Film and Screen
Film Studies and Screen Production at UNSW brings together leading scholars, filmmakers, and industry professionals exploring the creative, cultural, and social power of cinema and screen storytelling.
Our researchers and practitioners engage with the evolving ecology of film, television, and digital media, producing internationally recognised research, films, and festivals that reflect the diversity and complexity of global screen cultures.
Our staff have influenced national and international conversations in film and screen studies for decades, leading innovative research and convening conferences, symposia, and publications that advance new approaches to film scholarship and contemporary screen culture. Our community of academics and postgraduate researchers works across film theory, history, and practice, advancing knowledge in documentary and experimental film, film philosophy, feminist and disability screen media, ecocinema, performance and time in cinema, and regional and transnational screen practices. We share our work through scholarly publications, film festivals, and practice-based outputs that engage academic, industry, and public audiences.
Research and practice
Our researchers lead projects funded by the Australian Research Council and screen agencies across Australia. Recent grants include Dementia Friendly Cinema (Brooks, 2024–27), Australian Research Council Remembering Sydney’s Post-War Greek Neighbourhoods: 1949–1972 (Kouvaros), Film as Philosophy: What is Cinematic Thinking? (Trahair), and Robert Frank: Experimentation Across Film and Photography in Post-War America (Kouvaros).
Our staff are active filmmakers and collaborators. Their work spans narrative, documentary, and experimental forms, exploring new intersections between creative practice and research.
Industry and community engagement
Film Studies and Screen Production staff play leading roles in national and international film culture. They serve as directors, curators, and advisors for major festivals, including the Persian International Film Festival, Antenna Documentary Festival, Russian Resurrection Film Festival, Short+Sweet Film Festival, Vision Splendid Outback Film Festival, Irish Film Festival, and Sydney Film Festival.
Through partnerships with screen organisations and community bodies, our researchers and students contribute to public programming, critical discourse, and accessible initiatives such as dementia-friendly film screenings.
Our staff
