Sahar Saadat
Sahar Saadat is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Entertainment and Media Studies. Her research focuses on transnational queer media, with a particular emphasis on East Asian queer media cultures. She examines the dynamics of cultural circulation and exchange both within Asia and between Asian and Western contexts. Through a multifaceted approach to media practices, modes of production, text, and audience reception, her work highlights how queer media travels across borders and is reinterpreted through Western frameworks of understanding.
Before joining Grady, Sahar gained experience in both creative practice and research. She has worked in theater and media production, which provided a foundation for her combined interest in practice and theory. Alongside her creative work, she has conducted research in media representation, genre studies, and film adaptation. Her master’s thesis explored the representation of female AI in film, analyzing how gender dynamics are reinforced within these narratives, while also reflecting and shaping gender hierarchies in the design and use of technology. These experiences continue to inform her scholarship, grounding her academic work in both critical inquiry and creative practice.
Education
M.A. in Film Studies, University of East Anglia, England
B.A. in Theater, Azad University, Iran
Conference Papers and Presentations
Saadat, S. (2025, August). Through her eyes: Exploring the female gaze in media studies. Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Saadat, S. (2025, August). BL meets K-drama: Semantic error redefining queer visibility in transnational spaces. Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Saadat, S. (2024, August). Unveiling female desire: A critical analysis of female sexuality in media. Paper presented at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
