Film History II (FILM 2P99) has just opened up a few more spaces! If interested contact [email protected]
The class runs Monday 8:00-9:00am and Friday 9:00-12:00pm in STH 215.
The course looks at Hollywood and international cinema from WW2 to the modern era.
The CPCF Campaign Challenge is back for 2026! The Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film will once again host the event on Friday, February 27.
Teams of students will attempt to solve a contemporary communication issue by developing and presenting a creative pitch that offers a compelling solution. Finalist teams will pitch their ideas to a panel of industry expert judges. The winning team will take home $1,500, with additional cash prizes for the second and third place teams.
This year’s challenge asks: How do you get 18–24 year-olds to switch from cars to the new Toronto–Niagara GO Train route? How would you make the train more attractive than the alternative?
For more information and official contest rules, be sure to check out the Campaign Challenge site. Also, follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn for updates.
Do we need a ‘nutrition label’ for our internet plans?
This was one of the exercises given to prospective students on Dec. 5 at Brock University. The Faculty of Social Sciences hosted high school students from all over the Niagara Region, giving them the opportunity to experience University learning, explore potential career paths and participate in interactive activities led by current students and faculty.
In the session facilitated by the Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film, Professor Karen Louise-Smith and attendees explored some of the common complaints Canadians have made about their home internet service. They then worked in groups to prototype a nutrition style label for internet plans to provide clearer information to Canadian consumers in the future.
Communication Studies, CPCF, workshop
Categories: Events, News
The Department of Music is offering a course on Film Music next term & has waived the prerequisites for all students who have completed first year studies.
Feature Course: Film Music, MUSI 3P50 – Winter D3
Do you love watching movies and listening to music? Consider taking Film Music (MUSI 3P50) with Dr. Nina Penner, running Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00-10:20 a.m. this Winter term at MIWSFPA. You’ll study one film a week, analyzing how the music contributes to the storytelling. The focus will be on the science fiction genre, but final projects can explore any genre of film. Films included on the syllabus are Metropolis, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Gallactica, Interstellar, Arrival, and Black Panther.
Assessment includes in-class participation, reading annotations, a presentation, and a final project, which could be a creative project such as rescoring a scene from a film. This course is open to all students in second year and above, no musical experience required. If you are interested, please email Dr. Penner ([email protected]) to request an override.
After spending the last few weeks familiarizing themselves with the department’s camera, lighting and sound equipment, Andrew Martiniuk and his class of young filmmakers started shooting a scene as a crew.
Every take required the students to work as a team. Everyone had their part to play: gear to check, lines to learn and directions to follow. As they moved through each setup, students found themselves drawing on the theory and history they have studied in their coursework. Film concepts were no longer abstract ideas. Instead, they became practical tools that guided the students’ creative decisions.
With Martiniuk’s guidance, the class navigated everything from blocking actors to adjusting light levels, and they discovered how collaborative and dynamic a working set can be.
Check out the Gallery to see the crew at work.
CPCF, Film, Film Studies, production
Categories: News
The Honourable Senator Andrew Cardozo participated in a video call with the Communication and Media Policy (Comm 3P19) course on Oct. 31st, 2025. The students learned about the work of a Senator including reviewing bills and hearing from witnesses when studying them in a committee. Senator Cardozo shared some of their experiences of applying to be a Senator, and the implications of Senate reforms from 2015, which have increased the number of Senators who are not affiliated with a political party. The class also benefited greatly from learning about Senator Cardozo’s work to contribute to policies related to the future of the CBC, and some of his previous experiences as a CRTC Commissioner.
Thank you to Senator Cardozo and the SENgage program for making this visit possible.
#CPCF #Studentlife #StudentCouncil, CPCF, media, Politics
Categories: Events
The department was well represented at Fall Preview Day on Sunday Nov 2, as staff, faculty and student ambassadors welcomed prospective students to Brock. The university estimates there were more than 4,700 guests — the largest draw since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitors were able to speak with their future professors and peers and learn about our multi-disciplinary program and how it can set them up for future careers. Whether they had questions about emerging AI, an ever-changing media landscape, or how a strong understanding of communication can shape success in the business world, students left with a clear understanding of how CPCF can offer the tools needed in an increasingly unpredictable world.
communications, CPCF, fall preview day, Film, media
Categories: Events, News
Congratulations to all the CPCF graduates who crossed the Convocation stage this Fall!
Your passion, dedication and hard work have paid off. We are so proud of all that you’ve accomplished during your time at Brock University, and we can’t wait to see where your next adventure takes you.
brocku, CPCF, fall convocation, graduation, Studentlife
Categories: Events
This past weekend, the Ontario Universities Fair was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. OUF is the main recruiting event for Brock University, as the two-day event draws over 80,000 prospective students and their families annually, and CPCF was well represented.
Staff, faculty, and student representatives promoted our Communication and Film programs. It is always a great opportunity for CPCF to meet prospective students and share how our programs offer fresh, relevant ways to understand the world we live in. Department Chair Dr. Derek Foster was there to share his enthusiasm and “looks forward to seeing many more potential CPCF students at Brock’s Fall Preview Day on Sunday, November 2nd.”
If you are interested in the programs offered by the Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film, have a look at the courses offered here.
Communication Studies, CPCF, Film Studies, Media Studies, OUF
Categories: News
Over 10 years ago, CPCF’s Adjunct Professor Joan Nicks was approached by the Niagara Falls History Museum to program a public film series, and today it is still going strong. Professor Nicks curates two series a year, one in the fall and one in the winter. On September 25th, the newest series begins with “Borders – Crossing the Line North and South.”
Each series has its own theme. This fall, it is “borders” and how particular genres, from westerns to crime films, characterize border themes. Professor Nicks explains that it “fits today’s social and cultural currents of unstable borders, something people in the Niagara Region understand directly.”
Every film receives an introduction from Professor Nicks, followed by a lively discussion with the audience. “Museum audiences are very engaged,” Professor Nicks explains. “Many are regulars from the get-go. Some are first-timers discovering a particular series (and, in some cases, the Museum) for the first time. What they all share is an appetite for a special movie-going experience.”
The first film in the series is The Grey Fox (Phillip Borsos, 1982). The film is about an aging stagecoach robber who crosses into British Columbia to rob trains and finds romance. For the full line-up and to purchase tickets, check out the Museum’s website. Films are free with a museum membership or $5 at the door.
CPCF, Film Studies, Niagara Region
Categories: News
