Jiahan Lin

My PhD project, funded by the Techne AHRC studentship, explores digital cinephile culture in China through the grassroots practice of pinglun (评论), from professional film critiques to TikTok supercuts. My work tries to intervene in the theoretical debate of cinephilia, shifting attention from elitist film cultures to everyday users, fans, and activist communities. I am interested in how ordinary voices reclaim cultural authority in a media landscape shaped by state power, platform capitalism, and transnational cultural flows.

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, such as pop culture, fandom, and online conversations, and avoid staying in the ivory tower. These are not trivial, but vital spaces where meaning, resistance, and identity are created and continually redefined.

In addition to academia, I possess transferable skills in editing, news/column writing, conducting interviews, and online tutoring. I am also a passionate language learner, with a proficiency in Cantonese, 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.