Associate Professor Stephen Gaunson

Steve researches on national and international cinema industries. Over the past few years, a significant focus of his research has been investigating the social act of going to the cinema. Having built national standing as a leading authority during this time, in 2022 he secured a grant to research the history of Hoyts Cinemas in Australia, which will deliver a series of impactful outcomes including a book, under contract.

Steve is Higher Degree Research Director, DSC, which is one of three academic colleges at RMIT consisting of eight schools and 750 HDR candidates across a broad range of disciplines and with presence in Vietnam, Barcelona, Singapore and China. He leads HDR College activity as it relates to industry partnered projects, internships and international recruitment strategies.

In the School of Media & Communication, Steve teaches undergraduate cinema courses on adaptation, documentary, national cinema & film history.

He can be regularly heard on ABC Melbourne and Radio National as an expert commentator on the national film industry.

Recent engagement activities

Public speaking

• Gaunson, Stephen. 2023. Keynote, 'Crazed Juveniles: 1950s and the Birth of the Japanese Jazz Movie', Japanese Film Festival.
• Gaunson, Stephen. 2022. Conference paper, 'Bawdy Melbourne: 1971, Tim Burstall's Stork and the birth of the ocker comedy'. Massey University, New Zealand, 30 November-2 December. 
• Gaunson, Stephen, 2023. Introduction to Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Best Pictures You've Never Seen, The Capitol Theatre, 21 February.

Written commentary

• Gaunson, Stephen. 2023. 'Roald Dahl was a bigot and beloved children's author. Wes Anderson shows both sides of this complicated persona', The Conversation, 16 October. Republished in The Canberra Times, Newsweek Japan 
• Gaunson. Stephen. 2023. "The Woman Suffers: 'South Australia's greatest film production'" (Raymond Longford, 1918), CTEQ Annotations on Film, Senses of Cinema, September.

Current external funding

• Gaunson, Stephen, $112, 000, Hoyts presents...: The Incredible History of Australia's Oldest and Largest Cinema Company,

• Doctorate of Philosophy, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University, 2010
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours — Cinema Studies), LaTrobe University, 2000
• Bachelor of Arts (Media Studies), LaTrobe University, 1999

Full-time, by appointment

Steve continues to work as a film script editor and assessor. From 2005-2007 he worked for the Irish film company, De Facto Films where he is credited as Script Editor on the produced feature films:

• Kings, De Facto Films (Tom Collins, Ireland, 2007), Irish Film and Television Awards – Best Film (2007)
• Dead Long Enough, De Facto Films (Tom Collins, Ireland, 2005), Cardiff Film Festival – Audience Award Winner (2006)

From 2018-2019 Steve was a weekly guest on ABC Melbourne radio with host Myf Warhurst discussing film industry news. Since this time has appeared on several ABC radio programs across the country, and ABC television including The World where he was a regular guest during the the COVID pandemic on impacts to the global film industry. 

Steve often hosts live film events including Q&As with filmmakers. 

Steve regularly writes film commentary articles for national outlets including The Conversation, The Canberra Times & Senses of Cinema. 

Steve can be contacted for expert media commentary on the film industry.