Stephanie Dennison

Professor Stephanie Dennison is a leading scholar in Brazilian Studies and World Cinema Theory at the University of Leeds, where she has held a Chair since 1994. She specializes in contemporary Brazilian film culture, transnational cinema, and 19th-century Brazilian intellectual history. Her work bridges cultural studies and film theory, with a focus on decolonization and soft power dynamics.

Affiliations:

• Strategic Lead for People and Culture, School of Languages, Cultures and Societies
• Programme Manager for MA Film Studies
• Founding member of REBRAC (European Brazilian Cultural Studies Network)
• Past President of ABIL (Association of Lusitanists)

Education:

• BA Hons Portuguese and Brazilian Studies, King's College London
• PhD Hispanic Studies, University of Liverpool
• MA Filmmaking, University of Bradford

Research Interests:
Her work interrogates contemporary film culture in Brazil through transnational frameworks, decolonial methodologies, and the role of cinema in soft power politics. Recent projects include Remapping Brazilian Film Culture in the 21st Century (Routledge, 2020) and Decolonising Academic Publishing (British Academy-funded, 2025–27). A research film, Decolonial Lisbon, showcased her interdisciplinary approach to cultural history.

Awards & Grants:

• Leverhulme Fellowship (UNICAMP, 2015)
• British Academy International Workshop Series Grant (2025–27)
• MECILA Senior Fellowship (CEBRAP, 2025)

Advising & Mentorship: Supervises PhD research on diverse topics including migration in European cinema, media revitalization of indigenous languages, and screen representations of Muslim women. Current students include Afnan Alasmari and Jing Chen.

Labs/Initiatives: Leads the Decolonising Academic Publishing initiative, collaborating with Afro-Brazilian and Indigenous researchers. Previously directed AHRC-funded projects Soft Power, Cinema and the BRICS and Voicing Hidden Histories.