Rachel Landers

Rachel Landers is a Professor and Head of Media Arts & Production, Animation Production and Music and Sound Design within the Faculty of Design and Society at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), where she has held her position since 2018. A renowned documentary filmmaker and writer with a PhD in History from the University of Sydney, she integrates extensive industry experience into academic leadership. Previously, she served as Head of Documentary at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) from 2011-2018, where she relaunched the Documentary Department with an innovative curriculum.

Her research focuses on hybrid documentary forms, science communication for children, Indigenous storytelling protocols, and creative histories. Landers pioneers cross-disciplinary collaborations, notably leading a major UTS initiative between Arts, Science, and Engineering faculties to create animated science documentaries for children, featured at VIVID 2024 and securing a 2025-2027 Australian Research Council Discovery Project grant.

Landers' publications and creative works demonstrate consistent innovation in documentary practice. Her 2024 monograph Hybrid Documentary and Beyond (Routledge) synthesizes her research, while recent conference presentations explore VR development practices, Indigenous consultation frameworks, and science communication strategies. Her work shows a trajectory from historical documentaries toward experimental hybrid forms blending scientific visualization with narrative storytelling.

• NSW Premier’s History Fellowship (2011)
• Nib award for excellence in research (2016)
• Powerhouse research fellowship (2023)

As chief investigator for major grants including the ARC Discovery Project The Wonderful, Fluorescent, Massive World of Tiny, Invisible Things, Landers leads significant cross-faculty collaborations. She supervises Masters and PhD students in Creative Writing and Screen Media disciplines while driving international engagement through CILECT, where she serves on the Asia-Pacific Council following her 2023 election at the Rome World Congress. Her leadership extends to cultural exchanges like the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema masterclasses supported by Vietnam's Ministry of Culture.

Landers directs the cross-faculty animation/science/engineering team behind the Superheroes of Science initiative, creating transformative science stories for children through hybrid documentary techniques. This work integrates cutting-edge microscopic visualization with narrative storytelling, positioning UTS as a leader in innovative science communication.