Content Creation Lab to help local high school students acquire media production skills

March 6, 2026 | Kelly Youngblood Angela Aguayo, associate professor of media and cinema studies, created the Content Creation Lab to help young teens acquire media production skills. The pilot program, which will be held in new podcasting studios at Illinois Public Media, was awarded a grant from the College of Media and is supported […]

Ebert Symposium 2026 focuses on fandom and the media

January 30, 2026 Monday, March 30 Film Screening: The Wiz 7 p.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum Before Wicked, there was The Wiz. Join the Ebert Center for a screening of Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz (1978). See cultural icons such as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Nipsey Russell follow the yellow brick road in this musical retelling of The Wizard of Oz. […]

Documentary Club provides students a platform for real-life storytelling

January 22, 2026 | Giuliana Means, Communications Intern The registered student organization began in Spring 2024 to create a supportive space for both amateur and professional documentary filmmakers. They meet weekly in Gregory Hall to discuss and work on current projects, as well as host workshops to enhance their interviewing, filmmaking, and editing skills. “I […]

Centennial Circle: Investing in the next century of media education

Join a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the future of the College of Media at Illinois January 14, 2026 As the College of Media approaches its 100th anniversary, we celebrate our proud legacy and commit to advancing the next era of media education and research. Illinois Media graduates have informed the public, shaped culture, advanced technology, […]

Illinois announces first dual-credit initiative, bringing media and other courses to high school students

January 8, 2025 Understanding the role of popular television shows and movies in society—and in students’ own lives—is a central focus of a high-enrollment 100-level course in the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Starting in the 2026-27 academic year, the media and cinema studies course “Introduction to Popular TV and Movies” […]

Senior lecturer Carrie Wilson-Brown receives Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Award

December 10, 2025 Carrie Wilson-Brown, senior lecturer of media and cinema studies and advertising, received the 2025 Larine Y. Cowan Make a Difference Award for Teaching and Mentoring in Diversity from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Access, Civil Rights & Community. The Teaching and Mentoring in Diversity award honors faculty, instructors, or lecturers who […]

Department of Media & Cinema Studies partners with Flyover Film Studios to launch new internship

December 2, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood Beginning in Fall 2025, the Department of Media & Cinema Studies created a new internship for students at Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul. Francisco Albarran, a senior in media and cinema studies, was the first student selected for the program. Albarran was able to work on the production of […]

2025-26 Ebert Fellows announced

November 4, 2025 | Giuliana Means, Communications Intern Each fall, the Roger Ebert Fellowship program selects three College of Media undergraduate students to participate in the yearlong fellowship that aims to shape their skills in critical writing through immersion in the film industry. The Roger Ebert Fellows chosen for the 2025-26 academic year are Paige […]

Illini Watchers brings movie fans together for analytical discussion

October 30, 2025 | Giuliana Means, Communications Intern Every Friday night, the sound of lively movie-take debates pours from Room 1090 and drifts down the halls of Lincoln Hall during The Illini Watchers’ weekly meeting. The registered student organization began around 2018, originally named C-U Cinefile, to review various forms of media. The Illini Watchers […]

I on the Media: Jonathan Knipp explores the psychology of horror films

October 29, 2025 From Psycho to Hereditary, horror films have long mirrored our collective fears. But today’s fascination with true-crime dramas and serial-killer stories—like Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story—may suggest something deeper at play. As audiences crave both terror and understanding, the line between entertainment and ethics grows thin. Jonathan Knipp, senior lecturer of […]

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