College of the Pacific

Welcome to the Film Studies Program

“Film is either a slice of life or a piece of cake.”

—Alfred Hitchcock

Our Film Studies program deals with film in the context of the liberal arts, with focus on the medium as an art form.

Film is analyzed both from its technical aspects and its function as a cultural referent, reflecting psychological, political and historical contexts. It accommodates both high art and popular culture, both an international discourse and an individual auteurism.

We examine film as a "text" that can be studied through diverse critical and theoretical perspectives, including such approaches as Formalism, Neo-Historicism, psychoanalysis, gender theory, auteur theory and genre theory.

Key areas of our curriculum include film aesthetics, national cinemas, influential filmmakers, film history and major movements in the evolution of cinema.

Students also become hands-on filmmakers through courses on screenwriting and film production. The Pacific Student Film Festival caps off each year by showcasing film students' works to students, faculty and staff across the Stockton campus.

Film Studies Degree Options

Students can earn a minor in Film Studies, or they can choose the Self-Designed Major option to pursue a major in Film Studies. Additional information is provided on the Degree Program page.

Hollywood Connection

The University of the Pacific has served as a setting for numerous Hollywood movies. The campus, with its traditional brick buildings and lush landscaping, looks similar to East Coast Ivy League schools but offers the advantage of being much closer to Hollywood. The city of Stockton has also been featured in many movies.

Pacific/Stockton Movie List