkeley, but I am having a bit more difficulty narrowing down my options for other schools to apply to. Would love to know if anyone is in the same boat and where you're all applying, or if anyone has any recs! 

cheers

[wanlichangcheng]

Hi Shershfield! My research is cinema-tangential (kind of interdisciplinary, regional studies, media, history and cinema combined), and I'll be applying to Ph.D. programs this winter. I'm kind of ambivalent about applying to cinema programs because my research is really rooted in a different field (East Asian studies), but we'll see what happens!

[ShirinZZZ]

Hi everyone! I am applying to cinema and media studies programs, but mainly at masters or MA/PhD level, as I am now an undergraduate student (also an international student). My research interest will be queer studies, diaspora cinema, Chinese-language cinemas and East Asian cinema.

I have applied (and will be applying) to these following programs:

UW CMS MA

UCLA CMS MA/PhD

NYU Cinema studies MA

USC CMS MA

Cambridge Mphil in film and screen studies

I know these programs are pretty competitive...Fingers crossed. I only need one acceptance...

[nomis97]

Hi everyone! I am also applying to cinema and media studies phd programs this year, so I am happy to connect with other folks. I mostly work on media theory, urban space, and STS in the East Asian context (mostly China). My work is also quite interdisciplinary, and I have applied to a mix of film and media, and interdisciplinary phd programs such as USC, Brown, Berkeley, UCSB, NYU (MCC), Stanford (MTL), and Harvard (East Asian).

To ShirinZZZ above, I am actually a graduate of one of the programs you listed, and I am fairly familiar with all of them. Let me know if you have any questions! 

Edited December 21, 2022 by nomis97

[PhDApplicant23]

On 12/6/2022 at 12:13 AM, wanlichangcheng said:

Hi Shershfield! My research is cinema-tangential (kind of interdisciplinary, regional studies, media, history and cinema combined), and I'll be applying to Ph.D. programs this winter. I'm kind of ambivalent about applying to cinema programs because my research is really rooted in a different field (East Asian studies), but we'll see what happens!

Hey, my research sounds really similar to yours in its interdiscilpinarity - I applied cinema studies, art history, and East Asian studies this year!

[wanlichangcheng]

Hi PhDApplicant23! Very cool. I think that all three of the fields you mentioned lend themselves to interdisciplinary research. Basically researching X through Y. Personally, although my research deals heavily with film, I am not so much interested in film. Rather, I am interested in how film talks about or represents things. That's why I'm a bit unsure if a cinema program is right for my research--at the end of the day, I need to work with an advisor who is at least a specialist in the "things" that the films I study deal with. Best of luck with your applications!

[J. Strayed]

Hello everyone! Has anyone heard back from the film studies PhD programs about interviews yet? 

[wanlichangcheng]

On 1/19/2023 at 9:20 PM, J. Strayed said:

Hello everyone! Has anyone heard back from the film studies PhD programs about interviews yet? 

Hi, J. Strayed. Nothing yet for me!

[J. Strayed]

On 1/24/2023 at 10:53 AM, wanlichangcheng said:

Hi, J. Strayed. Nothing yet for me!

Thank you!

[Sb7128]

Hi! Wondering if anybody else applied for UChicago and if there is any intel on when they send acceptance notifs? Thank you!
 

[J. Strayed]

3 hours ago, Sb7128 said:

Hi! Wondering if anybody else applied for UChicago and if there is any intel on when they send acceptance notifs? Thank you!
 

 I haven't heard anything from them so far. But I also haven't heard anything from other programs. Not sure if the programs sent out interview notifications already. It seems pretty late by this point. I only saw people posting about getting interviews from UCSB and University of Wisconsin Madison.

[wanlichangcheng]

Good luck to everyone next week! Did anyone else apply to UW?

[J. Strayed]

51 minutes ago, wanlichangcheng said:

Good luck to everyone next week! Did anyone else apply to UW?

University of Washington? I did, not sure if their program is the best fit for me though.  

[PhDApplicant23]

I applied to UW. Seems like most of us would be interested in Dr. Braester.

Not sure how "filmy" my project is so we will see.

[wanlichangcheng]

1 minute ago, PhDApplicant23 said:

I applied to UW. Seems like most of us would be interested in Dr. Braester.

Not sure how "filmy" my project is so we will see.

Haha, that's right! Best of luck!

[commapplicant]

Has anyone received an acceptance from UMich?

[J. Strayed]

23 hours ago, commapplicant said:

Has anyone received an acceptance from UMich?

I was recently rejected... They're the first to reject me!! 

[J. Strayed]

Hello guys! If I haven't received any interview invites by this point, will I still have a chance? I applied to a lot of programs this application cycle. I also don't know if all programs conduct interviews, though it seems at least most do. I asked two programs if they conduct interviews, and I didn't hear back from them. So not sure if maybe we should just wait instead of asking when we should expect an interview... 

[PhDApplicant23]

1 hour ago, J. Strayed said:

Hello guys! If I haven't received any interview invites by this point, will I still have a chance? I applied to a lot of programs this application cycle. I also don't know if all programs conduct interviews, though it seems at least most do. I asked two programs if they conduct interviews, and I didn't hear back from them. So not sure if maybe we should just wait instead of asking when we should expect an interview... 

No, it is still very early. I just got an interview invitation on Monday for example which will be happening on February 13.

[PhDApplicant23]

According to previous years, UW should be sending interviews tomorrow or Friday, and then accepting in a week or two.

[J. Strayed]

2 hours ago, PhDApplicant23 said:

No, it is still very early. I just got an interview invitation on Monday for example which will be happening on February 13.

Thanks! May I ask which university/program you got an interview invite from? 

[PhDApplicant23]

20 minutes ago, J. Strayed said:

Thanks! May I ask which university/program you got an interview invite from? 

UCSD Art History

[J. Strayed]

1 hour ago, PhDApplicant23 said:

UCSD Art History

Thanks for letting me know! 

[PhDApplicant23]

I assume no-one has heard anything from Harvard AFVS?

[KKK8]

On 2/1/2023 at 11:28 PM, PhDApplicant23 said:

I assume no-one has heard anything from Harvard AFVS?

I saw there is an interview post today... I did not hear anything, so I guess it's most likely a rejection for me ?