Andy Birtwistle

en

Andy Birtwistle is Reader in Film and Sound at Canterbury Christ Church University. His research focuses on film sound, sonic arts, avant-garde film, and Taiwan cinema, and he is the author of Cinesonica: Sounding Film and Video (Manchester University Press, 2010). His latest monograph, Film Sound Modernism, will be published by the British Film Institute/Bloomsbury in 2025. Andy’s filmmaking practice complements his writing, and  his latest film Casbah (2024) has screened at a number of international film festivals. Examples of his creative practice in sound and moving image can be found at www.andybirtwistle.com.

research

research expositions

  • Introduction (2025) author(s): Andy Birtwistle published in: Journal of Sonic Studies
    Andy Birtwistle’s introduction to this special issue addresses the question "what is sonic materiality?" by examining how both "new" and "old" materialisms offer productive frameworks for conceptualizing sound's material dimensions. Drawing on work by Cox, Voegelin, and Cobussen, alongside critiques from Goh, Thompson, and Campbell, the article proposes understanding sound's materiality through texture, temporal flow, and spatiality. By engaging with Structural/Materialist film theory and creative sonic practices, Birtwistle discusses how materiality intersects with aesthetics, agency, and ethics in sound. The introduction argues that exploring sonic materiality opens new avenues for understanding sound across environmental soundscapes, artistic practices, and cultural contexts.
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