George and Judy Marcus Endowed Chair in Social Justice Fiction Filmmaking

San Francisco State University

George and Judy Marcus Endowed Chair in Social Justice Fiction Filmmaking

 

The School of Cinema at San Francisco State University offers an exceptionally exciting opportunity with the George and Judy Marcus Endowed Chair in Social Justice Fiction Filmmaking, at the rank of Assistant Professor, beginning August 2020.  We seek a colleague whose teaching, creative and research interests foreground and explore questions of race and ethnicity, immigration politics, social justice, and/or minority communities issues within the United States.  We are particularly interested in filmmakers and writer/directors whose work involves the Latino/a/x, Native American, and/or African American communities’ experiences, histories and/or voices will contribute, to the excellence of the academic community.  An MFA in Cinema, a related field, or equivalent experience is required.  Candidates should have a significant record of film work as a director or writer/director with an emerging or established reputation in field, evidenced by festival screenings, theatrical distribution or other comparable exhibition venues.  Endowed chairs are expected to present lectures/films on and off campus, organize presentations of visiting scholars and/or filmmakers, and establish themselves as public scholars contributing to the cinematic life of the Bay Area.

 

Founded during the political activism and artistic experimentation of the 1960s, the School of Cinema fosters and champions cinematic expressions that challenge social and artistic norms, take creative risks, promote social justice, and express the diversity of human experience. The School of Cinema has been recognized for multiple years as one of the top 25 film schools in the United States, according to The Hollywood Reporter, The Independent, and Filmmaker, with a distinguished faculty of award-winning documentary, fiction and experimental filmmakers, and scholars specializing in feminist theory, post-modernism, international and American cinema, sexuality studies, and film sound/voice.  The School serves more than 80 graduate students (MA and MFA) and more than 1000 undergraduate majors, whose work is often recognized through scholarly publication, conference presentations, scholarships such as the Princess Grace Awards and official selection in major festivals or events such as the Cannes Cinéfondation competition , the Flaherty Seminar, Sundance and others.

A strong background and demonstration of excellence in teaching is expected.

The mission of San Francisco State University is to create and maintain an environment for learning that promotes respect for and appreciation of scholarship, freedom, human diversity, and the cultural mosaic of the City of San Francisco and the Bay Area; to promote excellence in instruction and intellectual accomplishment; and to provide broadly accessible higher education for residents of the region and state, as well as the nation and world. To fulfill its mission, the University is committed to the following goals:

  • Attracting, retaining and graduating a highly diverse student body
  • Providing disciplinary and interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional education that is academically rigorous and intellectually challenging
  • Providing curricula that reflect all dimensions of human diversity, and that encourage critical thinking and a commitment to social justice
  • Recruiting, retaining and supporting a diverse faculty whose teaching demonstrates an active engagement with their individual fields of study and whose creative and scholarly work is an extension of the classroom, laboratory or studio
  • Employing a staff and administration reflecting the diversity of our student community and the values of the campus;
  • Fostering a collegial and cooperative intellectual environment that includes recognition and appreciation of differing viewpoints and promotes academic freedom within the University community; and
  • Serving the communities with which its students and faculty are engaged.

 

Responsibilities: The position requires graduate and undergraduate teaching in fiction filmmaking, mentoring and advising graduate and undergraduate students; developing a robust program in creative directing and/or screenwriting that emphasizes race and ethnicity, immigration politics, social justice, and/or issues pertinent to minority communities within the United States; continued professional creative work in these same arenas; and ongoing committee and service assignments. Endowed chairs are expected to present lectures/films on and off campus, organize presentations of visiting scholars and/or filmmakers, and establish themselves as public scholars contributing to the cinematic life of the Bay Area.

Detailed position description is available at: https://www.cinema.sfsu.edu/content/tenure-track.

 

Qualifications:

Required:

  • M.F.A, or equivalent terminal degree in Cinema or equivalent professional experience.Candidates pursuing a Terminal degree must have completed it by the first day of employment.
  • Active record of fiction filmmaking in the position of director or writer/director with a body of film work that explores questions of race and ethnicity, immigration politics, social justice, and/or issues pertinent to minority communities within the United States.
  • Record of contributing to collegial, supportive and collaborative work environments.

 

Preferred:

  • Record of teaching in the areas of:fiction filmmaking, directing (working with actors, mise-en-scene, directorial production and post-production), fiction screenwriting or related areas.
  • Evidence of a distinctive emerging or established reputation in the field.
  • Active record of fiction filmmaking that focuses on the Latino/a/x, Native American, and/or African American communities’ experiences, histories and/or voices.  
  • Demonstrated ability to incorporate inclusion, diversity, and educational equity in teaching, and/or scholarship/creative works.
  • Experience teaching and working closely with students from historically under-represented communities.

 

Rank and salary: Assistant Professor.  Salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The California State University (CSU) provides generous health, retirement and other benefits.

 

Application processSubmit a letter of intent/interest, a statement of educational philosophy, how your teaching experience and creative work  align with the position description, as well as with the School of Cinema’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse academic community. Please also attach 1-3 sample syllabi; a current curriculum vita a demo reel and/or film samples (3 maximum, up to 10 minutes in length), and one to three sample syllabi. Please apply and submit all materials online at: https://sfsucinemadepartment.submittable.com/submit/148943/position-george-and-judy-marcus-endowed-chair-in-social-justice-filmmaking

Hardcopy applications will not be accepted. Three letters of recommendation upon request at a later date. Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. Review of applications will start from November 25, until the position is filled.

Review of applications will start from November 25, until the position is filled.

 

San Francisco State is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, medical condition, National origin, sex, sexual orientation, covered veteran status, or any other protected status.  Reasonable accommodations will be provided for qualified applicants with disabilities who self-disclose by contacting the Senior Human Resources Manager.