News

CINEMA STUDIES — In its 11th year, the Strauss Visiting Filmmaker Series featured director Rachel Lambert. She screened her 2023 film, “Sometimes I Think About Dying" and presented a two-hour directing masterclass for students studying cinema studies. At both events, Lambert shared her process as a filmmaker, her professional journey and advice for cinema studies students.

Highlights from the June 15 University of Oregon College of Arts and Sciences commencement ceremonies at Autzen Stadium and Matthew Knight Arena.

CINEMA STUDIES — Colin Williamson, assistant professor in the Department of Cinema Studies is one of three professors awarded this year’s College of Arts and Sciences Tykeson Teaching Award.

HUMANITIES, NATURAL SCIENCES — These four graduating seniors may have all graduated with different degrees, but they all chose their majors based on their explorations of the liberal arts.

CINEMA STUDIES — Alexi Pappas, MA '12 (interdisciplinary), is coming back to the Department of Cinema Studies to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her film, "Tracktown." The celebration includes a special public screening and live Q&A on April 23. In this story, Pappas answers questions about her inspiration and what she's learned since graduating.

CINEMA STUDIES, IRES, COMPARATIVE LITERATURE, ENGLISH, NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES, FOLKLORE AND PUBLIC CULTURE — Filmlandia is a film series running during winter and spring 2026. Each term will feature seven film screenings that spotlight Oregon’s unmistakable cinematic fingerprints. The screenings are free and open to the public.

CINEMA STUDIES — Associate professor Masami Kawai is making her first feature film, "Valley of the Tall Grass." It is both a personal journey and a community-centered story that expands the landscape of Indigenous filmmaking and invites audiences to consider the stories, people and objects we too often overlook. She's using Eugene, Oregon, as the backdrop.

CINEMA STUDIES — Elle Thompson '26 is a cinema studies major interested in pursuing casting. To learn more about the specialty area and get experience, she secured an internship with a Portland-based casting company and has experienced just about every aspect of the business. It has solidified her career plans.

CINEMA STUDIES, EAST ASIAN STUDIES — For Natalie Jacobsen explored multiple majors before landing on cinema studies and media history. That well-rounded education took her across the globe and to her current position as director of marketing and communications at Airlink, a humanitarian aviation nonprofit. She is also a published novelist!

THEATRE ARTS — Known for her standout roles in FX’s “Fargo” and “Legion” and HBO Max’s “Tokyo Vice,” professional actor Rachel Keller visited University of Oregon's Department of Theatre Arts and spent the day engaging with students, offering insights into acting and the film industry.

CINEMA STUDIES - Each year, the Harlan J. Strauss Visiting Filmmaker Series brings award-winning filmmakers to campus to mentor students and offer practical guidance as undergrads work on their own original films.

CINEMA STUDIES — This year’s visiting filmmaker for the 10th Annual Harlan J. Strauss Visiting Filmmaker Series is director Sean Wang, an Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker from the Bay Area. The community is invited to a screening of his independent film, Dìdi (弟弟), followed by a Q&A session on Thursday, April 24. Cinema Studies students can register for a masterclass on directing on Friday, April 25. 

CINEMA STUDIES - It was a cinema studies major’s dream come true: Four CAS undergrads traveled to Los Angeles to work on the set of Professor Ernesto Javier Martínez’s upcoming feature film. From dressing a background set to operating a boom mic in the trunk of a car, they share what it’s really like behind the scenes of a movie.

CINEMA STUDIES - Boosted by an award from the Williams Fund, Colin Williamson, an assistant professor, developed the class Hands-On Film History, featuring two in-class workshops led by guest artists who will offer hands-on experiences with historically informed animation art.

Through fellowships, the Oregon Humanities Center at the University of Oregon works to promote innovative humanities research produced by faculty members at the UO. The fellowships are for tenure-track faculty and are awarded on an annual basis. The 2025-26 fellows include CAS faculty members in the Divisions of Humanities and Social Sciences.