Gwenda Young

I was responsible for introducing film studies module into the School of English undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and have been a  leader in the development of Film Studies, and later Film and Screen Media, at University College. As part of this leadership, I have developed five academic programmes, from BA (Major degree launched 2013), MA (three programmes) and two PhD programmes. I have been a consistent leader in the development of Film at UCC, in mentoring students and ecr staff, and in initiating and developing links with key stakeholders

I currently teach (and coordinate) undergraduate modules in Early Cinema (first year); American Cinema and Culture, 1927-49 (second year); American Filmmaking, 1953-1973  (third year); and Human/nonhuman animals encounters in media and culture (MA).

Over the course of my career, I have developed many modules that attest to my continuing and engaged intellectual curiosity and my passion for research and for teaching /engagement, among them: 'Encounters with the American West and Frontier in Film and Literature' (UG module); 'Projecting New York' (UG module); 'Canadian Cinema' (UG module); 'European Cinema' (esp. German Expressionism'); 'Hardboiled Fiction and American Film Noir'; 'Shakespeare into Film'. 

Through four decades, I have taken leadership roles, serving  as co-Head of the Discipline of Film and Screen Media at University College Cork and with my colleague, Dott. Laura Rascaroli; as co-head, and head of Film Studies; as co-head of Film and Screen Media. 

I hold an MA and PhD in Film Studies from University College Dublin, and recently completed an MA in Museum Studies at University College Cork (2025).  My research interests lie primarily in American cinema, particularly classic Hollywood cinema; auteur studies; silent cinema (especially 1920s); film history; the horror genre; and animals in film and media. . My research publications have mainly been in the area of American cinema, in peer-reviewed journals, books collections and my monograph on Clarence Brown (2018 UP of Kentucky). I have also published on amateur filmmaking (co-edited an edited collection, contributing an article; as well as being a AI on an IRC project on Irish amateur cinema). In addition, I have a publishing, teaching and supervising interest in nonhuman animals on screen. Many of my research projects are concerned with outreach activities, bringing research to the community. I collaborate with colleague Dan O'Connell on a Creative Ireland/Cork county council funded project on cinema-going memories, which so far (2025) has yielded a 40min-documentary film that has screened internationally and has been programmed as part of the national ACCESS cinema network; a multimedia open-access archive that is being continually updated; as well as numerous community outreach initiatives such as a major exhibition at Cork Library, Grand Parade (Feb/March 2020); roadshow events and screenings; movie memory days; radio and print coverage. The project won a CACSSS Research impact award: https://www.ucc.ie/en/cacsss/research/researchimpact/moviememories/

My monograph on Clarence Brown, published in 2018 (hardback) and 2023 (paperback) has won international acclaim and positive reviews in publications including The Wall Street Journal; Sight and Sound; DGA newsletter, among others. It has also led to many international appearances in person (Pordenone Film Festival, Italy; Clarence Brown Film Festival, Tennessee) on television (US); radio (US; Ireland); in print media (US, UK, France; Ireland); and on websites (guest contributor), and invited as the Keynote Speaker at the Clarence Brown Film Festival in Tennessee in August 2023. 

I am currently writing a single-authored monograph on the early American film industry, with a particular focus on the work of Marshall Neilan.

I was recently awarded a first-class MA in Museum Studies at UCC (2025) with a dissertation on the topic of displays (object/specimens; interpretive panels; film; AR) and encounters in the natural history museum space. and have a developing interest in the intersections between museums and film,  in particular exploring the possibilities for natural history museums and community-led museums. As a part of the portfolio I developed during my MA in Museum Studies, I created 10 short iMovies designed for display in museum spaces. 

My post-doctoral research has been centred on three broad areas: classical Hollywood cinema, silent cinema, and ethnicity in American cinema. My research draws extensively from primary source archives (in US, Europe/UK), as well as secondary material, and my publications have been commended for the breadth and depth of their research, and the elegance of my writing. My monograph on the career and life of American film director, Clarence Brown, whose career spanned the period 1915-1953, was published in 2018 and received excellent reviews and international acclaim. I collaborate (2018 to the present) on a major project, Cork Movie Memories, with Daniel O'Connell, and this has entailed creative practice outputs, including a 40-min documentary; community outreach and events; conference presentations; and extensive archival research (showcased at Corkmoviememories.com). I recently completed an MA in Museum Studies (2025) and undertook placements at the Natural History Museum Dublin and Valentia Island Heritage centre, and produced several short videos as part of my outputs. I have a developing interest in the intersections between film and museums, with particular focus on potential that film/media outputs hold for delivery of education and outreach. 

I am currently writing a second single-authored monograph, on the subject of early Hollywood (1910s/1920s) with a particular focus on the career of director/actor, Marshall Neilan; and researching the career of actress Louise Dresser