Jiahan Lin

My PhD project, funded by the Techne AHRC studentship, explores digital cinephile culture in China through film commentary (影评). This term includes professional film criticism, casual social media reviews, and video and audio formats. I ask what cinephilia becomes in the digital age, where film spectatorship is increasingly shaped by platforms, algorithms, more fragmented viewing, and user-generated content. My work tries to intervene in the theoretical debate of cinephilia, shifting attention from elitist film cultures to everyday users and fans. 

Armed with experience as a journalist, film critic, and digital content creator, I refuse to be locked into narrow specialities or purely theoretical debates. I believe that research should speak to everyday engagements and avoid staying in the ivory tower.

Apart from academia, I have transferable skills in editing, news/column writing, interviewing, and online tutoring. I am also a passionate language learner. Mandarin, Cantonese, and English can be my working languages, and I am learning Japanese and Korean.

I hold an MA in Film Studies from King's College London (2024) and a BA in International Journalism from Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University (2022). 

For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.