Associate ProfessorVictoria Duckett

Victoria Duckett won the competitive research stipend which allowed her to travel to the UK and conduct research at the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum. Her project explores how Sarah Bernhardt’s celebrity was received and localized in early British cinema. Focusing on rare film ephemera such as programmes and press books, Duckett shows how Bernhardt actively shaped the marketing and distribution of her films, challenging traditional narratives that sideline women’s agency in early cinema. Her work highlights the role of ephemeral materials in understanding transnational stardom and female influence in the film industry’s formative years.

Competitive US$6 000 fellowship supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Research Fellowship Endowment to undertake archival research at the Harry Ransom Center on performance, and early cinema.

This residency accompanied attendance at the "History, Cinema, Digital Archives" that I was invited to participate in at ANU, headed by Jill Matthews

Elected to Federal chapter of Friends of the National Film and Sound Archive, a body that promotes Australia's audiovisual heritage, supports the archive's public programs, and lobbies government for proper funding and statutory protection

Nineteenth Century Theatre and Film bridges research between theatre and film. As books review editor for 4 years, I ensured international books and websites on early film that canvassed, included and discussed performance were reviewed by scholars and researchers active in the field.

Served as a remote expert evaluator for the Université libre de Bruxelles’ IF@ULB postdoctoral fellowship program, funded through the European Commission’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions COFUND scheme. Assessed applications in a highly competitive international round in which 162 candidates applied for 21 funded postdoctoral positions.

Assessed competitive research proposals for the National Fund for Scientific Research: Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek– Vlaanderen, FWO.

Serve on the editorial board of FAScinA, an international book series dedicated to monographs and edited collections in feminist film studies, with a particular focus on research by women about women in cinema.

Interviewed by Rheina Sukmawati about AI, VR, virtual production, and changing screen industries.

Featured in coverage of the Makassar opening of FSAI 2025 alongside Australian Consul-General Todd Dias, Makassar filmmaker Khozy Rizal, and the city’s tourism representative. The article identifies me as Associate Professor at Deakin University and records my contribution to the festival’s Australia–Indonesia cultural and educational collaboration.

Featured in coverage of the Bandung masterclass and the future of creative production.

Interviewed in Bandung on 11 June 2025 about AI and VR as tools for filmmakers, the continuing importance of human creativity, and the use of immersive technologies to communicate Australian and First Nations histories.

Interviewed on AI and VR as creative tools, the continuing importance of human creativity, and the impact of emerging technologies on film production.

Interviewed by Tony Tardio about Guglielmo Giannini: Showman and Politician, the Melbourne exhibition I co-curated with Professor Elena Mosconi at CoAsIt. The discussion explored Giannini’s career across theatre, cinema, journalism, and politics, as well as the international archival and cultural partnerships underpinning the project.

Featured in Italian press coverage of COAsIt exhibition, Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man: Ugo Tognazzi and Comedy Italian Style, highlighting the international exhibition, public lectures, and film retrospective developed between Melbourne and Cremona.

Interviewed with Professor Elena Mosconi about the exhibition Guglielmo Giannini: Showman and Politician, which we co-curated in Melbourne. The discussion explored Giannini’s work across theatre, cinema, journalism, and political culture, and the international collaboration behind the exhibition.

Featured in Australian-Italian press coverage of the Ugo Tognazzi exhibition and retrospective, developed with university, archival, cultural, and diplomatic partners in Australia and Italy.

Featured in coverage of the Surabaya opening of FSAI alongside Australian actor Carlos Sanson Jr and Australian Consul-General Fiona Hoggart. The article documented my participation as Deakin University’s invited representative and masterclass presenter.

Featured in photographic coverage by Indonesia’s national news agency at the FSAI opening in Surabaya. The published image identified me alongside Australian Consul-General Fiona Hoggart and actor Carlos Sanson Jr, highlighting the festival’s cultural and educational collaboration between Australia and Indonesia.

Featured in national coverage of FSAI’s seven-film, seven-masterclass program across seven Indonesian cities. The article highlighted Deakin University’s partnership with the festival and introduced me as an invited screen specialist with three decades of experience in the creative industries.

Featured as a Deakin University film expert invited to deliver the FSAI masterclass Virtual Production in Australia: Filmmaking on the Edge of Change. The article promoted my masterclasses in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Jakarta and provided the full national festival schedule.

Indonesia’s national news agency reported on the opening of FSAI 2019 and its role in strengthening collaboration between the Australian and Indonesian film industries. The article identified me and Simon Wilmot as Deakin University experts invited to deliver workshops for emerging Indonesian filmmakers in Jakarta, Makassar, and Bandung.