Founded in 1959, SCMS is a professional organization of college and university educators, filmmakers, historians, critics, scholars, and others devoted to the study of the moving image.

The college and university faculty and students who comprise this scholarly organization are involved in various fields of study, including (but not limited to): Film Studies, Cinema Studies, Television Studies, Media Studies, Visual Arts, Cultural Studies, Film and Media History, and Moving Image Studies.

The goals of SCMS are to promote all areas of media studies within universities and two-and four-year colleges; to encourage and reward excellence in scholarship and writing; to facilitate and improve the teaching of media studies as disciplines and to advance multi-cultural awareness and interaction. SCMS is dedicated to serving its members' professional needs and concerns; strengthening the ties between the academic community and those who interact with it, from the media industry to the government to the public at large; and to promoting the preservation of our film, television, video, and other media heritage.

Activities of the Society include an annual meeting and the publication of Cinema Journal. Anyone with an interest in film, television, video and/or new media teaching and/or publication is welcome to join.