Biography

Gillian Helfield began teaching at York University in 1997 after completing her Ph.D. in Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick. Her dissertation focused on Quebec Cinema of the Quiet Revolution, which remains an important subject in her teaching, research and writing.

Helfield also teaches courses in Canadian Studies, Cultural Studies, National Cinemas, Middle Eastern Cinemas and Rural Cinemas. Her book, Representing the Rural: Space Place and Identity, in Films About the Land, was published in 2006 by Wayne State University Press.

As an early adapter to online teaching, Helfield is involved in eLearning initiatives at York University. In 2017 she received the AMPD eLearning teaching award, in recognition of her work in this field. She has designed several large-enrolment online film courses, which have earned international awards, and which have served as models for other instructors and eLearning practitioners. She is part of a growing community of academics, instructional designers, and educational developers at York, dedicated to the advancement of eLearning pedagogy and technology, and to future curricular developments in remote teaching and learning.

Before starting her Ph.D., Helfield worked in the Canadian film and television industry for Atlantis Films, the Insight Production Company, Scholastic Television, Global Television, the CBC, and The Canadian Film Centre.