Biography
I am a Lecturer in Film at Edinburgh Napier University and Screen Academy Scotland, where I also serve as an Executive Member of the BA in Film program and Departmental Lead for International within SACI (Screen and Performance). In these roles, I am dedicated to enhancing program delivery, fostering international partnerships, and teaching both film theory and production. The program is ranked No. 2 in the UK for Film by The Guardian in 2025, reflecting the strong academic environment to which I contribute.
Before joining ENU, I held Associate Professor positions at the University of Wollongong Malaysia and Taylor’s University. In addition to my academic roles, I have gained valuable experience as a film festival curator and filmmaker. Currently, I supervise PhD research that explores Chinese-language cinema, film authorship, and the intersection of national and cultural identities.
As Editor-in-Chief of the commissioned book series of the UNESCO Cities of Film Network, I have led key volumes published by Routledge, including "Development of Global Film Industry: Industrial Competition and Cooperation in the Context of Globalization" (2020), "The Global Film Market Transformation in the Post-Pandemic Era" (2023), and the forthcoming "Innovation through Convergence: Technology, Art, and Commerce in the Global Film Industry" (Routledge). These works contribute to significant global film policy discussions at forums like UNESCO and the 2024 Cannes Global Film Forum.
In my international academic journey, I curated the 2018 Chinese Diasporic Film Festival in French Polynesia, which culminated in the bilingual publication "Migration & Memory: Arts and Cinemas of the Chinese Diaspora" (MSHP, 2019), where I served as Editor-in-Chief. I also had the privilege of being a Visiting Professor at Paris 1: Sorbonne from 2017 to 2020, where I curated the Tahiti Film Festival and contributed to cultural heritage studies in French Polynesia.
My creative work includes films such as "In Pursuit of Truth: Once Upon a Time in China" (Cannes AVIFF, 2023), "Save Malayan Tiger" (Official Screening, World Tiger Day, 2019), and the socially impactful documentary "In A Different Key" (2019), which was officially selected by Cleveland State University and the Ohio Arts Council."
I currently supervise two PhD projects:
- “Whose Memory: Documentary as Practice Exploring Identity Among the Chinese Diaspora in Scotland” (Zijin Wan)
- “Pursue, Interpret, and Present: A Reflection on Documentary Practice” (Han Hu)
Recent Publications
Book
- Li, Q., Guan, Y. Q., & Jin, M. Y. (2025, in press). Innovation through Convergence: Technology, Art, and Commerce in the Global Film Industry. London: Routledge.
Book Chapters
- Li, Q. (2025, in press). “An Analysis of the Global Distribution and Commercial Performance of Chinese Cinema in 2023.” In Q. Li, Y. Q. Guan, & M. Y. Jin (Eds.), Innovation through Convergence: Technology, Art, and Commerce in the Global Film Industry. London: Routledge.
- Li, Q. (2024). “Confucian Family and the Image of the Father in Ang Lee’s Cinema.” In The Asian Family in Literature and Film: Changing Perceptions in a New Age-East Asia, Volume I. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Li, Q. (2024). Le réalisateur-auteur et le processus créatif du cinéma – Étude de cas sur le cinéma de Wong Kar-wai (The Auteur Director and the Creative Process – A Case Study of Wong Kar-wai’s Cinema). In R. Conte (Ed.), La création comparée, pp. 117–134. Maison des Sciences de l’Homme du Pacifique.
- Li, Q. (2024). “Report on the International Communication and Market Performance of Chinese Films in 2023.” In J. Mengyu, N. Xingzhen, & Z. Zenghan (Eds.), Annual Report on Development of Global Film Industry (2024), pp. 63–89. Social Sciences Academic Press (China).
Journal Article
- Li, Q., Tan, E. L. P., & Yang, J. (2023). “Joseph Campbell’s Oriental Mythology in Ghost in the Shell (1995) and Occidental Mythology in Ghost in the Shell (2017).” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10, 914.
My academic work is deeply integrated with creative practice and social impact, aiming to foster cross-cultural understanding and interdisciplinary collaboration. I am passionate about advancing international partnerships, contributing to global film policy development, and mentoring the next generation of filmmakers and scholars both inside the classroom and through my professional network.