Neil Henderson

Neil Henderson serves as Deputy Head of School for Film and Media at the Cambridge School of Creative Industries, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), where he holds the academic rank of Principal Lecturer in Film Studies. His work bridges academic scholarship and creative practice in film, media, and communication studies with emphasis on experimental techniques and global independent cinema networks.

His educational foundation was established at the Kent Institute of Art and Design and the Slade School of Art, institutions renowned for cultivating avant-garde artistic approaches.

Henderson's research manifests through hands-on filmmaking practice centered on 16mm film technology, animation methodologies, and transnational independent cinema movements. His creative output has achieved international recognition with screenings at Edinburgh Film Festival Centre, Rodina Cinema (St Petersburg), Onion City Film Festival (Chicago), Kettle's Yard Cambridge, Whitechapel Gallery London, and Anthology Film Archive New York, demonstrating cross-cultural engagement with experimental film communities.

His scholarly impact includes being shortlisted for the prestigious Jerwood Drawing Prize in 2009 and receiving critical analysis in Nicky Hamlyn's authoritative text Film Art Phenomena (BFI Publishing, 2003), which examines his contributions to film art theory and practice.

Henderson directs key pedagogical initiatives as Module Leader for 16mm Filmmaking, Animation, and Independent Cinema: U.S and Beyond, integrating technical film production skills with critical analysis of global cinematic traditions. His teaching philosophy emphasizes material engagement with film technology while exploring alternative cinema frameworks beyond mainstream Hollywood paradigms.