Film, Exhibition and Curation

One of the first universities in the world to offer a programme of study in this field, Edinburgh is pioneering in its development of an active learning and teaching environment for the study of film, exhibition and curation.

Our taught Masters programme combines rigorous critical thinking with experiments in creative practice, deepening your understanding of film and the ways in which it communicates with many audiences.

As a Film, Exhibition and Curation student, you’ll explore a series of approaches to the often neglected consideration of film’s movements and migrations within the context of the rich and varied festival, gallery, archive and exhibition cultures of Scotland, the UK and beyond.

You’ll work on imaginative curatorial projects, both independently and collaboratively, with input from industry partners. Assignments range from pitches to programming, and you’ll be assessed in ways that support you in producing experimental work and discovering yourself as a reflective professional.

Our community

Study with us and you’ll be part of a close-knit, international community of film enthusiasts under the guidance of two dedicated Programme Directors - Susan Kemp and Jane Sillars - who combine industry experience with teaching excellence, gaining them multiple Teaching Awards nominations.

Our School is a highly creative environment in which you’ll also meet students of Film, Intermediality, Creative Writing, literatures, and many languages.

Based in a world-renowned festival city, filled with independent cinemas, galleries and venues, we host visiting professionals throughout the year, and regularly collaborate with two of the UK’s largest film festivals, the Glasgow Film Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

We have excellent links with a range of industry partners in Scotland, the UK and internationally. There is a lively and growing network of FEC graduates working around the world.

Your future

You’ll leave with a portfolio of projects that demonstrates both rigorous academic and professional skills, as well as your ability to work independently and with others. Previously awarded the Students’ Association’s Teaching Award for Developing Student Employability, we were one of the early contributors to ‘Making the Most of Masters’, a cross-university initiative which won the Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding Employer Engagement.

Our students come from a range of backgrounds and have gone on to careers across film exhibition and curation, in cultural mediation, in communications, research, and the arts, forming a connected international graduate community of engaged professionals. As the programme matures, this has led to a number of collaborations, both between alumni and between current and former students.