Samantha Iwowo

Dr. Samantha Iwowo is a Senior Lecturer at Bournemouth University, specializing in directing drama for film and television. As a screenwriter, director, and researcher, she bridges industry practice with academic scholarship, focusing on postcolonialism, transnational cinema, and decolonizing film pedagogy through the Ubuntu collaboration model. Her work intersects African cinema, cultural heritage, and social justice, with a commitment to challenging marginalization.

Her PhD in Film Studies from the University of Bristol examined colonial legacies in Nollywood, informed by Homi Bhabha’s theories. She co-authored a chapter in the SAGE Handbook of Leadership (2022), merging leadership studies with African cinema, and developed the Ubuntu collaboration model for minimalist filmmaking, adopted by Bournemouth University’s MA Framework.

Her research outputs include analyses of cinematic empathy, postcolonial mise-en-scène, and the role of pre-visualization in film education during the pandemic. She supervises doctoral students in topics spanning Nollywood horror, Yoruba neo-Nollywood, and employability in minimalist filmmaking.

Current projects include a Routledge monograph on decolonizing film directing. Grants include a £839,632 AHRC grant as Co-Investigator. She serves as an external examiner for multiple universities and has delivered lectures globally on African cinema, screenwriting, and decolonization.