Murray Smith

Murray Smith is a Professor of Philosophy, Art, and Film at the University of Kent, serving as Director of the Aesthetics Research Centre. He joined Kent in 1992 and became a full Professor in 2000. His roles have included Director of Research for the Faculty of Humanities (2008-11), Deputy Head of the School of Arts (2022-3), and Head of Film (1999-2003). He holds a BA in English from the University of Liverpool, and an MA/PhD in Film Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison under David Bordwell.

Smith’s research focuses on film theory, particularly analytic philosophy of film, cognitive approaches to cinema, and evolutionary aesthetics. Current projects include Film and the Aesthetic Dimension and The Contemporary Soundscape. He has authored influential books like Engaging Characters (2022) and Film, Art, and the Third Culture (2017), which explores naturalized aesthetics.

His awards include a Leverhulme Fellowship (2005-6) and a Rockefeller Fellowship (2017-18). He edits journals like British Journal of Aesthetics and co-edits collections such as Observing Film Art. Research interests span film philosophy, music in cinema, and experimental cinema. Grants include Templeton Religion Trust projects on film’s impact on moral understanding and imagination.

Smith supervises PhDs on topics like cinematic villainy, film emotion, and Godard’s aesthetics. His work bridges philosophy, psychology, and art, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to film studies.