This year, the Cinema Studies Institute (CSI) is celebrating 50 years of excellence, including the robust contributions made by faculty and alumni to film scholarship, culture, and entertainment.
Long before the Cinema Studies Institute took shape, cinema studies at Innis began with a single introductory course taught by PhD student Joe Medjuck in 1969. Throughout the early 70s, Joe and professors like Kay Armatage played an instrumental role in cinema studies’ evolution into a program offering. In 1975, the Cinema Studies program was granted “college status,” officially becoming part of Innis College’s academic offerings.
In 1980, Joe went on to be successful in Hollywood, producing films like Ghostbusters, Space Jam, and Beethoven. Joe is just one of many notable contributors to the CSI’s legacy.
In honour of the CSI’s achievements and history, the Faculty of Arts & Science has penned a piece chronicling the evolution of the program, as well as the cast of characters that helped shape cinema studies at the University of Toronto.
Today, CSI is a robust academic and cultural presence at U of T, with undergraduate, master’s and PhD programs taught by 20 permanent faculty members, several of them cross-appointed from units at U of T Mississauga and U of T Scarborough. Like the hero of many great films, though, the program’s rise to prominence had a humble beginning.
Above: Photo of Cinema Studies Professor Lauren Cramer and Alumnus Jesse Wente (BA 1996 Innis) speaking at a panel discussion in Innis Town Hall.