Film and Screen Media offers a full suite of highly regarded graduate degrees: taught MA, MRes, and two PhD programmes – the PhD in Film and Screen Media and the PhD in Film and Screen Media (Creative Practice). The Department hosts a thriving graduate studies community: our students are exposed to a rich and stimulating research environment and to a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary opportunities including conferences, research seminars and master classes with artists and professionals.

Our doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers avail of many opportunities to develop both discipline-specific and transferable skills. Working with leading academics in their areas of expertise, they are trained in editorial skills through their membership of the board of Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media. They can become active members of FOCUS: Forum on Film and Screen Media Theories, which coordinates regular theory reading sessions, organizes research events, and creates opportunities for interdisciplinary and intercultural debate.They also regularly participate in conference and event organisation, and avail of our state-of-the-art facilities for the teaching and learning of film – including a digital cinema and two editing labs fully equipped with the latest versions of industry-standard software tools.

Our graduate students and postdoctoral researchers have been repeatedly successful in securing highly competitive funding including Government of Ireland awards. You can read more about our current students and researchers below:

Bob Jackson

Bob Jackson is a PhD candidate in Film and Screen Media (Creative Practice) at University College Cork. He first graduated with a BA in Arts at UCC in 1999, before going on to complete an MA in Music Technology at the University of Limerick.

A full-time lecturer in creative media at the Munster Technological University (formerly IT Tralee) since 2006, Bob was nominated for an IFTA (Irish Film & Television Award) for his first feature film, A Doctor’s Sword, which was released in Irish cinemas in 2015. This documentary has been broadcast in Ireland, Australia and throughout Asia, and has featured at film festivals in Ireland and abroad.
In August 2016, The Collins Press published his first book, also titled A Doctor’s Sword and based on the same story as the documentary.

Supervisor: Dr Ciara Chambers        Advisor: Dr Barry Monahan

Title of PhD thesis: Based on a True Story: Cinematic Approaches to the Past

Summary: The aim of this research is to investigate the conflict which arises between the demands of storytelling on screen, and what is known about the events depicted based on traditional historical sources. This research uses the process of creating a dramatic production as a case study, with the intention of developing a methodology which helps filmmakers to engage with the past on a deeper, more meaningful level. 

Joe Huber

Joe Huber is a PhD candidate at the Department of Film and Screen Media at University College Cork. He earned a BA in English, Drama and Film from University College Dublin in 2023, followed by a MA in Film and Screen media at UCC. He has previously worked on film festival programming, particularly for the German short film festival FiSH. His research is focused on LGBTQIA+ cinema and history, with a focus on the analysis of queer culture pre-Stonewall.

Supervisor: Dr. Barry Monahan   Advisor: Dr Ciara Chambers 

Title of PhD Thesis: Queer Cinema of the Weimar Republic – Representations of Queerness in early German Cinema from 1918 to 1933

Summary: This project is an exploration of the queer representation within films made in the Weimar Republic, and an attempt to integrate them in the wider field of Queer Cinema. Despite the direct representation of queerness within a number of films, which include works by directors otherwise often discussed in film history, these films are not sufficiently acknowledged in their importance, particularly given the period in which they were created. This research relies strongly on archival work due to the presence of historical documentation, as well as the search for a number of films which have been lost.

David Mackey

David Mackey is a current PHD research candidate at the Department of Film and Screen Media at University College Cork. His research focuses on the exploration of time within cinema through the various texts of French cinematic philosophers such as Giles Deleuze and Jean Louis Baudry as well as utilising the ideas on memory and its relationship with time based on the works o French Philosopher Henri Bergson. He has completed both a BA and a MA in English in UCC in 2022 and 2023 respectively. His Masters’ thesis focusing on Film Noir’s relationship with postcolonialism identity and generic convention in Fallen Angels by Wong Kar Wai and Taxi Driver by Martin Scorsese.

Supervisor: Dr Barry Monahan

Title of PHD thesis: Time’s relationship with cinema and how time itself cannot be properly shown in cinema as its technological and narrative abilities are incapable of portraying any time outside of a “presented” past.

Summary: This project will explore the relationship between time and the camera as it struggles to create an accurate depiction of the present within the cinema and instead becomes trapped between the past and present unable to truly exist in either space. This thesis will utilise the ideas of durée and how the camera acts as a kind of durée machine or a machine that can only facilitate a sense of continuous flux between past and present as explored through the ideas of Henri Bergson and later reimposed into a cinematic framework by Giles Deleuze and to a lesser extent Jean Epstein and Jean Louis Baudry. This thesis will look at a wide range of films, genres and nations that explore this sense of flux such as the films of Wong Kar Wai, Andrei Tarkovsky, short films such as La Jetée by Chris Marker and animated films such as Waltz with Bashir by Ari Folman and Millenium Actress by Satoshi Kon.

Eleanor McSherry

Eleanor McSherry, BA, MA, PGCertTLHEd, is Senior Programme Coordinator at UCC Adult Continuing Education, where she lectures on neurodiversity, autism, disability, and mental health. She is a neurodiversity consultant for film, media, and arts, and is pursuing a PhD at UCC. Eleanor helped develop the European Broadcasting Union’s Neurodiversity Guidelines for Public Service Media 2025, consults on Irish and UK screen projects, and serves on the GEDI subcommittee of Coimisiún na Meán. She is a leading advocate for autism and disability in Ireland.

Supervisor:  Dr. Ciara Chambers          Co-Supervisor: Dr. Abigail Keating 

Title of PhD thesis: Foucauldian Discourse analysis of the Representation of Autism in the Television Drama 

Summary: This thesis critically examines how autism is represented in Anglophone television drama, addressing the predominance of stereotypical portrayals—such as white, male, and high-functioning characters—and the emergence of more diverse depictions. Through a Foucauldian discourse analysis, the study investigates the construction of autistic identities in two UK series: Derry Girls and The A Word. It explores whether recent portrayals mark a genuine break from traditional stereotypes or simply repackage them. The research underscores the importance of media representations in shaping public understanding of autism and emphasises the need for accurate, nuanced depictions. Ultimately, the thesis aims to contribute to academic and industry discussions on diversity and authenticity in disability representation on television. UCC Pure: https://research.ucc.ie/en/persons/eleanor-mcsherry/

Guosheng Ming

Guosheng Ming is an Irish Research Council (IRC) Postgraduate Scholar and a PhD candidate in Film & Screen Media at University College Cork, where he explores the intersection of essay film, contemporary art, and new media technology. His research, integrating theoretical inquiry with creative practice, examines the evolution of the essay film and its new media variations within today’s shifting media landscape, while considering its role as a critical intellectual medium in contemporary society.
In 2021, he obtained a Master of Philosophy in Aesthetics from the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, completing a dissertation titled Research on the Aesthetics of Giant Screen Film in Museums. Alongside his academic work, he has extensive experience in film production, having worked as a producer, director, and screenwriter.

Supervisor:  Prof. Laura Rascaroli          Co-Supervisor:  Mr Dan O'Connell

Title of PhD thesis: The Essay Film in Contemporary Art: New Media Technology and Hybrid Essayistic Variants – A Research in Theory and Practice

Summary: The essay film has evolved into a diverse and dynamic artistic form, often manifesting as video or audio-visual essays that incorporate new media technologies and engage with contemporary art. This research examines video essays and essayistic installations by leading filmmakers and artists, integrating theoretical inquiry with experimental practice to explore the essay film’s contemporary evolution. Findings will be presented through an immersive exhibition or installation, presenting variations of the essay film shaped by theoretical inquiry. This study seeks to deepen understanding of recent developments in the essay film and its engagement with contemporary society, culture, media, technology, and the individual, positioning it within the discourse of the essay film as a form of “future philosophy” (Rascaroli).

Daniel O’Connell

Daniel O’Connell is Practitioner in Residence in the Department of Film and Screen Media at University College Cork. He has earned an MRes in Film and Screen Media, with a thesis titled Body Horror Revisted: A New Wave of Body Horror Films Directed by Women under the supervision of Dr Gwenda Young. He has recently collaborated with Dr Gwenda Young on a Creative Ireland/UCC funded project titled “Movie Memories”, which explored memories of cinemagoers in rural areas of Cork, Ireland. He has over twenty years of experience as a creative practitioner and is an award-winning filmmaker of short and feature length films and documentaries, which have been screened at film festivals both locally and internationally. He is a Director at SUPEREGO, a high-quality video production company with large multinational clients and a founding member of egomotion.net, an online filmmaking hub with over four hundred members, where filmmakers can share knowledge and resources and participate in each other's projects. Egomotion has also hosted various screenings, workshops and meet-and-greets in order to promote local filmmaking talent.

Supervisor: Dr Gwenda Young     Advisor: Dr Ciara Chambers

Title of PhD thesis:  New Social Experiences of Irish Film Exhibition: The Changing Shape of Film Exhibition in Ireland From 2010 to the Present Day.

Summary: The central purpose of the thesis is to examine the efforts being made to lure audiences back to the cinema in Ireland since 2010, and to explore whether alternative film exhibition practices provide fruitful avenues for audiences to return to more social and visceral cinema-going experiences. The proposed project combines theoretical and historical analysis with a creative practice portfolio, comprising of four short documentaries on a number of exhibition experiences. 

Kasandra O’Connell

Kasandra O’Connell is an Irish Research Council Postgraduate Scholar, a UCC CACSSS Excellence Scholar and a PhD candidate in Film & Screen Media at University College Cork. She previously completed a M.A. in Museum Studies at Leicester University, a Higher Diploma in Archival Science at University College Dublin, and has both a diploma in Visual Education from Crawford College of Art and Design and a Bachelor of Design degree from National College of Art and Design. She is part of the International Federation of Film Archives (FIAF) teaching faculty and has presented at multiple FIAF conferences.  She has written about digital preservation and moving image archiving for a number of publications including Film Ireland, Alphaville, History Ireland, Journal of the Society of Archivists and the International Journal of Film Preservation and is a member of the editorial board of The Moving Image Journal. She contributes regularly to international discourse about film archiving via a variety of media and currently writes monthly article for RTE Culture. She has been Head of the IFI Irish Film institute since 2000.

Her research interests include amateur filmmaking, women filmmakers, Irish film, digital preservation, cultural policy and audio-visual archiving.

Supervisor: Dr Ciara Chambers     Advisor: Dr Abigail Keating

Title of PhD thesis: Out of Focus: The History of Development of Film Preservation in Ireland

Summary: Out of Focus – The purpose of this research is to examine the history and development of policy and practice in the field of moving image preservation in an Irish context, particularly comparing it to the position of film preservation in other western countries. It will look at the political, historical and cultural factors that have shaped Ireland’s attitude to moving image preservation and try to identify the reasons that Ireland has not put in place comprehensive legislative and practical mechanisms to safeguard this material, particularly in contrast to measures taken to secure other cultural collections. It will place Ireland within the context of the broader film preservation landscape (looking specifically at Europe and America). It will look at the development of moving image archiving within the State since the advent of film in the 1890s, and explore the State’s attitude to film preservation, especially in contrast to the preservation afforded to other cultural collections. It will examine  the reasons why it is important to afford our moving image collections the same safeguards as other national collections and  will identify what legislative and practical measures exist to support film archiving.

Kane Geary O’Keeffe

Kane Geary O’ Keeffe is a PhD researcher in Film and Screen Media at University College Cork. They graduated with a BA in Film and Screen Media from UCC in 2021. In 2023 they received their M.Phil. in Film: Theory, History, and Practice from Trinity College Dublin. Their research explores the intersections between horror studies in film and video games with studies in gender, online cultures, and technology.

Supervisor: Dr Abigail Keating      Advisor: Dr Ciara Chambers

Title of PhD Thesis: Framing Diegetic Screen Technologies in Post-Covid Horror Cinema.

Summary: Throughout the past four years an increasing number of horror films have been released that present their stories through frames of networked and analogue technologies. These films, including Rob Savage’s Host and Dashcam, Jane Schoenbrun’s We’re all Going to the World’s Fair, and the recent revival of the V/H/S anthology series all present their stories through screen forms such as Zoom, YouTube, live stream technologies, and VHS. By presenting their tales of horror in this fashion, these films are forming a concrete cultural response to the uptake in screen anxieties experienced worldwide by populations who were suddenly forced to move their work and social lives onto screens during the pandemic. This thesis interrogates the ways and means in which these horror films are presenting and articulating the cultural anxieties and technological fears that have increased since the outbreak of the pandemic and continued to persist in the years since. My study examines several case study films, all of which engage with a post-pandemic cultural context and present their narrative through a networked or analogue screen technology. My argument is that these horror films and their representations of screen technologies act as a key to understanding the larger fears surrounding screen technologies and their capacity for spreading and embodying cultural anxieties during times of heightened global crises.

Edoardo Rugo

Edoardo Rugo is a Government of Ireland-funded PhD researcher in Film and Screen Media at University College Cork. His research interests encompass film studies and the philosophy of history, with a particular focus on post-war Italian cinema and the writing of Walter Benjamin and Gilles Deleuze.
He holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies and Critical Theory from the University of Brighton and a BA in Cultural Heritage from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, his hometown.

Supervisor: Prof. Laura Rascaroli     Advisor: Dr Chiara Giuliani

Title of PhD thesis:  Discontinuity of Time and History in the Cinematic Image: the case in Contemporary Italian Cinema

Summary: Bridging a philosophy of time and history with film analysis, this project develops an interdisciplinary perspective within film studies, proposing a new way of conceiving the cinematic image as an embodiment of temporal and historical structures. Drawing on the philosophies of Walter Benjamin and Gilles Deleuze, and through the case study of post-war Italian cinema, it articulates different constellations of filmic images across different historical periods. These constellations will be organised under specific themes, outlining a comparative analysis of contemporary and earlier films and tracing different configurations of the emergence of temporal discontinuities through the years. This approach aims to illuminate recent, less-analysed works while reinterpreting established ones, revitalising our understanding of canonical films.

Shuning Zhao

Shuning Zhao is a PhD candidate and Danijela Kulezic-Wilson Memorial Award Scholar in Film and Screen Media at University College Cork. She holds a BA in Film and Television Production from Macau University of Science and Technology and an MA in Film and Screen Media from UCC. Her research interests include essay film, adaptation, reflexivity, authorship, visual ethnography, feminist filmmaking and migrant experience. Alongside her academic work, she is a filmmaker whose short documentaries and experimental essay films have screened at international festivals.

Supervisor:  Prof. Laura Rascaroli                   Co-supervisor:   Mr Daniel O’Connell

Title of PhD thesis:  

Adaptation as Reflexive Practice: Essay Film and Belonging in Asian Women Migrants’ Experience in Cork

Summary: This practice-based research examines essay film adaptation as a reflexive and collaborative method for engaging with Asian women migrants’ experiences in Cork. Taking Sui Sin Far’s Mrs Spring Fragrance (1912) as a dialogic literary source rather than a text to be faithfully reproduced, the project investigates how adaptation can bring historical writing, contemporary migrant experience, performance, voice-over, archival material and observational footage into relation. It asks how essay film practice can negotiate authorship, ethics and belonging through shared processes of representation. The project combines a written thesis with a creative portfolio, seeking to contribute to adaptation studies, essay film theory, feminist filmmaking and visual ethnographic practice.

Renee Lynn Ziel

Renee Lynn Ziel is a PhD candidate in the Film & Screen Media department at University College Cork. She earned her BA in Journalism & Media Communication at Colorado State University in 2021 and her MA in Film & Screen Media at UCC in 2025. Her MA thesis was entitled The Lesser Evil: Fairy Tale Heroism and the Paradox of Apoliticism in The Witcher. Her professional experience is rooted in senior-level editing and features journalism, including work at Game Rant. Her research interests are secondary-world fantasy media, player agency and immersion in video and tabletop roleplaying games, and the social and cultural implications of gaming.

Supervisor: Dr Barry Monahan      Advisor: Dr Ciara Chambers

Title of PhD thesis: The Dialogic Resistance of Fantasy Roleplaying Games

Summary: This research is addressing a neglected part of the intersection of narratology and ludology, namely the player experience of tabletop roleplaying games. In the context of globally rising technofascist values which seek to devalue human creativity and stifle individual agency, this research aims to explore resistance through fantastical performance. An in-depth exploration of fantasy unveils the vast ideological workings of the genre, including special engagement with nostalgic desire, the Other, neomedieval settings, and ecological and monstrous anxieties. Fantasy video roleplaying games then effectively imagine these workings, especially through choice-based narratives, and tabletop RPGs offer a communal space to explore them. In secondary-world roleplay, Bakhtin’s dialogic self and the essence of the carnivalesque meet to form a powerful counterculture of collaborative play and co-created stories.