Assistant/Associate Professor of Filmmaking, Fall 2026 bei University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The University of Tennessee School of Art seeks candidates for a full-time, tenure-track position in filmmaking and time-based art at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor. Primary responsibilities include undergraduate and graduate instruction, an active creative research agenda, and service to the department, university, and profession.  

Successful candidates will join the School of Art’s internationally recognized faculty and be expected to pursue and advance high-quality creative activity and/or scholarship in filmmaking and related fields commensurate with the research expectations of a land-grant, R1, flagship institution. We seek candidates with an expertise in filmmaking, and with a preference for candidates with the ability to teach courses in one or more of the following subjects: nonfiction filmmaking, film producing, narrative filmmaking, cinematography, and editing/post-production (sound design, color grading, etc.). Applicants working in other expanded and related fields such as video art, podcasts, gaming, animation, and interactive media are encouraged to apply.

Applicants should demonstrate a commitment to undergraduate and graduate education. Teaching responsibilities will include two courses a semester and student mentorship. At the undergraduate level, the position requires instruction of Cinema Studies BA majors and Time-Based Art BFA and BA majors. At the graduate level, the position will provide important contributions to and support for our nationally ranked MFA program and the graduate certificate in Cinema Studies through recruiting, mentoring, supervising, teaching area seminars, and serving on thesis committees. The School of Art is excited to hear how candidates’ research could contribute to and transform our undergraduate and graduate programs.  

In August 2025, the School of Art opened a new 6,000-square foot Cinema Studies/Time-Based Arts facility. These spaces include classrooms, an editing and animation lab, a black box studio, multiple personal editing suites, a sound recording/Whisper Room booth, stop-motion animation room, color grading and sound finishing suite, and a green screen studio. Our student equipment offerings include a deep pool of cinema cameras, sound equipment, lights, computers, projectors, etc.

Based in the School of Art, this position is part of a new constellation of interdisciplinary faculty positions in the UT College of Arts and Sciences emphasizing Envisioning and Narrating Emerging Futures (ENEF): https://artsci.utk.edu/about/faculty-initiatives. We are seeking tenure-line faculty who will have overlapping interests that foster faculty development and collaboration. The goal is to bring together and invest in faculty across departments whose research, scholarship and creative work are linked through this initiative and to attract faculty who can bring different perspectives to an important issue or area.

The School of Art is committed to promoting access and engagement to foster academic excellence. We seek to incorporate a broad range of perspectives into all aspects of our programs and are committed to maintaining a collegial and welcoming environment where all members of our campus community can thrive. The University is beginning a next-level initiative aimed both at substantially elevating the University’s national reputation for impactful research, scholarship, and creative activity and at assembling a roster of faculty committed to delivering one of the nation’s best educational experiences for undergraduate and graduate students.

Salary and benefits are competitive. The University of Tennessee offers an extensive benefits package that includes comprehensive health insurance and retirement along with dozens more services. The successful candidate will be provided with an on-campus studio and research startup. The appointment will begin August 1, 2026.

Required qualifications:

• All applicants must have an MFA in related fields or equivalent terminal degree in hand by August 1, 2026, or commensurate professional experience. 
• Applicants for Assistant Professor must have an active creative practice that demonstrates the promise of national recognition through a record of screenings, exhibitions, presentations, or other professional research activities in the field of filmmaking broadly. 
• Applicants for Associate Professor must have or had an appointment at a four-year university at the rank of Associate Professor or higher; have established a reputation as effective instructors as judged by their students and faculty peers; and have an active creative practice that demonstrates established national recognition through a record of screenings, exhibitions, presentations, or other professional research activities in the field of filmmaking broadly.

Preferred Qualifications (Assistant Professor Applicants):

• Post-graduate experience in teaching at the college level or equivalent experience.

Application Instructions

Review of applications will begin December 1, 2025, and continue until the position is filled. Application materials must be submitted online at https://apply.interfolio.com/171876. Emailed or mailed applications will not be accepted.

Required materials include: 

• Cover letter 
• Curriculum vitae 
• Creative practice statement
• Teaching philosophy 
• Links to a portfolio of at least three recent creative works, formatted as a single PDF with title, runtime, genre, and url (with password if necessary)
• Names, email addresses, and phone numbers of 3 professional references  

In addition to addressing qualifications for the position in their application, candidates may:  

• Provide additional evidence of teaching excellence (syllabi, student portfolios, student evaluations, peer-reviews of teaching, scholarship on teaching and pedagogy etc.) 
• Include link to their professional website  

Following the initial screening of applications, letters of reference will be requested for candidates that advance. Short-listed candidates will be scheduled for preliminary interviews via video conference. 

Questions may be directed to Carmen Atkins at [email protected] or (865) 974-3194.