Back in my day, kid's movies weren't afraid to be weird and scary. A seminar-based class, where we'll gather to remember old classic dark (or not) fantasy films such as the last unicorn, pan's labyrinth, coraline, the princess bride, donkey skin, etc. What societal factors has caused fantasy to leave the cultural zeitgeist? Is there simply no way to compete with sci-fi? Or will we see society modify the fantasy genre into new themes such as solar punk, magical realism or greco-futurism? We'll be using 'The Wild Robot' (2024) to discuss the latter.

Ghibli female protagonists are often defined within the parameters of traditional heroine archetypes. Embodying terms such as "independent", "strong" or "empowering" But are these terms nuanced enough to encapsulate their femininity? Miyazaki's films are ultimately about spiritual journeys, as his female characters are often on a quest to save themselves and the world from spiritual bankruptcy. Lets discuss how the love that Miyazaki's characters experience is not about physical attraction or romantic love, but about mutual aid, support, and partnership for their greater spiritual goals.

You've probably heard of film director Wes Anderson from some of his classics, including: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Fantastic Mr. Fox or Moonrise Kingdom. But still feel like you don't get it? Can't find the point in it but damn is it pretty to look at? Reject modernity and nihilism and come embrace some of the best absurdist films ever made!

How exactly do filmmakers leverage our own psychology against us and induce feelings of deep terror just by showing us a projection of 2D images in the cinema? In this class, through the works of renowned film directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Stanley Kubrick, and Jordan Peele, we'll breakdown how camera movement and framing create horror and analyzing some terrifying techniques used by cinematographers to create deep psychological dread on classics such as Pan's Labyrinth, Get Out, and The Shining.

A technique that animations studios have been experimenting with for a few years is mixing CGI and traditional 2D animation. Non-photorealistic rendering has opened up an alternative to the ubiquitous “Pixar look.” The idea is to create an animated film using CGI and then to draw over each frame to give it a hand drawn quality. The future of animation looks incredible. The success of recent releases such as Netflix’s Arcane, Cartoon Saloon’s Wolf walkers, and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On have pushed the medium beyond being strictly “children’s cinema. Be prepared to discuss your passion for animation or filmmaking. No prior exposure to filmmaking is required.

Film and TV have long failed to depict neurodiverse characters with accuracy - often framing them as the "odd one out" or as autistic savants, like in Rain Man (1988). But lately, as our society learns more about neurodiversity, we have begun to see a change. Nuanced portrayals of neurodiverse characters aim to put us in their shoes and give us a window into how they experience the world differently. Audiences have rallied behind characters such as Abed (Danny Pudi) in Community, and Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Sherlock, reclaiming and celebrating them for providing authenticity to neurodiverse stories