Assistant Professor, Film & Media (AI Media Practices), Dept. of Cinema & Media Arts, AMPD

jobsnearcanada.com

Department of Cinema & Media Arts, School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design

The Department of Cinema & Media Arts in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design at York University invites applications for an Assistant Professor position in Film and Media Industries with a focus on AI Media Practices. This is a tenure-track appointment to the Professorial Stream to commence July 1, 2026.

The global screen industries are undergoing rapid technological and organizational change. Streaming platforms, social media, and emerging forms of data-driven production have reshaped film and television, transforming how creative work is financed, produced, and distributed. Artificial intelligence (AI) including readily available Generative AI platforms and the use of prompt engineering for creative work and other evolving tools are further accelerating these shifts—raising urgent ethical, legal and political questions about labour, policy, authenticity and cultural experience.
We seek a candidate with expertise in analyzing media industry trends, policy, and labour formations in this shifting landscape. The successful applicant will guide students in navigating technological disruption, critically assessing the opportunities and risks of AI and related tools, and exploring how creative practices are evolving across film, television, streaming, and emerging digital platforms. The ideal candidate will also contribute to research being carried out through Sensorium https://ampd.yorku.ca/sensorium/, Connected Minds https://www.yorku.ca/research/connected-minds/ and the Motion Media Studio https://yorkumotionmediastudio.ca/.

The Department of Cinema & Media Arts https://ampd.yorku.ca/department-of-cinema-and-media-arts/ is housed in the vibrant School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design https://ampd.yorku.ca/, Canada’s most comprehensive art, culture and design school. York is a leading international teaching and research university, and a driving force for positive change. Empowered by a welcoming and diverse community with a uniquely global perspective, we are preparing our students for their long-term careers and personal success. Together, we can make things right for our communities, our planet, and our future.

Candidate Qualifications:
• Degree: PhD or PhD near completion by the appointment’s start in Cinema and Media Studies or in related fields.
• Scholarship
o A coherent and well-articulated program of research and/or research-creation specializing in Film and Media Industries. Areas of engagement should include the impact of AI on media practices in one or more of the following areas: film, television, streaming platforms, storytelling, games, animation and documentary media. Areas of engagement may include the ways AI is already influencing production workflows, creative decision-making, labour and the economics of the screen industries.
o A record or evident promise of generating innovative, substantive and rigorous research programs supported by external funding.
o A record or evident promise of making influential contributions and demonstrating excellence in the field (e.g., high-quality research dissemination in peer-reviewed journals, edited collections, or equivalent venues in media studies, communication, cultural studies, or related fields, a record of exhibitions, screenings, performances, or digital projects that demonstrate innovation and scholarly/artistic impact).
o A record or evident promise for a sustained publication/research dissemination profile at the national and international level.

• Teaching
o A record or evident promise of excellence in teaching and dedication to students (e.g., student mentoring, student-centered experiential approaches, innovative pedagogies, student evaluations etc.)
o Innovative approaches to teaching how AI intersects with film and media industries and creative practices.
o Experience in teaching film, television and media studies, which may include history, theory, diverse cultural practices, and a wide range of formats and genres impacted by AI.
o A record or evident promise in curriculum development in media studies
o Teaching practices that incorporate principles of decolonizing, equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEDI).
o Suitability for prompt appointment to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, given that the position will involve graduate teaching and supervision.
• Additional: Capacity for educational leadership in curricular and pedagogical innovation that includes a consideration of A.I.

Hiring Policies:
• Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
• All York University positions are subject to budgetary approval.
• York is an Affirmative Action (AA) employer and strongly values diversity, including gender and sexual diversity, in its community. Details of the AA Program, which applies to women, members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ+, can be found here https://www.yorku.ca/vpepc/faculty-affairs/affirmative-action/ or by contacting Aqsa Ahmed, EDI Program Manager (aqsa517@yorku.ca).
• York welcomes and employs scholars from all over the world. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
• York has a policy on Accommodation in Employment for Persons with Disabilities http://secretariat-policies.info.yorku.ca/policies/accommodation-in-employment-for-persons-with-disabilities/ and is committed to working towards a barrier-free workplace and expanding the accessibility of the workplace to persons with disabilities. Applicants who require accommodation are invited to contact Caitlin Fisher, Chair, Department of Cinema and Media Arts at fmsearch@yorku.ca.

Application Process:

• Due date for completed applications: November 1, 2025. The Search Committee will begin to review the applications from November 1, 2025.
• Required materials: 1) cover letter; 2) current CV; 3) research/creative practice statement; 4) three samples of recent publications and/or creative practices; 5) teaching dossier with a statement of teaching philosophy and interests including how commitments to equity, diversity, and decolonization inform classroom teaching; 6) teaching evaluations if available; 7) sample course syllabi; 8) name and contact information of three referees who can provide strong letters of recommendation. Only short-listed candidates’ references will be contacted and should address the candidate’s qualifications and experience with regard to the position.
• Provide required information regarding your Canadian work status and optional self-identification for Affirmative Action purposes as part of the online application.
• Direct questions about the position to fmsearch@yorku.ca.
• Submit materials: at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AMPD_FilmMedia

Learn More About York:

• York University generates and shares knowledge through our research, teaching and engagement with communities around the world. The 2023-2028 Strategic Research Plan https://www.yorku.ca/research/strategic-research-plan-2023-2028/ showcases the depth, breadth and ambition of research at York.
• York’s commitments to social justice are laid out in our Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy https://www.yorku.ca/dedi-strategy/, the Framework & Action Plan on Black Inclusion https://www.yorku.ca/abr/ and the Indigenous Framework for York University https://indigenous.yorku.ca/framework/.
• Follow the activities and accomplishments of York’s faculty, students and staff on YFile https://yfile.news.yorku.ca/.

York University acknowledges its presence on the traditional territory of many Indigenous Nations. The area known as Tkaronto has been care taken by the Anishinabek Nation, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Huron-Wendat. It is now home to many First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities. We acknowledge the current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This territory is subject of the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the Great Lakes region.

To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate in your cover/motivation letter where (jobsnearcanada.com) you saw this job posting.