Franziska Heller

Prof. Dr. Franziska Heller is a full professor of Media Studies at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, focusing on audiovisual and digital cultures. Her work bridges media theory, history, and aesthetics, examining how digital transformation influences sociocultural practices and vice versa. She leads the Media and Communication Studies department within the Philosophical Faculty II.

Research Interests: Digital media cultures, film historiography, media preservation, affective communication, and interdisciplinary projects on digital ethics. Notable collaborations include the HTW Berlin on film restoration and the MeReDiaN network on media-law interactions.

Key Achievements: Awarded Dr. Klaus-Marquardt-Preis (2009) for her dissertation Filmästhetik des Fluiden. Published major works like Update! Film- und Mediengeschichte im Zeitalter der digitalen Reproduzierbarkeit (2020) and Alfred Hitchcock. Einführung in seine Filme und Filmästhetik (2015). Active in international networks including Domitor and NECS.

Recent Activities: Curator of the 2023 exhibition Streit. Menschen, Medien, Mechanismen, co-lead of Open Media Studies initiatives, and frequent speaker on digital film history and AI’s role in media literacy.