Founded in 1959, the Department of Film and Audiovisual Media is home to dynamic undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in film and media studies. The courses offered in the program cover a diverse range of areas, including the history of Polish and world cinema, national cinemas, modernist and postmodern cinemas, auteur cinema, film and media cultures, animation studies, film and television genres, production studies, television studies, film and media distribution and exhibition, audience studies, and social media studies.

Research in the Department of Film and Audiovisual Media covers a wide range of areas and topics, approached from various perspectives and methodologies, with a particular focus on film and media histories. Other areas of research explored by the department faculty include film education, film production, animation studies, film culture, audience studies, and video culture. Diverse research activities examine individual audiovisual texts, archival materials, popular culture products, media technologies, and popular press and magazines. Research conducted in the Department is published in monographs, recognized journals and presented at conferences worldwide. Currently, two research projects are underway in the Department:

Animation Studios in Gottwaldov and Lodz (1945/47-1990) – Comparative Collective Biography, duration: 10.02.2021 - 09.02.2025, supported by the The Czech Science Foundation (GF21-04081K) and National Science Centre, Poland (2020/02/Y/HS2/00015), supervised by dr Ewa Ciszewska

and

Forgotten links in the history of Polish audiovisual culture: The Film Institute in the years 1935-1939 and 1945-1949, supported by Ministry of Science and Higher Education/ National Programme for the Development  of Hummanities, supervised by prof. Konrad Klejsa

Throughout its history, the Department has extensively collaborated with international academic institutions such as the Polytechnic of North London (UK), the University of Reading (UK), and the University of Stockholm (Sweden). This collaboration included faculty exchanges, research projects, and conference initiatives. In June 2015, the Department of Film and Audiovisual Media hosted the NECS conference, 'Archives of/for the Future.'

The Department also collaborates with a wide range of local educational and cultural institutions, including the Film School, the Museum of Cinematography, the Educational Film Studio, the Film Education Centre, and the National Centre of Film Culture.