 | Callista Saputra Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) |
Educational Background
- Master of Arts in Theatre and Performance, National University of Singapore
- Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) in English Literature, King's College London
Research Brief
Callista’s research and curatorial practice explore representations of the spectral in Indonesian and Southeast Asian cinema. Her research examines the history of the horror genre in Indonesian cinema, focusing on how it was initially used to convey state values, as well as how this legacy of national identity continues to influence contemporary depictions of the spectral. Her curatorial practice focuses on recreating communal film screenings from Indonesia in the 1990s, inviting audiences from diverse backgrounds to engage with mass media and entertainment blockbusters in a more critical and reflective way.
Research Areas
- Feminist Cinema
- Film Curation
- Film Studies
- Queer Cinema
- Religion and Spirituality
- Theatre Studies
Award
- Best Publication, Student Publication Awards, King’s Journal.
Projects
- Decolonising Eco-Cinema, Future Film Festival 2024, British Film Institute, UK, 2024.
- Short Film Programme, Brighton Fringe 2024, UK, 2024.
- Gate Number Five, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, UK, 2024.
- Short Film Programme, Kingston International Film Festival 2024, UK, 2024.
- Fresh Direction, Young Vic Theatre, UK, 2024.
- West London Playwrights Programme, Bush Theatre, UK, 2023.
Exhibition
- Cha, Chai, Tea, Horniman Museum, UK, 2023.
Presentations
- Saputra, C. (2025, October 24). Queering Badarawuhi: The slash fan fiction narratives of Badarawuhi di Desa Penari. Punk Scholars Network Indonesia at Universitas Sanata Dharma, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
- Saputra, C. (2025, September 4). Towards an opaque curatorial praxis: Curating Southeast Asian cinema. Association for Curators and Programmers of Asian Cinemas at Asian Film Archive, Singapore.