The Contemporary Screen Studies research group is designed to be a forum for researchers from a diverse range of backgrounds to share experiences and ideas in ways which will be beneficial for experienced members of staff, early career researchers, and postgraduate students.
Our primary goal is to contribute to the field of screen studies through the cultivation and creation of new knowledge at the forefront of the discipline, evidenced by a range of impacts, experiences, and outputs in both traditional and non-traditional forms.
We define the group as one which identifies as:
- An interdisciplinary group working in screen studies, a broad field that incorporates film, television and digital media technologies.
- Based in the School of Film and Television, but made up of colleagues from across the University.
- Providing a vibrant and welcoming home for researchers and practitioners with an interest in understanding and contributing to the creative industries.
We are comprised of notable scholars and renowned practitioners in the arenas of:
- Contemporary genre studies: from the superhero film, to science fiction, horror, and crime cinema
- Sexual cultures
- Documentary film practice
- Global conflict cinema
- Cinematic trauma and identity
- Agatha Christie studies
- British film history
- Post-9/11 American cinema
- Fiction filmmaking
Publications and outputs
A selection of recent publications and output from members of the Contemporary Screen Studies research group
- Donna Peberdy, 'Grab them by the Pussy: Renegotiating the Sexual Politics of Touch in The Handmaid’s Tale' in American Television During a Television Presidency (Wayne State University Press, 2022): chapter in edited collection.
- Terence McSweeney and Stuart Joy (eds.), Contemporary American Science Fiction Film (Routledge, 2022): edited collection.
- Remi Itani, 5 Stars (2021): short film, 13 mins.
- Terence McSweeney, Black Panther: Interrogating a Cultural Phenomenon (University Press of Mississippi, 2021): monograph.
- Sebastián Lojo, Los Fantomas (2020): feature film, 76 mins.
- Marco Granese, Rabbia (2021): documentary feature, 86 mins.
- Remi Itani, Drought (2020): short film, 15 mins.
- Mark Aldridge, Agatha Christie’s Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World (Harper Collins, 2020): monograph.
- Stuart Joy, The Traumatic Screen: The Films of Christopher Nolan (Intellect, 2020): monograph.
Postgraduate research opportunities
The Contemporary Screen Studies research group offers supervision for MPhil/PhD’s within the above-mentioned research areas, including creative practice research. We are currently accepting self-funded research students in a range of specialisms, who will be supported by our academic members. If you would like more information about postgraduate research opportunities, please contact please contact Dr Donna Peberdy. More information regarding Solent University's research programme can be found here.
Areas of postgraduate research provision
- Contemporary genre studies: from the superhero film, to science fiction, horror, and crime cinema
- Sexual cultures
- Documentary film practice
- Global conflict cinema
- Cinematic trauma and identity
- Agatha Christie studies
- British film history
- Post-9/11 American cinema
- Fiction filmmaking
Recent PhD project themes
- Post-9/11 American genre cinema
- Cinematic trauma in the films of Christopher Nolan
- British Cinema and the Crown Film Unit: 1940-1952
- Environmental documentary and climate change
- The BBFC, film classification and censorship
Our members
Get in touch
If you're interested in joining the group, please get in touch with either Dr Stuart Joy at stuart.joy@solent.ac.uk, Dr Adam Vaughan at adam.vaughan@solent.ac.uk, or Dr Jamie Clarke at jamie.clarke@solent.ac.uk for more information.
