Skip to main content

Li Zeng

Associate Professor of Film Studies
Sch of Theatre Dance and Film
Office
CVA Center For The Visual Arts 211f
Office Hours
Tuesday & Thursday 3-4pm or by Appointment
  • About
  • Education
  • Awards & Honors
  • Research

Biography

Li Zeng is an Associate Professor of Film Studies. She received her doctoral degree in Radio/Television/Film from Northwestern University in 2008. Her research interests include Asian cinema, film history, feminist theory, genre studies, and adaptation.

Current Courses

371.001Film Theory And Criticism

471.001Film Theory and Criticism

171.001History Of The American Film

171.002History Of The American Film

291.004Undergraduate Teaching Experience In Theatre

275.001World Arts: Film FA

370.001History Of The Cinema

470.001History of the Cinema

271.001Studies of Non-Western Film: Asian Film Genres

275.001World Arts: Film FA

Teaching Interests & Areas

Film genre (film noir, horror, fantastic);
Film theory (feminist theory, cultural theory, adaptation, etc.);
Asian cinema;
Film history (American film history, European film history)

Research Interests & Areas

Representation of history in visual media
Women and gender studies;
Film genres;
Horror films;
Film adaptation;
Asian cinema and television

PhD film studies

Northwestern University
Evanston IL

MA Film Studies

Northwestern University
Evanston

College Outstanding Service Award

Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts
2022

College Outstanding Researcher Award

Wonsoo Kim College of Fine Arts
2021

College Outstanding Teaching Award Nomination

Illinois State Uiversity
2020

University Outstanding Teaching Initiative Award

Illinois State University
2013

College Service Initiative Award

College of Fine Arts ISU
2011

Research Initiative Award

College of Fine Arts
2010

Journal Article

Zeng, L. Ghost of Gaslight: The Female Experience in Wuye Liangdian / Two in the Morning (Bao Zhifang, 1987). MAI: Feminism & Visual Culture
Zeng, L. The Voice Within: Chinese Muslims, Ethnic Identity, and Self-Representation in Hui Short Films. Journal of Cinema and Media Studies 63.5

Presentations

“After I kill every living thing…I will Join you”: Kingdom: Ashin of the North as a Feminist Zombie Manifesto. The Virtual International Conference on the Fantastic In The Arts. International Association for Fantastic in the Arts. (2023)
The Title Sequence and The Teaser Aesthetic in the 1980s Chinese Horror Films. Society for Cinema and Media Studies Annual Conference. Society for Cinema and Media Studies. (2023)
Representing Trauma in Candyman II: Farewell to the Flesh (1995) and Candyman (2021). Candyman 30th Anniversary Conference. The Centre for the History of the Gothic, the University of Sheffield (UK) and University of California, Riverside (USA). (2022)
The Sound and Sight of a Hui Muslim Town: Longing, Belonging, and the Hui Youth in Bai Yong’s Hometown Trilogy. Society for Cinema and Media Studies Annual Conference. Society for Cinema and Media Studies. (2022)
Why do we like horror. Dark History & Horror Convention. (2022)
Mermaids as Mediators Between Humans and Nature in Asian Eco-Fantasy Films. International Association for Fantastic in the Arts 2021 Conference. International Association for Fantastic in the Arts. (2021)
The Voice Within: Chinese Muslims, Ethnic Identity, and Self-Representation in the Hui Filmmaking Movement. Society for Cinema and Media Studies 2021 Conference. Society for Cinema and Media Studies. (2021)

Grants & Contracts

Dean's Faculty Professional Development and Travel Award. CFA. Illinois State University. (2022)
Dean's Faculty Professional Development and Travel Award. Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts. Illinois State University. (2021)