Sarah Neely

Professor Sarah Neely is a distinguished academic, writer, and producer in the Department of Theatre, Film & Television Studies at the University of Glasgow. Her research focuses on film history, cinema memory, and artists' moving image, with a particular emphasis on Scottish cinema and the legacy of filmmaker Margaret Tait. She has led significant projects such as the AHRC-funded Cinema Memory and the Digital Archive (2019) and the Margaret Tait 100 centenary celebration (2018). Neely’s work bridges academia and artistic practice, including producing films like Bogancloch (2024) and Being in a Place: A Portrait of Margaret Tait (2023).

Her research interests span experimental film, archival practices, and the intersection of memory and media. Neely has published extensively on Scottish cinema history, including monographs like Between Categories: The Films of Margaret Tait (2016) and edited volumes such as Margaret Tait: Personae (2020). She actively contributes to festivals and curates film programs globally, including events at Cinema Ritrovato (Bologna) and the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Neely has secured major grants, including two AHRC Standard Grants totaling over £1 million, and has served on advisory boards for LUX Scotland and Creative Stirling. Her awards include a residency at the Ingmar Bergman Estate (2017). She supervises PhD students focusing on topics like environmental cinema, expanded film practices, and Scottish documentary history.

Her teaching spans Screen Histories, Experimental Cinema, and Experimental Arts and Media, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach. Neely’s work also intersects with creative practice, emphasizing the preservation and reinterpretation of cinematic heritage.