Academic Researcher & Filmmaker
Office:
023 8201 6583
Email:
[email protected]
Personal Email:
[email protected]
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/in/stuartjoy
Institution:
Southampton Solent University
East Park Terrace
Southampton, SO14 0YN
Department:
School of Creative Industries
Dr Stuart Joy is Course Leader for three BA Hons programmes at Southampton Solent University (Film & Television; Television Production; Post Production for Film and Television), where he combines academic research with filmmaking practice. His scholarly work examines contemporary film theory, media and cultural theory, film history, and gender representation in film and television.
As an academic, Stuart is the author of The Traumatic Screen: The Films of Christopher Nolan (2020) and co-editor of several influential volumes including The Cinema of Christopher Nolan: Imagining the Impossible (2015), Through the Black Mirror: Reflections on the Digital Age (2019), Contemporary American Science Fiction Film (2022), and the forthcoming Illuminating Netflix's Dark: A Critical Companion to the German Television Series (2026). He is Co-Director of the Contemporary Screen Studies Research Group, a 72-member research community that has supported over £75,000 in funded research projects and generated publications with major academic presses including Palgrave Macmillan, Wallflower Press, and HarperCollins. He serves as peer reviewer for Cinema Journal, Violence Against Women, and Science Fiction Film and Television.
As a filmmaker, Stuart creates work that explores the intersection of theory and practice, using documentary and narrative forms to investigate questions of representation, trauma, and cultural memory. His films bring academic concepts to wider audiences through compelling visual storytelling.
Beyond his academic and creative work, Stuart serves as Interim Chair and Board Member of City Eye, Southampton's independent film and media organisation responsible for programming, outreach, and the annual Southampton Film Week festival. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and welcomes inquiries from prospective PhD students on topics relating to his research interests.
Dr Joy's research examines contemporary film theory through psychoanalytic approaches, with particular focus on trauma, memory, and identity in cinema. His work explores how films construct meaning through formal and narrative structures, while investigating representations of masculinity, femininity, sexual violence, and domestic abuse in film and television. He specializes in science fiction cinema as cultural artifact, particularly analyzing time travel narratives and the intersection of genre conventions with contemporary social and political concerns.
A major community engagement project in partnership with Southampton Forward, celebrating Southampton's Community Legends through large-scale projection mapping. Led the Solent University student involvement, with 11 students from Film, Television, Photography, and Digital Music courses capturing video interviews and portraits of 40 local heroes. The project featured cutting-edge projection mapping on Southampton's medieval city walls and Southampton Football Stadium over eleven nights, viewed by more than 10,000 people, combining community storytelling with innovative technology.
Global health awareness initiative in collaboration with healthcare professionals and patient advocates worldwide. Co-led the Southampton Solent University hosting of the 2024 World COPD Day event, a 24-hour live international broadcast achieving participation across 40+ countries. Students from Film, Television Production, and Live Event Technology courses managed technical setups, live operations, and online engagement for this day-long global livestream promoting pulmonary rehabilitation and active living with COPD. Research publication "The Big Baton Pass: Did We Make a Difference?" (2024) provides evidence of behavioural change, global reach, and patient advocacy.
Collaboration with Theatre for Life on a series of short-form video campaigns exploring lived experiences of neurodiversity. The project brings together creative practice, advocacy, and education to develop screen work focused on dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and ADHD. Each campaign is shaped by personal testimony, translating lived experience into carefully constructed visual narratives that prioritise authenticity, care, and strong storytelling. My role in the project spans creative development, production oversight, and mentoring emerging filmmakers, ensuring that each film balances ethical representation with creative ambition. The work has been supported by BeeWell UK and produced in collaboration with students from the BA (Hons) Film and Television programme at Southampton Solent University. The films are currently in post-production, with final edits and accompanying animated elements to be released soon.
A narrative film exploring the power and impact of visual imagery in contemporary culture. Directed by Edward A. Palmer, this film examines how images shape our understanding of reality and influence emotional responses.
A dynamic exploration of the representation of the wars in Iraq (2003-2011) and Afghanistan (2001-) in world cinema. Directed by Terence McSweeney, this documentary argues that films function as resonant cultural artifacts that shape our understanding of contemporary conflict.
I have over ten years' experience delivering undergraduate teaching across film and media curricula. Modules taught include Reading the Screen, Film as Industry, POV: Deconstructing the Screen, Global Screens: The Festival Circuit, Brief Encounters: The Art and Craft of Short Film, Issues in Film History, and Intermediate Editing. My expertise covers film and media industries, screen criticism, trauma and identity in media, global screen cultures, short film production, and audience engagement. I have designed and led interdisciplinary modules integrating theory, practice, and employability pathways. I have been recognised with the SU Exceptional Teaching Award (2022) and multiple STAR Teaching & Staff Award nominations (2013–2019).
Dr Joy regularly delivers talks on contemporary film theory, screen culture, and popular media. Topics include Christopher Nolan's cinema, trauma and representation in film, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and gender dynamics in television.
Guest speaker at film festivals, cultural organizations, and educational institutions. Presentations combine academic rigor with accessible insights into contemporary screen culture, sustainable production practices, and the intersection of research and creative practice. Recent events include Christopher Nolan: The Traumatic Screen at Chichester Cinema.
SU Exceptional Teaching Award (2022)
Recognised for outstanding teaching practice and student engagement by the Students' Union.
STAR Teaching & Staff Award Nominations (2013-2019)
Multiple nominations across seven consecutive years for excellence in teaching and student support.
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Senior Fellowship recognising sustained and strategic leadership in teaching and learning in higher education, including mentoring colleagues and contributing to pedagogical innovation at institutional level.
British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies (BAFTSS)
Member of the leading international association promoting film, television and screen studies research and teaching excellence. BAFTSS represents academic and professional interests to the academy, government, funding agencies, and cultural industries while fostering best practice in research and postgraduate training.
