Degrees and Programs Film Studies Minor

student filming person on road

Do you love film?  Are you interested in the intersection of media, culture, and the Christian faith?  Do you want a blended field of study with theory and criticism as well as practice and production?

The Film Studies Minor at Westmont provides an integrated liberal arts foundation that emphasizes the intersection of film with many disciplines and aspects of culture. The minor examines film as an art form that persuades and inspires, evoking religious, aesthetic, ethical, and epistemological questions that are foundational to humane learning. Combining coursework from the departments of Applied Studies, Art, Communication Studies, English, History, Modern Languages, Political Science, Theater Arts, and Religious Studies, Film Studies minors explore film as a powerful national and transnational force.

  • APP 60/160 Film Production (1-2) *
  • ART 065 Digital Tools (4)
  • COM 107 Focus on Film (1 unit, may be repeated for up to 4 units as topics change
  • ENG 101 Film Studies (4)
  • FLM 130 Documentary Filmmaking **
  • HIS 082 History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict through Film
  • TA 010 Acting I: Foundations (4)
  • TA 125 Directing for the Theatre (4)

* To join spring 2024 film project crew, contact Sean Pratt: spratt@westmont.edu
** Currently listed as TA-195-2 but will change soon to FLM designation

  • Cinematographer
  • Arts Journalist
  • Independent Filmmaker
  • Film Editor
  • Drama Therapist
  • Story Editor
  • Casting Director 
  • Publicist
  • Television Production
  • Advertising 
  • Screenwriter 
  • Sound Editor, Visual Effects, or Prop Maker
  • Lighting Technician 
  • Talent Agent

Student Wins Santa Barbara International Film Festival Award

Nomad Lyndall Stephenson

“Nomad (a film),” which theater major Lyndall Stephenson ’20 wrote and directed, follows the story of a young homeless woman in Santa Barbara befriended by an older woman who is also homeless. By using two women of varying ages, Lyndall contrasts how homelessness affects women at different stages in their lives. Read about the creation of her film and her SBIFF Jury Award.

Read the Article