Department of Film & Media Arts, School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design

The Department of Film & Media Arts in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) at York University invites highly qualified applicants for an Assistant Professor position in Film Production - Generalist, with a focus on alternative/experimental filmmaking. This is an open tenure-track appointment to the Professorial Stream to commence July 1, 2027.

The successful candidate will teach introductory and advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in alternative/experimental film and media processes, including foundational aspects of the film production and post-production curriculum (e.g. camera, picture editing, and sound), and will supervise graduate students. Teaching may include, but is not limited to, filmmaking, writing, directing, producing, editing, and/or distribution across multiple film and media practices. The successful candidate will also be expected to engage energetically and collegially in Department governance and in administering the program, and to generate national and international academic, film community, and/or industry partnerships.

The Department of Film and Media Arts https://ampd.yorku.ca/department-of-film-and-media-arts/ is Canada’s first and foremost film school, with four specialized streams of undergraduate study — Film Production, Film Studies and Creative Media Industries, Media Arts, and Screenwriting and Creative Producing— alongside MA, MFA, and PhD graduate degrees, all taught in excellent production facilities. The Department and its Graduate Program have strong connections to industry as well as to independent film and media arts community organizations, and a stellar faculty of internationally renowned filmmakers, screenwriters, media artists, and scholars.

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 positive change for our communities, our planet, and our future.

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 encourage applications that may not fit all of the qualifications below and that challenge our ideas of teaching, scholarship, and creative research/production. We are particularly interested in colleagues who bring experience in facilitating equity, diversity, and inclusion practices within their teaching, which may include contexts outside of academia such as artistic praxis, collaborative, and community-based work.

Candidate Qualifications:

• Degree: PhD or PhD equivalent such as an MFA/MA with a substantial record of professional experience, with a focus on creative activity in film and/or digital production or a closely related professional field, by the appointment’s start is required. 
• Creative Practice/Scholarship:
• A coherent and well-articulated program of research creation and/or professional practice and specialization in alternative/experimental filmmaking and related film and media production.
• A record or evident promise of generative innovative, substantive, rigorous, and as appropriate, externally funded research and/or creative practice, as demonstrated in the submitted statement of professional practice and CV.
• A record or evident promise of making influential contributions and demonstrating excellence in the field (e.g., a record of analog, digital, and/or transmedia production, screenings at major film and media festivals, and related activities and accolades within the Canadian and international arts and film communities).
• Knowledge of analog workflow (e.g., the capture, development, and printing of film), as well as of digital asset management workflow.
• Strong knowledge of trends and practices in experimental and new media, and knowledge of diverse cultural contexts.
  • Teaching:
• A record or evident promise of excellence in teaching and dedication to students, including professional experience mentoring students through the stages of project development (e.g., teaching evaluations, masterclasses, specialized filmmaking workshops, mentorship, examples of collaborative practice, and other teaching accomplishments).
• A record or evident promise to bring both theoretical and practical orientation to teaching, learning, and program design in the area of alternative/experimental filmmaking, and to teach general introductory undergraduate and advanced graduate film production courses to students engaged in fiction, documentary, alternative/experimental, and other media arts practices.
• A record or evident promise of engaging in curriculum design and development according to pedagogical needs.
• A commitment to pedagogical innovation, including in high-priority areas such as experiential education, technology-enhanced learning, and multi-platform approaches.
• Suitability for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, given that the position will involve graduate teaching and supervision.
• Desirable knowledge and/or experience: Practical knowledge of emergent technologies, such as the application of A.I. in the creative process.
• Experience in other modes of filmmaking, including on-set experience and collaboration in fiction and documentary films and in future-oriented media.
• Knowledge of the Canadian Film Industry. Ability to navigate global festival markets, and festival partnerships, plus knowledge of domestic and international festival programs and/or distribution, and an understanding of how Toronto relates to the global film culture that would be relevant to our emerging and diverse student body.
• Knowledge of world cinemas and the latest production themes and approaches.
• Experience of working with a variety of funding models and modes of production.
• Ability to collaborate with peer faculty across various genres and specialties.
• Skills in production management, programming, and/or distribution.
• A record of professional experience collaborating with women, diverse sexual identities, and IBPOC (Indigenous, Black, People of Colour) artists and communities.

Hiring Policies:

• The anticipated starting salary for this position at the rank of Assistant Professor is in the range of $130,000 to $160,000 and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. York University offers generous benefits and salary provisions.
• All York University positions are subject to budgetary approval.
• York is an Affirmative Action (AA) employer and strongly values diversity, including gender and sexual diversity, in its community. Details of the AA Program, which applies to women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+, can be found here https://www.yorku.ca/unit/vpf/affirmative-action-program/ or by contacting Aqsa Ahmed, EDI Program Manager (aqsa517@yorku.ca). 
• York welcomes and employs scholars from all over the world. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority. 
• York has a policy on Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities http://secretariat-policies.info.yorku.ca/policies/accommodation-in-employment-for-persons-with-disabilities/ and is committed to working towards a barrier-free workplace and expanding the accessibility of the workplace to persons with disabilities. Applicants who require accommodation are invited to contact Jennifer Malisani, Administrative Assistant, Department of Cinema & Media Arts, at fmsearch@yorku.ca.

Application Process:

• Due date for completed applications: November 18, 2026.
• Required materials: 1) cover letter; 2) current curriculum vitae (CV); 3) teaching statement and dossier (including teaching evaluations, where applicable); 4) statement of professional practice; 5) links to film/media productions; and 6) the names and contact information of three referees who can provide letters of reference. Only short-listed candidates’ references will be contacted.
• Provide required information regarding your Canadian work status and optional self-identification for Affirmative Action at this link: YUWorkAA http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YUWorkAA.
• Direct questions about the position to Caitlin Fisher, Chair, Department of Cinema & Media Arts, at fmsearch@yorku.ca.
• Submit materials: to fmsearch@yorku.ca, as a single PDF no larger than 20 MB. 

Learn More About York:

• York University generates and shares knowledge through our research, teaching and engagement with communities around the world. The 2023-2028 Strategic Research Plan https://www.yorku.ca/research/strategic-research-plan-2023-2028/ showcases the depth, breadth and ambition of research at York.
• York’s commitments to social justice are laid out in our Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategyhttps://www.yorku.ca/dedi-strategy/, the Framework & Action Plan on Black Inclusion https://www.yorku.ca/abr/ and the Indigenous Framework for York Universityhttps://www.yorku.ca/indigenous-landing/wp-content/uploads/sites/817/2025/08/Indigenous-Framework-for-York-University-A-Guide-to-Action.pdf.
• Follow the activities and accomplishments of York’s faculty, students and staff on YFile https://www.yorku.ca/yfile/.

First Nations peoples have lived on this part of Turtle Island for millennia, stewarding the land, the water and all that contributes to life in this region. Today, the culture and presence of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples enrich the lands and people of this territory. More than two centuries ago, the Mississauga people welcomed settlers to this territory, providing sustenance and engaging in trade and commerce. Today, York University campuses are located on the Toronto Purchase Treaty No. 13 lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and the lands of the Anishinabek of the Williams Treaties First Nations. Our campuses are also situated on the traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat and the Haudenosaunee. Treaty history is foundational, and it is our collective responsibility to honour the land, as we honour and respect those who have gone before us, those who are here and those who have yet to come. We are grateful for the opportunity to be learning, working and thriving on this land, and we commit to learn the truth and be active in the process of reconciliation.