Film and Television Study Guide 2025/26
What you can study
Bristol was among the first Universities in the UK to offer the academic study of film and television, and this commitment to innovation has continued ever since. Students at Bristol are able to develop their interests across a broad spectrum of subjects and approaches, including:
- Film criticism
- Hollywood cinema
- British cinema and television
- Global cinema
- Screen performance
Pre-requisites
At UK universities, students specialise from their first year and rarely take units outside their degree subject. This means that:
- Year 1 units are suitable for all students.
- Year 2 units require some university study in the discipline.
- Year 3 units require a strong background in the discipline.
Year 1
Pre-requisites: suitable for all students
Teaching Block 1
Teaching Block 2
- Screen Industries - FATV1NEW - this is a new unit for 2025/26. The Unit Catalogue entry will be published shortly. This unit cannot be taken with FATV20033 due to commonality of subject content.
Year 2
Pre-requisites: some university study in the discipline.
Teaching Block 1
- Black Cinema - FATV20039
- British & Irish Film and Television - FATV20037. The unit catalogue is currently being updated. It shows Teaching Block 2, but the Department has confirmed its running in Teaching Block 1 and this will be amended soon.
- Screen Industries - FATV20033 This unit cannot be taken with Screen Industries (FATV1NEW) due to commonality of subject content.
Teaching Block 2
- Contemporary Television Drama - FATV20035
- Film and Television Authorship - FATV20032
- Film Genre - FATV20002
- Topics in Film and TV History - FATV2NEW. This is a new unit for 2025/26. The Unit Catalogue entry will be published shortly.
Year 3
Pre-requisites: strong background of study in the discipline.
Teaching Block 1
- Film Criticism - FATV30006
- Social Media Content Creation - FATV30026
- Television: Ideas and Industry - FATV30020
- The Past on Screen: Nostalgia, Memory, History - FATV30030
Teaching Block 2
Cinema units outside the Department
If you are not a Film and Television major, you may be interested in the following cinema-based units which are offered outside the Department and do not require a background in the subject:
Teaching Block 1
- Contemporary European Cinema – MODL10009
- Understanding Russia: Literature & Visual Culture – RUSS10042
- World Cinemas: from national to transnational - MODL23016
Teaching Block 2
- Classics of European Cinema – MODL10010
- Francophone Women Directors: Documentary Filmmaking - FREN30111
- Germany and Austria in Motion: Film, Society, and Identity - GERM20054
- Introduction to Visual Cultures: from Bristol to the World – MODL10019
Please see the Cultural Studies guide for more information.
Application queries
Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:
Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk
You may also be interested in:
What you can study at Bristol
Browse other subjects and study themes.
Study Guides
Study Guides are updated every April for the following academic year.