Jamie Steele

Dr Jamie Steele is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Film and Screen Studies at Bath Spa University, within the Bath School of Art, Film and Media. With over 10 years of experience in research, teaching, and course design since completing his PhD, he serves as Co-Lead for the ‘Decentred Approaches’ Research Cluster and teaches modules including Film Noir, Key Movements in World Cinema, and Film Theory.

His educational background includes:

• PhD in Film Studies, University of Exeter
• MA in Film Studies, University of Exeter
• BA (CH Hons) in French and Film Studies, University of Exeter

Steele’s research centers on transnational and national cinemas, with specialized expertise in French-language cinema—particularly Belgian cinema. His work explores regional identity, border dynamics, and the representation of minority communities through directors like the Dardenne brothers, while examining how sub-national funding structures shape cinematic output in francophone regions.

His publications reveal a sustained focus on transnational regionalism in European cinema, analyzing how films negotiate national identity through localized narratives. Key themes include the interplay of regional specificity and transnational co-productions, the politics of cinematic representation in border regions like Wallonia, and challenges to populist rhetoric through film.

His notable recognition includes:

• Bill Douglas Cinema Museum Research Stipend (2023) for critical analysis of coal-mining communities in Edinburgh

Steele actively supervises PhD projects in National/Transnational Cinema, French-Language Filmmaking, and European Cinema. His academic leadership extends to organizing the 2016 'Cinemas of Europe’s Small Nations' film festival and serving as Prizes Officer for the Association for the Study of Modern and Contemporary France since 2021.

He maintains active roles in the Society of French Studies and CinEcoSa (Cinema, Economy in English-Speaking Countries), and his current research investigates cinematic transnationalism and 1960s filmmaking in the Democratic Republic of Congo.