Semarang (15/11) – The Department of Communication Science, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP), Universitas Diponegoro, through the Domestic Postdoctoral Program – World Class University (WCU), held a public lecture titled “Writing Film Criticism or Film Studies: Constructing Aesthetic Arguments in Contextual Film Analysis” on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at the Multimedia Laboratory, FISIP Undip, Tembalang, Semarang.

The event was initiated as part of strengthening the Media, Culture, and Gender cluster, which serves as a key area of study in Undip’s Master of Communication Science Program. Featuring Tito Imanda, Ph.D., Head of Research and Development at the Indonesian Film Board (BPI), the lecture invited postgraduate students to explore the relationship between film aesthetics, social contexts, and cultural ideologies.

In his presentation, Tito emphasized that film criticism is not merely a technical review but a form of cultural analysis that reflects the interplay between film texts and social realities.

“Film analysis is not only about what appears on the screen, but about how film becomes a mirror and critique of social reality. Aesthetic arguments must be built upon contextual understanding,” said Tito Imanda, Ph.D.

Dr. Hapsari Dwiningtyas Sulistyani, S.Sos., M.A., M.Si., Head of the Media, Culture, and Gender Academic Expertise Cluster, explained that this activity serves as an important platform for master’s students of Communication Science to strengthen their visual literacy and critical thinking skills in examining popular cultural phenomena.

“Through writing film criticism, students are encouraged not only to understand cinematic structures but also to interpret the messages, values, and ideologies that construct meaning in film,” she noted.

The discussion unfolded in an intense and reflective manner. Students actively raised questions on semiotic approaches, representation theory, and strategies for constructing academic arguments in scholarly film analysis.

This activity underscores the commitment of the Department of Communication Science, FISIP Undip, to nurture postgraduate students into researchers and writers who are sensitive to the interplay between media, aesthetics, and Indonesia’s sociocultural contexts.