FILM AND MEDIA ARTS

Delve into the film history or media production in Rome.

• Media Arts for Non-production Majors in fall, spring and sometimes during the summer term
• Site visits in Rome and excursions to other Italian cities

Summer 2025 Film and Media Intensive

4 weeks in Rome followed by 2 weeks in Bologna

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to study film in Rome and Bologna this summer. Choose the Film and Media intensive track, and you'll spend the first four weeks in Rome and the final two weeks in Bologna. You will enroll in the following two courses:

• FMA 3680. Foreign Studies in FMA (4 credits). Crosslisted with MSP 4571: International Topics in Media and Communication and ARTH 2660: Topics in International Cinema.
• FMA 4240. Writing for Media (4 credits). Crosslisted with MSP 3890. Intermediate Topics in Media Production.

Foreign Studies in FMA (6-week course: 4 weeks in Rome and 2 weeks in Bologna)

This course is a seminar in one of Temple's study abroad locations. It uses study of cinema and moving-image arts as a means to more deeply understand another national culture. Reading, screenings, and field trips will connect the study of cinematic arts to other material in the study-away program. NOTE: FMA students may only count four credits towards the FMA major. 

Why take this course in Rome and Bologna?

Spend six weeks learning and living in one of the most magical countries in Europe. You’ll spend the first four weeks in the vibrant cinematic city of Rome exploring its rich film tradition, including a visit to the famous Ciné Citta Studios. This part of the course will focus on filmmaking in the capital city of Rome—we will study a broad range of films set in Rome by Italian directors, including Calvalcanti, Fellini, Pasolini, Visconti, and Wertmüller, as well as look at Italian American filmmakers such as Coppola and Scorsese for whom Italy plays a major role in their cinematic oeuvre. We will visit neighborhoods in which films were made outside of the studio and visit a dubbing lab.

The last two weeks of the course will shift to the Cinema Ritrovato film festival in Bologna. Initiated by Scorsese as a means by which to preserve and showcase both classical and lesser-known films from around the globe, Cinema Ritrovato constitutes one of the most important film festivals honoring the importance of the medium as a major art and cultural form. We will explore the politics of exhibition and trace a history of festivals—what gets included, what are the processes and politics of restoration, how are canons formed? In addition to a festival pass, we will visit a restoration lab and a film museum.

This course will be taught by Temple Main Campus visiting faculty member, Nora M. Alter. Professor Alter is author of over 7 books in film studies. She specializes in European, avant-garde and experimental film. She has extensive experience in teaching abroad, including in Venice, Rome and Paris.

Students who enroll in this course will choose the Intensive Film and Media track and will also enroll in FMA 4240. An additional program fee will apply to cover costs in Bologna. 

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Writing for Media (4 week course, offered during the first four weeks in Rome)

Writing for Media I focuses on the art of writing the short film. Over the course of four weeks, students will develop, workshop, and revise a 10-page script. By reading published screenplays, watching films, and discussing screenwriting theory, the participants will tackle the principles of visual storytelling and identify which narratives are best suited for this form. With an invited guest filmmaker, we will track and discuss the journey of a project from conception to completed film to understand the transition from script to screen. Through creative writing assignments requiring exploration in Rome, students will sharpen their own storytelling approach while also discovering the city.  By presenting story ideas and script pages in class, all participants will give and receive feedback in an inspiring workshop setting mirroring a professional writers’ room.

This course will be taught by Temple Rome faculty, Erika Tasini, an accomplished film director and writer whose films have been screened at several international venues.

Contact

For more information about the courses, contact Prof. Nora Alter, nora.alter@temple.edu. For other questions about the program or application, contact study.abroad@temple.edu.