Film has been a marginal subject in the communication field as film studies are historically rooted in humanities and arts. Nonetheless,film policy,censorship, economy and audience research have always been of interest tocommunication scholars. The uestion is: where are the connections between humanistic film studies and social scientific communication?In this issue we have the opportunity to speak to the eminent film scholar David Bordwell on the history of film studies as a recognized discipline in the United States and problems of "Grand Theory" in shaping scholarly pursuits in past decades. Additional research beyond the Grand Theory is also pursued by many contemporary communication scholars in Chinese communities; such theoretical enquiry must always be complemented, if not substantiated, by solid empirical investigations. The research articles featured in this issue demonstrate a rich crossfertilization of theory and evidence-based research questions.