Neha Bhatia
Marie Skłodowska-Curie YUFE4 Postdoc Fellow
Work Experience
Marie Sklodowska-Curie YUFE4 Postdoc Fellow, Department of Communication Studies, University of Antwerp, Belgium
2024 – Current
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Research focuses on labour practices, processes, and policies of film professionals behind the circulation of India’s independent cinema amidst digital transformations of media industries.
Research Assistant, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning, University of Calgary, Canada
02/2023 – 06/2023
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Conducted an extensive literature review in higher education and collected, analyzed, and presented data on diversity and inclusion policies, processes and best practices of 15 research-intensive universities in Canada.
Media Research Intern and Project Lead (TELUS Optik TV), Calgary
04/2021 – 10/2022
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Collected media content, data, and resources about the Alberta film industry, as well as collaborated with academic and industry partners to produce the documentary, “Through Her Eyes” on navigating healthcare as Black, Indigenous and Women of Colour in Canada.
Sessional Instructor, University of Calgary
01/2021 – 04/2021
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Designed and sole-taught French language course to 35 undergraduate students usinginnovative mindfulness techniques in second language learning.
Graduate Assistant, University of Calgary
08/2020
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Facilitated an online group discussion on the representation of the Holocaust in cinema for 65 students, assisted the classes and graded over a hundred assignments during the pandemic.
Research Assistant, University of Calgary
09/2019 – 12/2019
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Conducted a literature of over 50 academic works on Québec Cinema.
Sessional Instructor, University of Calgary
09/2018 – 12/2018
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Sole taught and graded a French language class of over 30 students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles using inclusive materials.
Education
Ph.D. Transcultural Studies, University of Calgary
2017-2023
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Dissertation title: “Off-Screen Perspectives: India’s Independent Film Production Culture”
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Brief description: This dissertation combines archival, industrial, and cultural analysis, alongside bottom-up methods such as personal interviews and participant observation to gain deeper insights into the film policies, practices, and professionals — making and facilitating Indian independent cinema transnationally since 2007.
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Supervisor: Dr. Charles Tepperman
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Awarded the 2021 Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship ($ 15, 000)
Erasmus Mundus M.A. Crossways in Cultural Narratives, Université de
Perpignan (France), University of Sheffield (UK), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
2015-2017
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Thesis title: Precarious Pleasures
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The thesis explored the theme of adolescence in cinema through comparative
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approaches.
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Received 2015 Erasmus Mundus Scholarship (€ 30,000)
M.Phil. French and Francophone Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
2013-2015
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Thesis title: The Female Body: Between History, Heritage and Horror
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The thesis focused on francophone African cinema through a postcolonial and feminist lens.
M.A. French and Francophone Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India
2010-2012
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Thesis title: “The Orientalist Discourse: A Comparative Study of Mircea Eliade’s The Bengali Night (1988) and Maitreyi Devi’s It Does Not Die (1976)”
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The thesis examined French and Indian literary texts using comparative and postcolonial approaches.
B.A. English Literature, University of Delhi, India
2007-2010
Published Articles
Bhatia, Neha. "Inside Film Bazaar: Transnational Practices, Precarity and Politics." New Review of Film and Television Studies, 2025 (Accepted).
Bhatia, Neha. "Creativity, Passion, and Community: The Rise of India’s Transnational Producers." NECSUS European Journal of Media Studies, Jg. 12 (2023), Nr. 2, S. 272-291. http://dx.doi.org/10.25969/mediarep/21715.
Bhatia, Neha. "The Transnational Tales of an Indian Creative Producer." Transnational Screens 13, no. 3 (2022): 234-248.
https://doi.org/10.1080/25785273.2022.2109846.
Peltekov, Peter, Neha Bhatia, Berenice Cancino, Samantha Carron, Marie Daigle, et al. “Practice-relevant research in the Canadian L2 classroom: A summary.” Notos, Vol. 14 (2019), 15-36.
Bhatia, Neha. “Politics and Poetics of Culture in Ousmane Sembene’s Moolaadé (2004)." International Refereed Journal of Literary Explorations, Vol. 2 (2014), 474-478.
Monograph in Preparation
The Secret World of India’s Independent Filmmaking: Transnational Perspectives, MIT Press (Proposal Writing Stage)
Articles in Preparation
“Indian Indie Filmmaking in the Era of Streaming” (Working paper)
"Watch less films, talk more to people: A Methodological Proposal” (Work in Progress)
Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards (Selected List)
MSCA YUFE4 Postdoc Research Fellowship
Horizon Europe's Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) and Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE),
University of Antwerp and University of Essex, 2024-2027
Mitacs Accelerate Fellowship
Alberta, Government of Canada
University of Calgary (2022-2023)
Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Calgary (2021-2022)
Best Graduate Academic Paper Award
Psyart Foundation, 2017
Erasmus Mundus Master Scholarship
Consortium of European Universities, 2015-2017
Invited Talks
May 2025
India's International Film Production Culture, Media Industries and Cultural Production, School of Media and Communication, University of Leeds. (TBD)
November 2024
Disruptions and Distribution of Indian Cinemas Beyond Bollywood, Cross Area Conference, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany.
March 2021
“Online Teaching Strategies”, Pedagogy Workshop, Languages, Literatures and Cultures, University of Calgary.
Conference Presentations
Panels Organized
April 2025
"Plus ça change? Global Trends and National Shifts in Post-COVID Film Festivals", Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Denver, United States.
March 2022
Co-chair and Presenter, "Contested Global Assemblages: Censorship, Streaming Platforms & the Transnational Turn in Indian Independent Cinema", Society for Cinema and Media Studies, Chicago, United States.
Select Presentations
April 2023
“The Hero's Journey: Transnational Production Stories of Producers”, Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Denver, United States.
March 2022
"The Indian-European Independent Film Co-production Model", Transcultural Production Studies Digital Seminar, Université d'Angers, France.
June 2021
“The Indian Creative Producer”, World Cinema International Conference Cinema of India (Topic of Edition), University Complutense of Madrid, Spain.
April 2021
Co-organizer and Presenter, “Production Stories: A Case Study of The Lunchbox (2013)”, Graduate Forum, Languages, Literatures and Cultures, University of Calgary.
June 2018
“Pursuit of Lack” in Maja Milo’s film Klip (2013) 34th International Conference on Psychology and Arts, Sicily, Italy.
June 2017
“Plurality and Corporeality in F. Ozon’s Young and Beautiful (2013)”, 33rd. International Conference on Psychology and arts, Reims, France.
August 2013
“Politics and Poetics of Culture” in Ousmane Sembene’s Moolaadé (2004), UGC Sponsored National Seminar, Kerala, India.
Talks Organized
April 6, 2021
“Making Media (2019)”, Dr. Mark Deuze (Professor, University of Amsterdam), School of Languages, Literatures, Linguistics and Cultures, University of Calgary.
April 22, 2021
“The Affective Paradigm and the Reading of Late Capitalism”, Dr. Mabel Moraña (Professor, Washington University St. Louis), School of Languages, Literatures, Linguistics and Cultures, University of Calgary.
Academic Service
University of Calgary
September 2022
Founder and Co-organizer
Graduate Writing Retreat, Language Research Centre and Calgary Institute of Humanities
September-December 2022
Graduate Mentor
International Student Services and Languages, Literatures and Cultures Program
2021-2022
Graduate Student Representative (Elected Position)
Language Research Centre
Winter, 2020 and 2021
Co-organizer and Moderator
Graduate Forum, Languages, Literatures and Cultures (Graduate Forum 2020 was postponed due to Covid-19)
January 2019 - 2020
Co-editor and Peer-reviewer
Inter-lingua Journal, School of Languages, Literatures, Linguistics & Cultures
Fall, 2019
Organizer
“Transcultural Dialogues in World Cinema Series”
2018-19
Co-President
Vox Condiscipulum, Graduate Student Organization
Community Service
September 2022-March 2023
Co-organizer and Moderator
“Intersectionality Symposium”, Graduate Student Association,
July 2022-Present
Vice Chair Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Graduate Student Association, University of Calgary
June-August 2021
Project Lead and Creative Producer
Through her eyes: Navigating Healthcare as a woman of colour, Alberta and BC
2020-21
Founder and Co-Organizer
“Narratives of Color”, Language Research Centre and Calgary Institute of Humanities, University of Calgary
January-June 2020
Peer-helper
Women’s Resource Centre, University of Calgary
March 1-3, 2020
Student Assistant
"Women at Work" Conference, Career Services and Women's Resources Centre, University of Calgary
September-December 2019
Volunteer Participant
‘Cultivating Compassion Training’ at Faith and Spirituality Centre, University of Calgary