Joshua Sperling

Joshua Sperling is an Assistant Professor of Cinema and Media at Oberlin College, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. He holds a dual PhD in Comparative Literature and Film & Media Studies from Yale University, alongside an MFA in Fiction from Brooklyn College. His research focuses on 20th/21st-century aesthetics, cultural-political intersections, and cinema history. His monograph A Writer of Our Time: The Life and Work of John Berger (2018) has been widely reviewed and translated into Korean, Chinese, and Turkish. Sperling coordinates the Obiewood program and serves as Creative Media Director for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Recent publications include essays in Tussle Magazine (2025) analyzing visual artist Iliana Ortega, and a 2024 article in Journal of Literary Studies exploring Paramount's brand strategies. His work bridges film studies with cultural theory, emphasizing transnational media and auteurist practices. He teaches courses on Latin American cinema, documentary history, and narrative across platforms.

Notable achievements include multiple academic reviews, interviews in French magazine Télérama, and sustained engagement with interdisciplinary media studies. His teaching and research emphasize creative pedagogy through programs like Obiewood, fostering student filmmaking and digital storytelling initiatives.