MEDIALOG: May 2026

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The image above is a part of the New School Photograph Collection, Series 4, Commencement Collection showing the commencement ceremony of the 1980's, including procession on Fifth Avenue outside of university buildings, assembled students and faculty inside a church building, New School President Jonathan Fanton speaking at the podium.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

                            As the semester winds down, the season ramps up for showcasing and celebrating all the the work that students have produced over the year. If you have the opportunity to attend any of this year's end-of-year programs - whether Fine Cuts, Thesis Presentations, or Truth Be Told - you'll be given a compelling snapshot of our mediated landscape through films, interactives, and scholarly analyses that navigate across the intimate and the systemic.  It is a heartening reflection of our collective learning and appreciation for the concepts, tools, and methods for studying media that bear on our communities, society, and the planet. 

All my very best,

Melissa "Mel" Friedling

Director of MA, Media Studies

M2Lab Spring 2026 Newsletter
Migration Mapping is a living digital archive, resource guide, and research hub on media and migration. It seeks to identify, describe, and track the various mediated forms through which we make sense of migration as human practice.
Migration Mapping is the foundational project of the Media+Migration Lab (M2Lab), an experimental platform for exploring and creating the prismatic spaces, hues, and textures of media and migration. The M2Lab is housed in the MA, Media Studies.

Check out the Spring 2026 M2Lab Newsletter Here

                            Watch the Recordings from the 2026 Dorothy H. Hirshon Artist-in-Residence

In case you missed the events, recordings are available to watch the Spotlight Q&A and the Master Class with Cheryl Dunye

SPOTLIGHT Q&A 

CLICK HERE

MASTER CLASS

CLICK HERE

UPCOMING EVENTS

A reminder to add the MA, Media Studies google calendar to your own. That way you'll always know what's coming up. And, as always, please share your own news to be included in our next issue of MediaLog here.

47th Annual Fine Cuts: Announcing the Lineup

Monday, May 4, 2026
7:00 PM
University Center
Tishman Auditorium
63 5th Avenue

We’re thrilled to announce the films selected for the 47th Annual Fine Cuts. This year’s program brings together a bold and exciting lineup of work from across our filmmaking community.

Brij Parekh | Somewhere, Nowhere

Fozhan (Fou) Gharib | Night of Melancholia

Saba Niazmand | Somewhere in my memory

Claire Yang | Nha Trang One

Vidur Bahl | The Building Blocks of a Bridge

Amnon Carmi | The Piano Mover

Geoffrey Borabien | Wakes

Emma Hagert | Abby

Join us for an evening celebrating the work of our fellow filmmakers! We will screen the films and follow them up with a Q&A with the filmmakers. RSVP and bring your friends and family.

Media Studies MA Thesis Presentations

Tuesday, May 5, 2026
2:00PM- 4:00PM
Room 538
79 Fifth Avenue

Every year, MA, Media Studies students produce theses that pushes the bounds of contemporary media research and production. Please join students who completed their projects in the 2025-2026 academic year as they publicly present their work, engage in discussion, and take questions from the public. RSVP here.

Here is the list of Presenters and Titles for the Thesis Presentation Event:

Gil Hatcher / "Mute, Block, and Move On: Content Moderation as a Mechanic of Harassment in Fandom Communities"

Eric Pereira /"Beyond The Production Logo: A24’s Social Media Marketing and the Indie Film Paradox"

Xandy Hurley / "Pure Potentiality: A Dissection of Gender and Sexuality in Re-Animator (1985) and Bride of Re-Animator (1990)"

Arushi Kalia / "YouTube as a democratizing force: A study of All India Bakchod in 2010's India"

Nick Romano / "Techno-juggling"

MA Media Studies Recognition Ceremony

Sunday, May 17, 2026
3:00 PM-5:00 PM

Theresa Lang Community and Student Center at Arnhold Hall
55 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

Congratulations to all Graduating Students!

We look forward to celebrating this milestone with you and your loved ones. Graduating students must register for themselves and their guests. Guest tickets are required for entry. RSVP here.

REMINDER TO GRADUATING STUDENTS

A gentle reminder to all graduating students, please submit your headshots, candid photos, and images of projects/works (presentation slides, frame grabs, production stills, posters, installation views, project title with QR code, anything you have!). Use this form that contains links to the respective shared folders.

We would be grateful if you could please complete the form by the EXTENDED DEADLINE of May 6

18th Annual Truth Be Told Film Festival - May 21, 2026

Join us for the eighteenth annual Truth Be Told, a festival showcasing original short documentaries by the 2026 cohort of the Graduate Certificate in Documentary Media Studies at The New School. Each film emerges from a year of rigorous engagement with documentary practice - spanning production, history, theory, and aesthetics - and offers a distinct perspective on the urgencies of our present.

Hosted by Amir Husak, Director of the Documentary Media Studies Graduate Certificate Program, and co-produced with Documentary Program Associates Arushi Kalia (Media Studies ’26) and Guili Mikovicious (Media Management ’26). The screenings will be followed by a faculty-led Q&A with the filmmakers and a light reception. Admission is free and open to the public. Full program details will be announced shortly. RSVP here.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

Media Studies Faculty, Lana Lin, presenting at 2026 Arendt/Schürmann Symposium

Associate Professor of Media Studies, Lana Lin, will present in a faculty roundtable as part of the 2026 Arendt/Schürmann Symposium on “Philosophy and Writing” along with Creative Writing professors Camonghne Felix and Robert Polito, moderated by John Reed on Thursday, May 7, 2026, 3:00PM in Wolff Conference Room D1103. RSVP here.

A second roundtable with Philosophy professors Simon Critchley, James Dodd, Gwenda-lin Grewal, and James Miller will take place at 4pm followed by a reception. The symposium will kick off with a keynote by Salman Rushdie in conversation with Philosophy professor Gwenda-lin Grewal on May 4 at 6pm. The symposium is sponsored by The New School for Social Research's Dean’s Office and the Philosophy department, in collaboration with the Writing program. RSVP here.

Media Studies Faculty, Josh Scannell's book available to pre-order online

Assistant Professor of Media Studies, Josh Scannell's, forthcoming book, The Carceral Surround is now available to pre-order online. Students can get 30% off by purchasing the book at z.umn.edu/baau using the code MN95900. Pre-ordering offer expires on August 1, 2026.

The publication date is September 29th, 2026.

How digital technologies entrench state power—and a new vision for resistance

Media Studies Student, Anita Rzewski,is a grant recipient for the Student Research Award (SRA)

Congrats to Anita Rzewski who is a Student Research Award (SRA) grant recipient from the Fall 2025 round of applications, which were awarded in the current Spring semester. The SRA is a competitive research award offered through a collaboration between the University Student Senate and the Office of the President. These awards provide support for students in their work as researchers, scholars, and creative practitioners.

Rzewski's project, AI Futures: The Ecology of Cloud Infrastructure in Western Pennsylvania, is a study of how data centers are collectively transforming local ecology, labor practices, spatial imaginaries, and political subjectivity in Western Pennsylvania, a former industrial capital that has seen de-industrial decline and is now being projected as a center of the speculated “AI Revolution.” Rzewski, is mentored by Josh Scannell, Assistant Professor of Media Studies.

Media Studies Faculty, Cassius Adair's consulting production podcast will be featured at Tribeca Podcast Stage in June

Media Studies Faculty, Cassius Adair is a consulting producer on the podcast Stunt Queen, which was selected to be featured at the Tribeca Podcast Stage this June. Stunt Queen follows the life of Dee Farmer, one of the most brilliant legal minds of our time who has spent most of her life incarcerated among men.

Dee’s story is one of survival, sacrifice and determination as she continually advocated for herself despite being sentenced to 50 years by a judge. Facing a brutal system throughout her incarceration, compounded by her transgender identity and HIV-positive diagnosis, Dee taught herself the law from within the prison library, working to fight an unjust system for herself and others. Released in 2020 in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Dee returns to Baltimore full of resolve, faith, and a newfound purpose.

Media Studies Faculty, Joshua Scannell presented at Centre for Culture and Technology, University of Toronto 2026 Fellows Day

As a fellow for the The Centre for Culture and Technology, Assistant Professor of Media Studies, Joshua Scannell, presented at its third annual Fellows Day conference. The all-day conference convened 2025-26 Artist-in-Residence, Xuan Ye, and Visiting Faculty Fellow, including Scannell, Katherine Behar (CUNY), and Luke Stark (Western University). The Fellows presented new scholarship engaging with the Centre's annual programming theme, "Artificial Stupidity", in conversation with Ye's solo exhibition "ERROAR!" presented at the Centre in September 2025.

Media Studies Student, Darshi Shah launches an immersive game-based portal and podcast on disembodied spirituality

Media Studies Student, Darshi Shah, recently curated an immersive game-based portal and podcast The Sacred Signal exploring the notion of disembodied spirituality as a part of her production project for the course Decolonizing Documentary with Professor Lana Lin.

The key idea of this portal and podcast is to immerse viewers into a sacred space without essentially needing to step out into a physical spiritual space such as a temple or a wellness space in order to experience spirituality and an inner conscious awakening. The experience is open to viewers based on the world they wish to enter in and also redirects them to podcast episodes where they can listen to user feedback through the voices of different characters who participated in the portal.

Experience it here!

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

Composers, artists, designers wanted

Are you a composer, artist, or graphic designer? Interested in labor rights and tech justice? The Labor Tech Research Network is looking to purchase 1) show art / logo and 2) theme and interstitial music for our forthcoming podcast, Hammer and Keyboard. We're open to a range of designs and aesthetics, but no AI-generated material please! Please email Cassius Adair at adairc@newschool.edu for more info and payment details. Deadline: May 18.

Call for Submissions: Bloomberg Green Docs 2026

Bloomberg Green Docs is pleased to announce that the 2026 competition is open for submissions. Enter your short climate documentary to compete for a $25,000 prize: Open to all filmmakers Films must be under 10 minutes Submissions accepted through August 14, 2026 Winner will be announced at our film festival in New York City on September 22, 2026 See official rules at bloomberg.com/greendocs for eligibility, submission requirements and complete details. Questions: greendocs@bloomberg.net

Applications Open for SFFILM Grants

SFFILM's largest grants are now accepting applications. In addition to each cash grant, recipients receive access to the FilmHouse (located in San Francisco) and benefit from SFFILM’s comprehensive and dynamic development programs. All grants have a final deadline of May 22nd, visit the SFFILM website for more information on grant deadlines.

The SFFILM Rainin Grant supports filmmakers exploring social justice themes and is open to screenwriters, producers, and directors. It is the largest granting program for independent narrative feature films in the United States. 15-20 projects granted up to $25,000. For filmmakers telling stories related to science and technology, the Sloan Grant is another excellent opportunity to consider. 2 projects granted $35,000. Additionally, the Cedar Road Grant is available for filmmakers interested in portraying the complexity of Asian and Asian American characters and experiences. 1-2 Projects granted $10,000 - $30,000.

Call for Applications: 2026 Media Aesthetics VIII Summer Institute at Northwestern University

The Media Aesthetics Summer Institute at Northwestern University invites applications for its 2026 program themed “Impedance and Resistance: Opposing Forces in Media Aesthetics and Critical Technology Studies.” The call centers on research that engages with the frictions, limits, and breakdowns within media systems whether in infrastructure, algorithms, interfaces, or embodied experience. Drawing from ideas by scholars like Mara Mills and Jonathan Sterne, it encourages work that challenges assumptions of seamless technological adoption and instead explores partial, resistant, or alternative media practices. Applicants are especially invited to think across aesthetics and technical systems examining not just how media looks or feels, but how it operates within broader sociotechnical environments.

To apply, students must submit a one-page statement of interest outlining how their work connects to the theme, along with a brief letter of recommendation from an academic advisor to the summer institute coordinator, Prerna Khobragade (PrernaKhob...@u.northwestern.edu). The institute, supported by the Center for Global Culture and Communication, offers funding for travel (up to $250), lodging, and select meals. Admissions are rolling, with priority given to applications submitted by May 18, 2026.

Students are invited to respond to this Call for Papers for First Forum 2026, the annual graduate student conference organized by the Division of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California.

This year’s conference invites proposals that engage broadly with the theme, Delirium, with Professor Eugenie Brinkema joining for the Keynote. We welcome submissions from a wide range of disciplines and methodological approaches, including creative works.

Please see the CFP for full details here. Applicants must submit an application at this form by June 1, 2026.

The conference will take place on October 23–24, 2026, at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

Passes available for Tribeca Film Festival's Storytelling Summit

Taking place June 4–13, the Storytelling Summit is a dynamic, high-energy festival within the Festival designed specifically for the next generation of filmmakers and creative voices. The program unites emerging and established storytellers through intimate conversations, practical workshops, and strategic networking opportunities. At the Summit, students gain direct access to industry leaders and leave with tangible insights to help shape their careers. At Tribeca, we’ve long been committed to opening doors for emerging storytellers.

The Storytelling Summit extends that mission, offering students the kind of access, inspiration, and real-world perspective that can meaningfully accelerate their creative paths. They're offering an exclusive 20% discount on Storytelling Summit passes to New School students, which provide full access to the 11-day Summit program, including panels, workshops, and networking events as well as access to the rest of the Festival programming through the waitlist/rush line and complimentary day-of tickets. Students can redeem the 20% discount on Storytelling Summit passes using code: newschool20tf. Passes are available for purchase here: https://tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets

Invitation for FOLCS ISFC 2026 – 13th Annual Screenings & Awards Night – May 5th – NYC

We are delighted to invite the New School's students and faculty to the FOLCS International Short Film Competition (ISFC) 2026 – 13th Annual Awards Night. Join us for an evening celebrating powerful short films from around the world, recognizing this year’s finalists, and honoring the power of storytelling and social justice in independent cinema.

Event Details:
Date: May 5, 2026
Time: 5:30pm Onwards
Venue: Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater, Symphony Space, New York City (2537 Broadway, New York, NY 10025)

Note: Use the entrance on 95th street between Broadway and West End Ave

The evening will feature screenings, award presentations, and an opportunity to connect with filmmakers, industry professionals, and fellow film enthusiasts. This is a free event, and we warmly welcome your presence. If you are able to attend, please RSVP at your earliest convenience using the link below: RSVP for FREE: ISFC Film Screenings + Awards Night 2026 We hope you can join us for this special celebration.Please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions about FOLCS and/or ISFC.

Post your Casting Calls in the School of Drama's Weekly Newsletter!

For students looking to audition and cast actors for their films, the School of Drama publishes casting calls in its newsletter every week. To create a casting call, please complete this form by Thursdays at 5pm to be eligible for inclusion in the following Monday's newsletter.

ADVISING UPDATE: SUMMER CLASS

Cinema and Global Affairs
SUMMER 2026
TAUGHT BY: NINA KHRUSHCHEVA

We would like to announce a new course offering for Summer 2026, Cinema and Global Affairs by Professor Nina Khrushcheva. This course is an interdisciplinary introduction to the relationship between cinema and world politics and culture beginning with the 1902 groundbreaking Le Voyage dans la Lune by Georges Méliès in France, followed by the American D.W. Griffith and his 1915 seminal film The Birth of a Nation.

The purpose of the course is to understand the international cinema connection to some broad contemporary themes – nationalism, conflict, globalization, colonization-decolonization, security-insecurity, and, most profoundly, politics of identity based on ideology, ethnicity, race, gender, and sexuality. We will examine each of these themes through the lens of film theory, world cinema, and the Hollywood industry. Through lectures, discussions, film screenings and classroom presentations we will analyze the ways in which cinema has represented and constructed the world at large and around us – at times realistically or satirically, at other times, fantastically and ideologically.

Prerequisites: No Prerequisites

Days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday (A three-week length course)
Times: 11:00am - 2:00pm
Building: Johnson/Kaplan 66 West 12th
Room: 601
Date Range: 6/1/2026 - 6/21/2026
https://courses.newschool.edu/courses/NINT5031/

GET INVOLVED!

RUFF CUTS: Ruff Cuts is a monthly student-run series in which current students and alumni screen and discuss works-in-progress. Presenters receive feedback on their work from the audience in attendance made up of fellow students as well as faculty members and invited professionals. We usually screen an average of 7-10 films on a first come, first served basis.

Email: ruffcuts@newschool.edu | Instagram: @ruffcuts_tns

Submit your works-in-progress here. Submissions accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Critical Themes: Student Conference and Research Group - Be part of this student group organized to reprise our Media Studies graduate student conference that provides a distinguished forum for students from The New School and from around the world to present original scholarship on media studies.

Email: criticalthemes@newschool.edu | Instagram: @criticalthemestns

The student group is also organizing study groups and research talks throughout the year. To get involved, join their newsletter using this link.

*
Secret 16: Student-run series featuring 16mm picks from the Media Studies Archive, and running workshops on 16mm processes!

To get involved, add yourself to the WhatsApp via this link.

SUBMIT YOUR EVENTS, HIGHLIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE JUNE NEWSLETTER HERE!

FYI: As academic student workers (research assistant, course assistant or teaching assistant) you’re a member of SENS at the New School!

If you have any questions, concerns, grievances or simply want to be more involved in the union, you’re welcome to contact Aisha (serva890@newschool.edu), your Media Studies union steward a.k.a. your point of contact for updates to-and-from the union. Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Copyright © 2026 Master of Arts in Media Studies The New School. All rights reserved.

School of Art, Media, & Technology/Parsons School of Design

Our mailing address is:
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mamediastudies@newschool.edu

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