About
Dr. Chrishandra Sebastiampillai is a Lecturer in Film, Television and Screen Studies at Monash University Malaysia, School of Arts & Social Sciences. She holds a PhD from Monash University and teaches courses on Southeast Asian cinema, film studies, and celebrity culture.
Her research centers on film stardom, representations of race and identity, and the cinematic cultures of Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines. She explores how national and transnational identities are constructed through film, with a focus on political contexts like Martial Law and postcolonial nation-building.
Her recent scholarly output includes a book on 1970s Philippine love teams and chapters analyzing cinematic heritage and mixed-race stardom. These works reflect a consistent engagement with historical memory, cultural identity, and the politics of representation in regional cinema.
- Member of research project: 'Digital Technologies as a New Agenda and Mediator of Public Diplomacy: Fostering Korea-Southeast Asia Collaboration' (2025)
- Active contributor to public scholarship through media features and cultural exhibitions
She has been involved in academic outreach, including media contributions and public exhibitions, and supervises PhD research in film and screen studies.
