Kevin Wynter

Kevin Wynter is an Associate Professor of Media Studies and Chair of the Media Studies department at Pomona College, where he has been a faculty member since 2018. His interdisciplinary scholarship bridges film and media studies, critical theory, and continental philosophy, with a focus on body genres, race, violence, and representation in global cinema.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.A. from York University, and an Hon. B.A. from the University of Toronto. These formative academic experiences grounded his theoretical approach in rigorous philosophical and cultural critique.

Wynter’s research centers on body genres such as horror, melodrama, and pornography, as well as critical race theory, psychoanalysis, and contemporary European art cinema. He explores how film reflects and constructs relationality, trauma, and identity, particularly in contexts of racial and technological transformation. His work often engages with directors like Michael Haneke, David Lynch, and Jordan Peele, analyzing how their films interrogate violence, memory, and subjectivity.

His recent publications, including articles in Porn Studies and Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, as well as his 2022 book on Get Out, demonstrate a sustained engagement with the intersections of race, genre, and spectatorship. The articles reflect a strong trend toward philosophical and psychoanalytic readings of cinematic form, particularly in how violence and desire are mediated through narrative and aesthetics.

• Chancellor’s Fellowship for Graduate Study, UC Berkeley (2007–2012)
• UC Dissertation Year Fellowship (2012)
• Dean’s Normative Time Fellowship (2010)
• Incoming Graduate Scholarship, York University (2005)

While specific students and grants are not listed, his role as Chair and frequent teaching of advanced film theory courses suggest active mentorship and curriculum leadership. His public talks, interviews, and participation in major film polls indicate broad intellectual engagement beyond the academy. He is affiliated with research communities in media studies and film philosophy, contributing to both scholarly and public discourse on cinema.

Kevin Wynter is associated with no named lab or formal research team, but his work is embedded in interdisciplinary networks connecting media studies, critical theory, and Black cultural studies. His participation in projects like the BFI’s Greatest Films poll and public dialogues at Pomona College highlights his role as a public intellectual shaping contemporary conversations about film and society.