Launch of Massive Open Online Course »Diversity in Film and Media«

- 14 modules on gender theory, queer studies, disability representation, decolonizing film studies etc.
- Completion of the European research project »future.film.education«
- Co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union

With the launch of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) »Diversity in Film and Media« the final component of the research project »future.film.education – Online Teaching and Diversity in European Film Schools« has now been published and the project has been successfully completed. »future.film.education«  was initiated by the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln in cooperation with the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) in Hungary and the Lusófona University in Portugal. The project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme »Partnerships for Digital Education Readiness« of the European Union.
As part of the English-language MOOC, which is accessible free of charge, students from film schools and other interested parties can complete 14 modules on the topic of »Diversity in Film and Media«. Topics include canon formation, critical media analysis, gender theory, queer studies, disability representation, decolonizing film studies, Romani representation, VR as a tool for creating diversity, PoC representation in film, and critical pedagogy. These are introductory modules that can be completed without prior knowledge and offer a first glimpse into the aforementioned topics. Successful completion of the MOOC can be rewarded with one credit point (ECTS), provided universities recognize the certificate.
The MOOC can also be used by teachers and lecturers as a source of inspiration for their curricula to address (in)equality in education, to develop strategies for introducing diversity and inclusion as study goals –  and thus to establish it as a central concept in higher education. Furthermore, the MOOC can provide students with ideas for individual project work or be used as a self-study guide.

Nadja Radojevic, Chief Executive Officer of the ifs: „I am delighted that the MOOC is online and can now be used by all interested parties. The topic of diversity is of utmost importance to us at the ifs, which is why we are keen to make it even more visible through this MOOC. For our students, the online course will be part of the curriculum in the future and I hope that many other education and professional training institutions will also make use of it. I would like to thank not only our high-profile partners MOME and Lusófona University, with whom we implemented the project together, but also Erasmus+ and the European Union, whose funding made »future.film.education« possible in the first place.“

About future.film.education
The European research project aims to contribute to a more innovative, inclusive, and diverse film and academic education – both on- and offline. In the spring of 2022, the website www.futurefilm.education was launched, in the fall of 2022, an Online Teaching Toolkit and a Diversity Toolkit, which were both developed as part of the project, were published.

About the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln
Founded in 2000, the ifs Internationale Filmschule Köln is one of the leading schools for film and moving image in Germany. It sees itself as a central, internationally oriented institution for education and professional training for the audiovisual media industry.
Its aim is to provide film and media professionals with a high-quality, future-oriented education that closely combines theory and practice. The fact that it is located in Cologne, a film, media, and TV hub, is particularly characteristic of its claim to be close to the industry.
The ifs’ sole principal partner is the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW.

For more information, visit www.futurefilm.education

Created on 25.05.2023