Faculty of Arts

Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media

The remarkable ability of story to engage, surprise, shock and move us is the foundation of our department. We are a vibrant interdisciplinary unit where students can pursue both creative and critical work in literature, film and theatre, including creative writing, performance and film or stage production. 

We aim to provide comprehensive historical coverage, to expand students’ writing skills and to promote the kind of analysis and argumentation that honours the richness of these disciplines.

Our faculty and staff
Stacks upon stacks of old hardcover books.

2025-2026 course offerings

Many courses in English, Theatre and Film are Special Topics or Honours Seminar courses where the course description changes from year to year. The course descriptions for 2025-2026 are available in Aurora. Please refer to Aurora for the current course descriptions when planning your course registrations. 

What we're up to

The Shaughraun

By Dion Boucicault. Directed by Dr. Bill Kerr.

November 26-29, 2025
Wednesday to Saturday 7:00 p.m.
Saturday 2:00 p.m.
John J. Conklin Theatre, Gail Asper Performing Arts Hall, 3rd floor Taché Arts Complex, 150 Dafoe Road (Fort Garry campus)

In The Shaughraun, distance, prejudice, and their own actions separate three couples. Can the Shaughraun trick the English and the Irish turncoats so that the couples can unite? We encourage the modern audience to take sides, to hiss at villains and cheer for heroes (but no throwing things on stage!)

Get your $10+fees ticket

Presented by the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media's Theatre Program. 

Queer Documentary: A filmmaking workshop

With Noam Gonick, Canadian filmmaker and artist

Thursday, November 20, 2025
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
233 University College building (Faculty of Arts Media Lab)

Filmmaker Noam Gonick will discuss how he takes on difficult, politically and culturally polarizing topics and crafts them into potent artistic documentaries marked by his signature flamboyant style. Participants will familiarize themselves with the process of documentary filmmaking, the delicate act of imprinting a director’s aesthetic signature without compromising the overall message, and the act of selecting interesting central protagonists who drive the arc of the story throughout the film. Open to all students and faculty, especially those with an interest in making documentaries. No prior technical knowledge is required.

Register for this free event

From page to policy: An English grad’s path to law school

Blending critical thinking with a passion for justice, this grad’s studies and activities have led her to the legislative sphere

Reflecting on her undergraduate journey, Spring 2025 Bachelor of Arts graduate Emma Winram [BA/2025] shares how her studies went hand in hand with her extracurricular activities and how they have led her to the next exciting chapter in her life. The Faculty of Arts caught up with Winram to ask about her time in in the Faculty of Arts and what’s ahead.

Read the article on UM Today

“Degree Top Three” with 2025 theatre and film grad Chance Sabados

When he started university, Chance Sabados [BA/2025] did not imagine he would end up graduating with a degree in theatre. He planned on attending the UM pre-vet program, but an Introduction to Theatre class he took early in his degree made him re-evaluate and change course. This spring, Chance will graduate with a major in theatre and a minor in film studies. Chance, an artist who, throughout his degree, honed his skills in acting, directing, writing, set design and stage management took the time to answer our “Degree Top Three” questionnaire, offering a glimpse into his creative journey in the Faculty of Arts.

Read the article on UM Today

Research Spotlight:
Queer Kinship Structures in Epic Fantasy and Online Fandom Communities

Dr. Erin Keating and honours student Anastasia Christodoulou have a video conversation about Books One and Three of Steven Erikson’s [BA/80] epic fantasy series, Malazan Book of the Fallen. Based on research they conducted alongside two graduate research assistants over the summer, this video looks at two characters from the series, Silverfox and The Mhybe, through the lens of queer theory and queer reproduction.

Watch the video

If you’re interested in doing more public-facing scholarship as part of your degree, the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media might be the place for you. 

Learn more about our degree offerings

Identity and Poetics of Ukrainian Canadian Literature

We are pleased to share that the conference Identity and Poetics of Ukrainian Canadian Literature took place on March 14 and was a great success. The event brought together scholars, writers, and community members to engage in meaningful discussions on the literary contributions of Ukrainian Canadians and their role in shaping cultural identity.

This success would not have been possible without the invaluable support of our speakers, participants, and organizers. We extend our sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed, especially our sponsors—the Shevchenko Foundation, the Canadian Foundation for Ukrainian Studies, and the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba, the Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media, the Department of German and Slavic Studies —whose generous support helped make this event possible.

To learn more about the conference or future projects related to Global Ukrainian Canadian Studies contact Prof. Mariya Shymchyshyn
 

View Conference Brochure  

View Conference program

A collection of student actors dressed in 1800's period clothing.
Man wearing a cap and glasses standing in front of a film production light standard, holding his hands in the air as if he is framing a shot.
Headshot of Emma Winram.
Man standing in front a bunch of bushes, holding a small, brown dog in his arms.
A professor and a student, both smiling, sitting in front of an office bookshelf full of books.
Attendees of the Ukrainian Canadian Literature Conference

PhD Oral Examination
Ecstatic Torment: The Cinematic Motus in the Horror Genre

GG Dascal, PhD candidate

Friday, November 14, 2025
11:00 a.m.
409 Tier building

Advisor: Dr. Brenda Austin-Smith, English, Theatre, Film & Media

Examiners: Dr. Jonah Corne, English, Theatre, Film & Media; Dr. Kenneth MacKendrick, Religion

External Examiner: Dr. Andre Loiselle, Dean of Humanities / Professor of Film Studies, St. Thomas University

Exam Chair: Dr. Len Kuffert, History
 

Thesis abstract

This dissertation about cinematic horror introduces the cinematic motus, a concept intended to expand scholarly approaches to the genre. The cinematic motus (from the Latin ‘movere’: “movement”) stands for shots and/or scenes which internally “move” viewers by provoking intense psychological, emotional, and potentially transformative viewing experiences. By giving a name to these elusive encounters between viewer and filmed image, we recognize a disruption of our everyday reality which then can be explored and internalized. Thus, the cinematic motus helps people interact with films in a more engaging and personalized way, reaching a new level of enjoyment. This dissertation explores diverse styles of “moving” encounters within viewing experiences, including those that engage directly and unapologetically with the disgusting, the violent, and the gory. Ultimately, this dissertation calls for the recognition of horror aesthetics as a structure of transformative engagement, one through which we can all experience the undervalued extasy of torment.

While film scholarship has embraced some of the most abject visual and thematic elements of cinematic horror, these gestures often involve an anxious justification of the scholar’s interest in the genre, reliant on its association with political and/or social values. Furthermore, scholars tend to appreciate and celebrate horror films that are overtly intellectually complex, cinematically appealing, and/or professedly reminiscent of other more “reputable” genres (avant-garde and dramatic films). This dissertation contends that horror films devoid of these qualities can still produce viewing experiences that are enjoyable and deserving of scholarship. Through the analysis of shots and/or series of shots, critical readings of an assorted array of horror films demonstrate the functionality of five different types of motus (allegorical, narrative, shock, reflexive, and liminal). The widespread selection of films analyzed showcases how motus works through the horror genre as a whole. Accordingly, this dissertation does not focus on any specific historical periods, as it is transtemporal in nature. Horror does not need to be neutral or ennobling to be appreciated; the abject, a central feature of the genre, is itself beautiful and awe-producing in its emotional effects.

Programs of study

Student resources and opportunities

Research

  • Research areas

    • Medieval literature
    • Early modern literature
    • Restoration and 18th century literature
    • Victorian literature
    • Romantic literature
    • Modernism and early 20th century literature
    • 20th century and contemporary literature
    • Postmodernism

  •  

    • Critical theory
    • Post-colonial and world literatures
    • Canadian literature
    • American literature
    • Bibliography and book history
    • Creative writing
    • Film
    • Theatre  

  • Affiliated research areas

    Our department has close affiliations with the following:

Contact us

Department of English, Theatre, Film & Media
620 Fletcher Argue Building
15 Chancellors Circle
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

english@umanitoba.ca
204-474-9678
204-474-7669