Li Zeng
Professor of Cinema Studies
Sch of Theatre Dance and Film
Office
CVA Center For The Visual Arts 211e
Office Hours
Tuesday & Thursday 3-4pm or by Appointment
Office Phone
Email
- 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
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, Li. “Ghost of Gaslight: The Female Experience in Two in the Morning (1987),” MAI: Feminism & Visual Culture no. 13 (Winter 2024).
Zeng, Li. "The Voice Within: Chinese Muslims, Ethnic Identity, and Self-Representation in Hui Microfilms." JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, vol. 63 no. 5, 2023, p. 284-308. Project MUSE, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/cj.2023.a933158.
Presentations
Representing Grief in Contemporary Asian Horror Films. Asian Cinema Studies Conference. (2025)
Whimsical Representation of Aging and Motherhood in Miss Granny (Sarah Geronimo, 2016) and Leonor Will Never Die (Martika Ramirez Escobar, 2022). International Association for the Fantastic In The Arts (IAFA). (2024)
Women on the Road: Mother-Daughter Journeys in Rakhshan Banietemad’s Gilaneh (2004) and Mainline (2006). Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS). (2024)
“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. (2024)
Faculty Development Grant. CFA. Illinois State University. (2024)
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)