Memorial University hosted the 49^th annual conference of the Film and Media Studies Association of Canada (FMSAC), the leading scholarly organization for the advancement of film and media studies in the country. Held from May 20-22, 2026 on the St. John's campus, the conference welcomed over 170 national and international participants, including students, scholars, and media practitioners, who presented research papers, held workshops, and screened new media works.

As a cross-campus initiative, the organizing committee included Drs. Rachel W. Jekanowski (School of Arts and Social Science, Grenfell Campus), Dominique Brégent-Heald (History, St. John's campus), Aaron Tucker (English and Communication and Media Studies, St. John's campus), and Mike Baker (Film Studies, Sheridan College, ON). The conference theme of "Views from the Edge" encouraged participants to consider how contemporary issues such as artificial intelligence, climate change, and rising political extremism are shaping film and media practice. The theme also spoke to the unique geography of Memorial University, while encouraging engagement with Indigenous media histories and cultural practices.

A particular highlight of the conference was the Sylvia D. Hamilton Dialogues, a public event held at The Rooms on May 21. Founded to recognize the contributions of Black and Indigenous scholars and practitioners, this year's Hamilton Dialogues featured Indigiqueer filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist Glenn Gear, bachelor of fine arts (BFA) alumni, alongside Ife Alaba, director, Occupy All Spaces, an organization advocating for greater opportunities and visibility for Black creatives in NL, and St. John's visual artist and advocate Rachel Gilbert, BFA alumni. The roundtable was moderated by Dr. Jekanowski and attended by nearly 140 conference participants and members of the St. John's community. The Dialogues showcased the vitality and creativity of contemporary film, television, and visual arts in the province. This event was made possible with support from the Scholarship in the Arts (SITA) program at Grenfell's School of Arts and Social Science and the J.R. Smallwood Conference Fund.

Podcasts from the Hamilton Dialogues will be available soon from the School of Arts and Social Science.