Course Leader: MA Feature Film Making

Falmouth’s School of Film & Television is a CILECT member, ARRI and AVID learning partner, and an Albert Educational Partner with ScreenSkills accredited courses within its portfolio. Comprising over 700 students and 40 staff, the department has grown year on year with a well-established portfolio of undergraduate film, television, visual effects and animation courses and a thriving postgraduate community.

 

Our latest course, MA Feature Filmmaking, is unique. Developed with production partner Action Xtreme – a UK studio committed to action cinema and talent development – students will develop, produce, shoot and complete post on a microbudget feature film in the action genre, before delivering it to a UK distributor – all over the course of one year. Students work from start to finish as part of a team: pitching initial ideas, taking one of these to a full script and working as a professional crew from pre-production through principal photography through to post-production and delivery. MA Feature Filmmaking contextualises industry challenges such as inclusivity and sustainability, giving a space for students to explore diverse ideas within an independent filmmaking culture that challenges mainstream narratives.

 

The course, now recruiting students into the first cohort for September 2025, consolidates a long history of feature film development and delivery involving students through the Sound/Image Cinema Lab – a multifaceted partner, funder, resource and research centre based within Falmouth University dedicated to the production and education of independent cinema. Feature film production is part of our DNA at Falmouth, with recent Lab feature film partnerships involving staff and students including The Severed Sun (2024), Enys Men (2023), Long Way Back (2022), The Tape (2021), Wilderness (2021), and the BAFTA winning Bait (2019).

 

We are looking for a Course Leader to develop content, lead on student recruitment and play a key role in the delivery of this course.  The role holder will work with our production partner Action Xtreme and will lead our course team at our purpose-built production facility on the Penryn campus in Cornwall.

 

The Course Leader will be ambitious and energetic, responsible for the academic leadership and operational management of the course, as well as ensuring our students’ success, from progression on the course, to their graduate outcomes. You will ensure that students’ experience throughout their time at Falmouth is positive and transformative, prioritising inclusivity, diversity and belonging as core principles.

 

You will lead in the curriculum planning, development and delivery, overseeing quality assurance and leading on internal course and module reviews. Alongside this, the role will be responsible for the preparation and delivery of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials, and continue to secure and develop strong links with industry partners. The leadership of the course will require someone with strong people and production management skills, to ensure workloads are balanced and work packages are delivered on time.

 

MA Feature Filmmaking will be primarily taught by the Course Leader, together with our partners Action Xtreme, within the School of Film & Television’s wider academic and technical team, enhanced by a vibrant visiting lecturer programme. With a rigorous academic foundation, the course has been designed to support the development of innovative professional practice and its critical and contextual underpinning, creating independent and curious students who are adaptable to change and industry ready. As part of the School of Film & Television teaching and learning team, this is a pivotal role to ensure the School’s continued growth and reputation.

The successful candidate you will have experience in both leading and managing film teams, as well as the proven ability to lead people, and inspire students, through innovative pedagogies, whilst bringing specialist insight and professional expertise in feature film development, producing and production management.

 

You will have a good understanding of the technical and creative requirements of feature filmmaking and an up-to-date awareness of current trends, theories and critical debates. You will be able to evidence a strong portfolio as a creative practitioner in the field of film production and have a good network of professionals in the creative industries. Alongside these core qualities, you will be an outstanding educator, practitioner and communicator who can work independently, and also as part of a team.

 

You must be highly organised, able to manage your time efficiently and will be able to demonstrate evidence of people management and leadership. You would join a community of committed scholars and professionals who ensure our constantly-evolving courses are informed by the latest academic scholarship and the demands of a vibrant industry environment.

 

We are looking to hear from candidates who have the following skills/experience:

 

For further details on the skills/experience required for this role, please see the full job description above.

 

This new position will initially be for 17.5 hours per week, developing course content, leading on student recruitment and representing the course at events. The hours will then increase to 28 hours per week, with effect from July 2025, whereupon the role holder will lead the delivery of the course, with the first cohort of students arriving in September 2025.

 

If you are looking to have an informal discussion about the vacancy ahead of applying, please email [email protected].

 

The closing date for the position is Thursday 20 March 2025.

 

In return for you hard work and commitment, we offer excellent facilities and benefits, including:

  

 - Salary Sacrifice Home & Tech Scheme

Full details on our employee benefits can be found on our careers page www.falmouth.ac.uk/jobs. Alongside these benefits we offer a first class working environment across our campuses with all the facilities you would expect from a leading University.

 

Falmouth University welcomes and encourages job applications from people of all identities and backgrounds, particularly those under-represented and/or marginalised, as it is important we have a diverse range of candidates to consider.