Edinburgh: City of Film

Dr Malgorzata (Gosia) Bugaj is a Film and Media Teaching Fellow and researcher at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Open Learning at. She has taught courses on European cinema, women directors, avant-garde film, cinema and the five senses, and film theory. She is a regular contributor to academic conferences and publications: her recent publications include journal articles and book chapters on synaesthesia in film, intermediality, and auteurs of European cinema.

Gosia is also a freelance curator organising film events across Edinburgh.

Tony McKibbin worked as a journalist for various publications including The List, Film Ireland and Film West. He was also a regular contributor to the Scottish arts magazine Cencrastus, while later writing for the Edinburgh Review. For two decades, Tony has had an ongoing relationship with the Australian journal Senses of Cinema. He also contributes to various academic journals including Studies in French Cinema, Political Theory and Scottish Affairs.  

In more recent years Tony has been teaching film and literature courses at the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Open Learning and maintaining a website at www.tonymckibbin.com .  

Tony helped instigate Reel Festivals, working on both Reel Afghanistan and Reel Iraq, and each year gives talks at Belfast’s Cinemagic Film festival, speaking to school-age audiences. 

Students on the course can expect to explore a wide range of films inspired by, linked to or made in Edinburgh. For each film students will examine the representation of Edinburgh and consider how the local setting may have influenced its development. Where possible, students will examine contextual information to evaluate how individual films have played a part in shaping Scottish cinema more generally. The course will also cover the city’s rich moving image heritage in order to familiarise students with Edinburgh-based film events, organisations and venues. In-class activities will be accompanied by accessible educational field visits to locations important for Edinburgh film culture.  

From the outset, students will examine a range of films from across different genres and eras as well as other materials such as journalism and film criticism locating the filmmakers within the city’s cultural and historical context.

Discussions and activities will also focus on film exhibition within the context of the city of Edinburgh. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to use recognised film studies terminology to develop discipline-specific vocabulary.   

Teaching methods will include participating in lectures and group discussions, analysing film clips and watching films (a mixture of in-person and online screenings). Prior to each session, students will be expected to engage in independent learning with preparatory reading and film watching. Students will be given practical exercises to work on individually and in groups in a small seminar setting. The written assessment will provide an opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of Edinburgh film culture and develop skills necessary to write about cinema. Examples of formative assignment on the course might include a presentation or a short text based on an in-class project written, a film analysis or a film review. Throughout the course, students will receive formative feedback on their developing work and will be encouraged to reflect on feedback from their course tutor and peers. Students who complete the written assignment for credit will also be given detailed written feedback. 

Week 1 and Week 2

• Monday- Friday (10:00-13:00)

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Assessment will comprise: 

• ​​​​​​Written assignment (max. 2000 words) (100%) ​​​​​​

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 On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate, compare and contrast a range of screen representations of Edinburgh.  
2. Identify cinematic, cultural and socio-political contexts of these screen representations of the city. 
3. Discuss and critically evaluate film and TV productions by referring to recognised film terminology and responding to secondary reading from texts such as film criticism and journalism.  
4. Evaluate the use of different sources of inspiration for film. 

The course fee does not include accommodation during your study. Please see our Accommodation section for more information. 

To ensure your experience at the University of Edinburgh's Summer School is memorable, we encourage students to embrace the city and its culture and take part in the variety of social activities available.

More about our social programme activities >

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For full details including information on fees, visas and a link to the application form please visit our 'Apply Now' page.

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