The Department of Cinema and Media Arts (CMA) in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York University invites highly qualified candidates to apply for a professorial stream tenure-track appointment in Film Production at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, to commence July 1, 2023. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. All York University positions are subject to budgetary approval.
The Department of Cinema and Media Arts is Canada’s first and foremost film school with four specialized streams of study, premier production facilities, strong industry as well as independent film and media arts community connections, backed by a stellar faculty of internationally renowned filmmakers, screenwriters and scholars.
An MFA in Film Production or equivalent graduate degree is required (MFA equivalent such as BFA with a substantial record of professional experience in film production). We acknowledge that within higher education in Canada, traditional or conventional academic pathways in research can reinforce biases in the filling of faculty posts. We therefore encourage applications that may not fit all of the following qualifications and that challenge our ideas of teaching, scholarship, and research of which we may be unconscious.
We are particularly interested in colleagues who bring experience in facilitating equity, diversity and inclusion practices within their teaching and that may include contexts outside of academia, including artistic praxis and community-based work. A record of professional experience collaborating with IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) artists and communities would be considered a significant asset. York supports Indigenous research and education through its Indigenous Framework for York University, the Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages and the Indigenous Council. It is also invested in Advancing Black Research & Scholarship, and recently announced the recipients of the inaugural York Black Research Seed Fund awards.
We seek a colleague who can share both practical and theoretical knowledge about the role of image composition, pre-visualization, lighting, camera movement and color in visual fiction storytelling. Within a vibrant and diverse program, the successful candidate will contribute fundamental hands-on practice with studio and location lighting, familiarity with technique and styles in shooting narrative film as well as knowledge of the digital workflow from image capture to master. In these and related areas, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to engage in outstanding, innovative, and, as appropriate, externally funded research-creation at the highest level.
Applicants’ areas of creative research and studio practice should include fiction-based cinematography. We invite candidates to share evidence or promise of research-creation excellence of a recognized international calibre through: a submitted professional practice statement; a record of film and/or digital production which may include significant screenings with major broadcasters and festival presentations; awards and accolades; and strong recommendations from referees of high standing.
Evidence of excellence – or promise of excellence for an early career appointment – in teaching will be provided through: the teaching statement; teaching accomplishments and pedagogical innovations including in high priority areas such as experiential education and technology enhanced learning; evidence of research/professional practice involving teaching (including workshops and masterclasses), teaching evaluations; and strong letters of reference. As the position will involve graduate teaching and supervision, as well as undergraduate teaching, the successful candidate must be suitable for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Colleagues in CMA participate fully in academic life through contributions to artistic research, teaching, service and academic leadership. We seek a colleague invested in teaching core and elective courses in film and digital production, as well as other courses relating to their professional or creative practice. There is also the opportunity to develop courses according to program needs in areas where the candidate has experience and a demonstrated record of success.
York is a leading international teaching and research university, and a driving force for positive change. Empowered by a welcoming and diverse community with a uniquely global perspective, we are preparing our students for their long-term careers and personal success. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.
York University has a policy on Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities and is committed to working towards a barrier-free workplace and to expanding the accessibility of the workplace to persons with disabilities. Candidates who require accommodation during the selection process are invited to contact the Chair of the Department of Cinema and Media Arts, in the School of the Arts, Media Performance and Design at fmsearch@yorku.ca.
York University is an Affirmative Action (AA) employer and strongly values diversity, including gender and sexual diversity, within its community. The AA Program, which applies to women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and those who self-identify as 2SLGBTQ+, can be found at www.yorku.ca/acadjobs or by calling the AA line at 416-736-5713. Applicants wishing to self-identify as part of York University’s Affirmative Action program can do so by downloading, completing, and submitting this voluntary self-identification form.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and Indigenous peoples in Canada will be given priority. No application will be considered without a completed mandatory Work Status Declaration form.
The deadline for receipt of completed applications is December 1, 2022. A letter of application, indicating what rank is being applied for, with updated curriculum vitae, statements of research/professional practice and teaching, teaching evaluations (where available), and the names and contact information of three referees who can provide letters of reference should be submitted. (Full letters will be requested only for short-listed candidates.) Applications, indicating the name of the position being applied for, should be submitted to fmsearch@yorku.ca.
