Grant Wiedenfeld

Grant Wiedenfeld is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cinema at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Arts and Science. His research bridges film studies and modernist literature, with a focus on American cinema, sports films, and experimental filmmaking. He teaches courses such as Film Cultures I, Sports Movies, and Beauty of the Cut.

Dr. Wiedenfeld holds a PhD from Yale University, an MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a degree from the University of Paris 3 - New Sorbonne, and a BFA from the University of Colorado. His academic journey reflects a deep integration of scholarly and artistic practice.

His research interests include early cinema, montage theory, D.W. Griffith’s editing innovations, and the politics of popular culture. He also explores modernist literary style, particularly in Flaubert, analyzing punctuation, whitespace, and descriptive landscapes. His creative work includes 16mm experimental films such as Kern Park Study № 2 and Nashville 60 Hz, often hand-processed and exhibited in festivals.

His publications reveal a consistent focus on the intersection of form, culture, and representation. From Griffith’s production economy to Flaubert’s stylistic contrasts between ancient and modern, his work emphasizes how artistic techniques reflect broader sociocultural transformations. His 2022 book Hollywood Sports Movies and the American Dream traces progressive politics in American sports cinema, while his 2020 chapter analyzes biopics through American civil religion.

Dr. Wiedenfeld is also an active sportswriter, contributing journalistic profiles and commentary on women's professional soccer (WoSo), particularly the NWSL, covering players like María Sánchez and Deneisha Blackwood, and advocating for inclusive policies such as trans athlete inclusion.

• PhD, Yale University
• MFA, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• L, University of Paris 3 - New Sorbonne
• BFA, University of Colorado