Portia Ameyalli Garcia Cruz, MA Film and Screen Media

I was looking to study abroad, and after exploring various options, it was the program at UCC that caught my attention the most. The university appeared exceptionally welcoming and committed to fostering a multicultural environment. The campus looked impressive in the pictures, and I was excited to discover the wide range of activities, societies, and clubs the school offered. It's refreshing to observe how the university's efforts extend beyond the classroom, contributing to the creation of diverse and inclusive communities. 

What I have enjoyed the most are my courses and the teaching of my incredible professors. In each of the modules I took, they engaged with us to challenge us as film students and find a way to create conscious and not passive discourses, to involve ourselves in our craft. Likewise, the masterclasses and events organized by the Film and Screen Media department enriched my days and what I learned in the classroom, allowing me to discover more about the multifaceted nature of cinema.

I joined the French Society to practice my French, and I also joined the Mountaineering Club. It was a relief to know I could find both at UCC because I was worried, I would not be able to continue when I moved to Ireland from my country. It was a wonderful surprise to find out I would be able to continue doing the things I loved. 

The first time I travelled to Ireland, it felt like a country that became home right from the beginning. This feeling guided me to explore what options I could have for studying there. When I arrived in Cork, that sentiment returned. I really appreciate the tranquillity of the city. Moreover, as an arts student, it made me very happy to learn that the cultural life in Cork is very vibrant, with various film and music festivals throughout the year. I am very excited and grateful to get to know more about this fantastic city. 

Amy O'Callaghan, MA and BA in Film and Screen Media

Having already completed the BA in Film & Screen Media, I found the MA to be a wonderful culmination of my studies. It allowed me to utilise skills gained during my undergraduate, while allowing greater focus on  independent thought and research, allowing me to focus more on the areas of film theory that I was interested in, as well as apply this theory to the creation of a short thesis film as opposed to the standard written thesis, which challenged me creatively and allowed me to improve my filmmaking skills in direction, camera and editing.

One of the best opportunities I received during the MA was the chance to travel to Germany as the Irish student jury member for the European Film Awards. During my stay in Hamburg, I met other film and media students from throughout Europe, and was able to gain a fascinating insight into the film industries of other European countries as well as a broader image of European cinema as a whole. 

Since finishing college, I’ve worn many hats. After finishing the MA, I was very lucky to be able to work as a marketing intern in the Cork Film Festival, doing everything from social media to content writing to helping organise the festival’s Post-Primary school programme. This work introduced me to the Irish Film Institute and its education department, where, years later I now work as an Education Officer, promoting film education and media literacy and delivering an extensive film programme for Primary and Post-Primary students. In my job, I pull from what I learned in my BA and MA everyday, be it for film programming, developing educational materials, graphic design or managing the more technical aspects of our film programme including file management and delivery. A thing I like about the MA and BA programmes is that they equip you with a large variety of skills spanning multiple disciplines, which in turn can be applied to a multitude of jobs, including education, production, marketing, archival work and so much more, providing a great sense of freedom that I’m sure will stand to me for the rest of my career.

Benjamin Rupprecht, MA Film and Screen Media

I started the MA in Film and Screen Media after I did my BA in Theatre and Media Studies in Germany and worked for nearly three years in the German film industry. Being from there, the decision to move to Ireland and proceed my academic and future professional career on the island came through a general interest in the progressive developments of the current Irish film industry. As I wanted to deepen my academic understanding of film and enhance my research skills after my three-year break from studying, choosing the MA in Film and Screen Media at UCC seemed like a perfect fit and has entirely met all my expectations. One of my main goals in the one-year course, was to find a space to experiment in practical filmmaking with likeminded individuals outside of an industry driven context. I definitely found this creative freedom in the well selected group of fellow course mates and in the diverse opportunities the programme offered. Especially the “Introduction to Creative Practice” course provided us with great chances to learn through the diverse short film assignments, always driven by its collaborative approach as a key to every aspect of filmmaking.

The theoretical focus of the course helped with gaining a better understanding of cinematic language in general and its cultural relevance. Besides a deeper dive into Irish film history, the course offered a wide focus on international film traditions and in the comparably short amount of time that a MA course provides, covered a wide range from academic research and film critics to documentary and fictional film making.

During my degree, I also had the honour of being selected as a participant of the Lord Puttnam Scholarship. The six seminars taught by Film Producer & Chair of Atticus Education, Lord David Puttnam, and the task to shoot a short film together over the summer, gave me both the courage and inspiration to proceed my career as a filmmaker and focus more on my own projects.

It has also been through a recommendation from the UCC Film and Screen Media Department, that I now ended up finding my first gateway into the local film industry and just finished my first Irish job as an assistant director for the fourth season of BBC’s The Young Offenders.

Casey Hynes, MA and BA in Film and Screen Media

The MA in Film and Screen Media has been a fantastic way for me to build upon many of the things I had learned during my BA, such as practical filmmaking and film theory, and to develop and fortify skills such as independent thought, critical thinking and self-driven learning and study, while also allowing me to rediscover my love and passion for the art of film.

I was provided with many wonderful opportunities for growth during the MA, which included giving a talk to new undergraduate film students and helping at Open Days, assisting at conferences and symposiums, representing UCC in Hamburg, Germany as the Irish delegate for the European University Film Awards (an official category at the European Film Awards), as well as allowing me the chance to become a UCC Lord Puttnam Scholar and to work under the guidance and tutelage of Lord David Puttnam.

As a result of my wonderful year of studying again in the Department of Film and Screen Media, I have now added 2 more short films to my body of work; my own practical thesis project and a collaborative documentary ‘Romantic Ireland’s Dead and Gone’, made with my fellow Puttnam Scholars, which premiered at the 65th Cork International Film Festival.

Following the end of my MA, I secured a position as the Marketing and Administration Intern and Schools Coordinator at the Cork International Film Festival. I now currently work as Press and Marketing Assistant for the Irish Film Institue. I am also an editor and staff writer for the Be Nothing Club website, alongside some of my fellow BA and MA Film and Screen Media graduates.

No matter what field or career I choose to pursue within the areas of film and creative media in the future, I know that the MA in Film and Screen Media has not only given me the skillset, knowledge and drive to follow my goals, but has also provided me with a great number of friends, colleagues and connections who I will carry with me into the future. Whatever I choose to do, my MA in Film and Screen Media will help to get me there.

Shaun O'Connor, MA Film and Screen Media

Since completing the Master in Film Studies, I have been working as a director and editor of short films and music videos. My work has been screened and won awards at various film festivals. My film Nietzsche No. 5 won the award for Best Comedy at the Fastnet Short Film Festival 2011 and the Audience Choice Award at the Kerry Film Festival. Tearing Strips won the award for Best Comedy Under 5 Mins at the Charlie Chaplin Comedy Film Festival in Waterville, Co. Kerry. My music video for Conspiracy by Echogram won the award for 'Sexiest Video' at the 2011 Irish Music Television Awards. Also, I recently taught a weekend workshop in UCC on "Making DSLR Music Videos”. My work can be viewed at www.shaunoconnor.com

The MA in Film Studies lived up to my expectations; all the topics and films that were outlined at the beginning of the year were covered extensively. The MA gave me a good  knowledge of film theory, which I have utilised when proposing video work to various clients. I thought that the exposure to and analysis of so many films that I’d never heard of was really great.

Rachel Gough, MA and BA in Film and Screen Media

The MA in Film and Screen Media is a truly fantastic course. The mix of practical filmmaking and more traditional teaching practices always kept things fresh and engaging and the modules and learning opportunities offered as part of the course proved invaluable to broadening my understanding of cinema and my skill base as a filmmaker.

In addition to this, the faculty of the Film and Screen Media department are all top of their game. Their passion for their subjects and their specialism in their respective fields is infectious and they are always happy to point the way and aid students in their research. 
It's also worth mentioning the great buzz in the department, where small class sizes encourage a warm and friendly atmosphere.

I was also delighted with the freedom given to students to follow their own interest throughout the course, but particularly in regards to the selection of a PhD topic. It was so liberating and gratifying to be able to bring to bear the skills acquired during the year on a topic which I found so fascinating.

After I completed my MA in Film and Screen Media I made the decision to undertake a PhD in the same field. My MA solidified my passion for cinema and the tuition and opportunities which I received during the MA gave me the expertise and confidence to take it further. I couldn’t recommend this course enough.