Queen Mary University of London — PhD in Film Studies (Practice-based)Sept 2022 – present (submission Sept 2026)
Dissertation: Cinema is Metaphor — Exploring Pre- and Post-9/11 US Masculinity and Metaphor Through Videographic Criticism
Wanzhou (Cobb) Xiao — Curriculum Vitae
Profile
Practice-based PhD candidate in Film Studies at Queen Mary University of London, specialising in videographic criticism, masculinity studies, and contemporary US/Chinese screen cultures.
+44 (0) 7760 445 981 · mlx186@qmul.ac.uk · London
Education
University of Edinburgh — MA Film DirectingSept 2020 – Sept 2021
Documentary and essay film practice. Graduation film: Returning Home.
Sichuan Film and Television University — BA Film StudiesSept 2015 – Jun 2019
Directing, cinematography and editing. Graduation film: The Mute.
Publications (Under Review)
Masking the Remainder: Reframing Masculinity in Eyes Wide Shut and The VillageForthcoming
QUESTION Journal of the Visual Arts — abstract reviewed and shortlisted for publication; full article in preparation.
Conference Papers & Presentations
European Network for Cinema and Media Studies (NECS) International Conference, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III, France18–20 Jun 2026
Paper accepted (peer-reviewed): Making Invisible Boxes Visible — Videographic Evidence of Confined Masculinity Across the Pre-/Post-9/11 Divide
British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies Conference, WarwickMar 2025
Video essay: Reclaiming Masculinity is Navigating Through Masks — A Videographic Analysis Comparing Masculine Metaphors Pre- and Post-9/11
PGR Conference, Queen Mary University of LondonApr 2024
Video essay: Reclaiming Masculinity is Breaking Out of the Box — A Videographic Analysis Comparing Masculine Metaphors Pre- and Post-9/11
Academic Service & Public Engagement
Co-organiser — Ci Wei 刺猬 (2024) screening & director Q&A with 顾长卫 Gu Changwei, LondonOct 2025
Co-programmed the event and facilitated audience discussion on spectatorship and masculinity in contemporary Chinese cinema.
Workshops & Training
Scholarship in Sound & Image — Workshop on Videographic Criticism, Middlebury, USA, VTJun 2024
Selected participant. Practice-based methods for audiovisual scholarship through peer critique, scholarly production, and methodological seminars.
Teaching
Queen Mary University of London — Teaching Associate (Seminar Leader)Jan 2026 – Aug 2026
FLM4204 US Cinema: Key Concepts. Lead weekly seminars; set and mark assessments; office-hour support.
Queen Mary Summer School — Co-leader & InstructorJul 2025 – Aug 2025
SUM505E London History and Culture in Image and Film. Led the photography-essay strand; designed practice-based workshops and supervised London fieldwork for all international students.
Selected Practice & Filmography
Rehearsing the Fall — audiovisual essay2026
Honourable Mention, BAFTSS Practice Awards 2026.
Loquat Tendons Severed — split-screen video installation, Lead Cinematographer2025
Solo exhibition by Shan Hua, curated by Ese Jade Onojeruo, Sarabande Foundation, London.
Returning Home — documentary essay film, Director & Editor2021
Lacorne International Film Festival 2021; World Film Carnival, Singapore 2021.
The Mute — short fiction, Director2019
Best Film and Best Cinematography, Sichuan Film and Television University Short Film Festival.
Grants & Scholarships
QMUL PGR Research Fund — £2,2502024
Supported participation in the Scholarship in Sound & Image workshop at Middlebury.
China Scholarship Council (CSC) Doctoral Scholarship2022
Full doctoral scholarship for study at Queen Mary University of London.
Skills
Editing — Premiere Pro · Final Cut Pro · DaVinci Resolve
Languages — Mandarin, Cantonese, English