Dr Jodi Brooks is a film studies scholar whose research embraces film and media theory, with a particular focus and interest in evolving forms of screen culture, film feminisms, screen performance, independent cinema, and aging in, on and with cinema. Jodi has been teaching film studies and film theory for more than two decades and took up a position in Film Studies at UNSW in 1997 in what was then the School of Theatre and Film. Prior to...view more
Dr Jodi Brooks is a film studies scholar whose research embraces film and media theory, with a particular focus and interest in evolving forms of screen culture, film feminisms, screen performance, independent cinema, and aging in, on and with cinema. Jodi has been teaching film studies and film theory for more than two decades and took up a position in Film Studies at UNSW in 1997 in what was then the School of Theatre and Film. Prior to taking up this position she had held positions at the University of Melbourne (1994-1997) and at the University of Technology (1991-1994). Jodi has also taught courses at UC Davis (in Critical Theory and in Gender Studies) and been an associate research fellow at the Center for Twentieth Century Studies University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
Jodi's research has been published in numerous refereed journals and edited collections as well as catalogue essays. She has co-edited a number of special issues of journals including a special issue of Screening the Past on Untimely cinema (co-edited with Therese Davis) and one of the first Australian journal issues on queer media (Media International Australia, co-edited with Michael Hurley and Leigh Raymond). Since joining UNSW Jodi has supervised more than 30 Honours theses, 12 PhDs as primary supervisor, as well as serving as co or joint supervisor for many other PhDs.
Alongside her research and teaching Jodi has served on advisory committees and panels for various organisations including the National Library of Australia's Film and Video Collection, was one of the founding members of Queer Screen, and has been a member of Film Advisory Panel of the Sydney Film Festival since 2017. Jodi was one of the co-founders of the Screen Studies Association of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand (SSAAANZ) and served as Vice President of SSAAANZ for 3+ years. Jodi has also been involved in curating film programs, worked in community media organisations, and has convened and co-convened a number of film and screen conferences and symposia including Cinefeminisms and the Academy (co-convened with Dr Jessica Ford, University of Newcastle), Time, Memory and the Moving Image (co-convened with Prof Paula Hamilton, University of Technology), and Cinema and the Senses (co-convened with Laleen Jayamanne and George Kouvaros), securing funding for each of these events.
Jodi is a member of the Media Futures Hub and the Arts and Health Research Group (UNSW) and is an Academic Disability Advisor in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture.
My Grants
2024 -2027: $90000. Dementia Friendly Screenings Program -- a 3 year program of dementia friendly film events for Canberra. Funded by ACT Community Services Directorate/Commonwealth Government Contract. Project lead: J Brooks (UNSW) Project partners F Hopgood (UNE) and Karina Libbey
2021-2022: $18000. ADA Research Fellow (UNSW)
2019: $2028 School Research Grant (SRG). "Cinefemininsms and the Academy." J Brooks (UNSW). J Ford (U Newcastle), J Murphet (UNSW)
1998: $10000. Australian Film Commission (AFC), Industry and Cultural Development Grant : International symposium, "Cinema and the Senses." Convened by J Brooks, (UNSW) L. Jayamanne (USyd) and G. Kouvaros (UNSW). UNSW, September 1998.
1998: $6000. FASS UNSW Humanities Research Program Conference Support: International symposium "Cinema and the Senses", UNSW, September 1998. J Brooks & G Kouvaros
My Qualifications
PhD (UNSW), MA Research (UTS), B Media & Communication (UTS), ASCM (NSW Conservatorium of Music)
My Awards
Jodi's research and teaching have been recognised through the following awards:
- Honourable Mention, Arc PGC Research Supervision Award, Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, UNSW. In recognition of their above and beyond contribution to the HDR experience at UNSW. 2024
- Honourable Mention, Arc PGC Research Supervisor Award, Faculty of Arts, Design & Architecture, UNSW. In recognition of their above and beyond contribution to the HDR experience at UNSW. 2022
- Dean's Learning & Teaching Award for Outstanding Track Record in Higher Degree Research Supervision. 2014.
- Arc Postgraduate Council Excellence in Postgraduate Supervision Award. 2014
- Humanities Research Program Dissertation Best Thesis Award, 1998, University of New South Wales for PhD thesis: Benjamin for Girls: Cinema, Spectatorship, Fascination. 1998
My Research Activities
I am a member of the Arts & Health Research Group and the Media Futures Research hub.
I am Project Lead on a 3 year project, funded by the ACT Government, to develop dementia friendly screening events and dementia friendly screen culture for the Canberra community. Project collaborators include Dr Fincina Hopgood, University of New England, and Audience and Industry development expert Karina Libbey. This project builds on our earlier pilot Dementia Friendly Screening event, which took place in Canberra in October 2022 (the ACT's first dementia friendly screening) at the Arc cinema, National Film and Sound Archive and received funding support from the ACT Government. Research for this project has been supported by an ADA Research Fellowship.
I am also currently completing a study of the ways that the shift to online screenings in film and screen studies courses shapes curriculum, film engagement, and student experience with Dr Claire Perkins (Monash University), with a particular focus on the ways this shift is impacting on the teaching of film feminisms.
My Research Supervision
Supervision keywords
Areas of supervision
Jodi's supervision experience and interest includes dissertation-only based higher degree research projects and PhDs in Creative Practice. Jodi is available to supervise in any of her research areas, including cinefeminisms/feminist screen studies and screen culture; film and screen theory; film and screen performance; age, aging and cinema; and film genres.
Jodi has served as primary supervisor for 13 awarded PhD projects, 2 of which have received the Faculty award for best PhD in the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (now ADA). To date five of these dissertations have been published as monographs.
Many of Jodi's PhD graduates have gone on to successful academic careers and accepted film and/or media studies academic positions at various universities including University of Newcastle; University of Adelaide, University of Technology, Sydney; University of New South Wales; UNSW College; Australian Film Television and Radio School; NYU Sydney; SAE; and the University of Sunshine Coast, while others have gone on to successful careers in leading Australian screen and cultural organisations.
Jodi has also served as co or joint supervisor for a number of other PhD projects and supervised MRes projects.
Jodi's preferred approach to supervision is to work with no more than 4 postgraduate researchers at a time. Jodi will be available to supervise 1 new PhD, MRes or MPhil projects from 2024.
Currently supervising
Current PhD supervisions (primary supervisor)
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Pearl Tan, "Diversity Work in the Australian Screen Industry", PhD in Creative practice (Diversity work fictional podcast and dissertation)
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David Curzon "The Future of Disability Representation in Australian Film and Television" PhD in Creative Practice
PhD completions (Primary supervisor)
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Dr Caroline Grose, “Beyond the Watershed Moment—Remaking Coming-of-Age in Australian Film and Television” (PhD, 2024).
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Dr Kyla Allison, "Speaking Out: Affective Terrains, Communicative Injustice, and Sexual Misconduct." (PhD 2024). Joint supervision with Dr Michael Richardson,
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Dr Luke Robinson, "Facing erasure: the disappearing faces of 1940s Hollywood gothic cinema" (PhD 2023). Dean's Award for Outstanding PhD Thesis.
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Dr Phoebe Macrossan, "The Utopian Modalities of Contemporary American Screensong" (PhD 2018).
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Dr Jessica Ford, "American Feminist Sensibility Television in the Post-Network Era" (PhD 2017).
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Dr Rodney Wallis "The Arab-Israeli Conflict in Hollywood Cinema: The Middle East, the Cold War, and the construction of United States political identity" (2016). Published as monograph.
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Dr Annette Barnes, "The Soundtracks of Australian Transcultural Cinema: re-sounding the past" (2014)
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Dr Megan Carrigy, "Performing History, troubling reference: tracking the screen re-enactment" (2011). Awarded the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences PhD Best Thesis prize. Published as monograph.
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Dr Caroline Wake, "Performing Witness: Testimonial Theatre in the Age of Asylum, Australia 2000-2005" (2010), joint supervised with Dr Meg Mumford.
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Dr Effie Rassos “Questions of temporal presence and absence in contemporary film and video” (2006)
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Dr Teresa Rizzo “From the cinematic apparatus to cinematic assemblages: a feminist intervention” (PhD, 2005). Published as monograph.
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Dr Erin Brannigan “A cinema of movement: Dance and the moving image” (PhD, 2004). Published as monograph.
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Dr Tara Forrest “The politics of imagination in Benjamin, Kracauer, and Kluge” (PhD, 2005). Awarded the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Best PhD Thesis prize. Published as monograph.
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Dr Deborah Staines “Representations of Auschwitz” (PhD, 2002).
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Tara Forrest “Habitual Perception and Film” (MA, 2000)
PhD completions (Co supervisor) include:
- Dr Max Bledstein “Shocking Exchange: The Iranian Horror Film” (PhD 2022, Primary supervisor A/Prof Michelle Langford; co-supervisors Dr Laetitia Nanquette and Dr Jodi Brooks)
- Dr Emily Chandler "The girl typing discourse in North American children's television animation, 1990-2010" (PhD, 2017 Primary supervisor A/Prof Jane Mills. co-supervisor Dr Jodi Brooks).
- Dr Richard Smith "The traffic in images: Deleuze and the action film" (PhD, 2002 Primary supervisor Dr Lisa Trahair , co-supervisor Dr Jodi Brooks)
My Engagement
Engagement & Leadership
- Sydney Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel, 2024
- Sydney Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel member, 2023
- Sydney Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel member, 2022
- Sydney Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel member, 2021
- Sydney Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel member, 2020
- Sydney Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel member, 2019
- Sydney Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel member, 2018
- Vice-President (Australia), Screen Studies Association of Australian and New Zealand (SSAAANZ) 2015-2018
- Guest Facilitator, Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) Public Forum on Women, Film and Independence in the 21st Century, event coordinators A/Prof Therese Davis (Monash) and Dr Sian Mitchell (Melbourne Women’s Film Festival), ACMI Federation Square 18 Feb 2018
- Sydney International Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel member, 2017
- Sydney International Film Festival, Film Advisory Panel member, 2016
- Member of National Film and Video Lending Collection Advisory Committee, National Library of Australia, 2002-2003
Professional memberships
Screen Studies Association of Australian and New Zealand (SSAAANZ)
My Teaching
I regularly convene and teach the following courses in the Film Studies major:
- Contemporary Approaches to Cinema (ARTS2061)
- Screen Emotions (ARTS3065)
- Australian Cinema (ARTS2062)
I have also taught and/or convened the following courses in our program:
- Hollywood Film: industry, technology, aesthetics (ARTS1062)
- Film Genre (ARTS2064)
- Film Studies Capstone (ARTS3065)
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8958-5364
