While four Canadians earned Oscar nominations in major categories this morning including Sarah Polley for her adapted screenplay, Away From Her, the Faculty of Communication and Culture's new Film Studies program promises to become a contributing force for developing even more homegrown talent.

The Faculty has launched southern Alberta's first Film Studies degree program and will immediately begin admitting students for study in Fall 2008.

"Presently in Alberta, American on-location film making makes up the majority of our film industry, with Alberta-based film production being the poorer cousin," says George Melnyk, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Film Studies program. "Our hope is to increase the quantity and quality of local films and encourage Alberta film makers to stay in the province."

Alberta film-auteurs such as a Gary Burns (Way Downtown in 2000) and Michael Dowse (FUBAR in 2002) have already directed and produced films in and about Calgary. Melnyk says fostering development of more homegrown cinema is a reflection of Calgary's potential as a significant base for Canadian film production.

"Our stories are of interest to people everywhere," says Melnyk. "Graduates will contribute to a thriving indigenous film industry and influence the perspective that the rest of the world has about Canada and Alberta."

The focus of the new Bachelor of Arts degree is on audience, industry and technology. Students of Film Studies will study the film festival phenomenon, Canadian and international film industries, and technological developments that are changing film production and consumption in the digital age. Graduates will work in film and television production and promotion, screenwriting, film journalism, film festivals, film archives and libraries, and arts funding agencies.

The program is eventually expected to contribute to Calgary being counted among Canada's largest producers of feature films.