Helen De Witt

Helen De Witt is a Lecturer in Film and Media at Birkbeck, University of London, affiliated with the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication. She specializes in avant-garde film, political cinema, and women’s filmmaking, with extensive experience in film programming and curating. Her roles include leading modules on Gender and Sexuality in Cinema and the MA in Film Programming and Curating. She has held senior positions at BFI Southbank, Lux Centre, and Cinenova, curating over 30 international film projects.

Education: BA Philosophy and Art History (University of Essex), MA Art History (University of Essex), Diploma in Media Studies (Birkbeck University of London). She has held visiting posts at University of the Arts London, National Film and Television School, UCL, and Boston University in London.

Research interests focus on experimental artists’ film, political documentary, and feminist film practices. Her work emphasizes curatorial strategies for avant-garde cinema and the intersection of film with contemporary art institutions. She has published nearly 40 articles in venues like Sight & Sound, BFI Online, and Intellect Journals, analyzing topics from queer cinema to Indian Shakespeare adaptations.

Awards include the Distinguished Sessional Lecturer Award (Birkbeck, 2020). She has served on juries for festivals like CPH DOX and London Turkish Film Festival, and consults for organizations like Arts Council England and Film London.

Professional activities include advisory roles with Open City Documentary Festival and directorships at The Service Co-op and Four Corners Film. Her curatorial highlights include BFI London Film Festival’s Experimenta section and the touring programme 'Revolt, She Said: Women’s Film After ’68.'