Annabelle Murphy

Associate Professor Annabelle Murphy holds the position of Associate Professor in Film and Television at the Victorian College of the Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts and Music, University of Melbourne. She currently serves as Course Coordinator for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours and Course Coordinator for Research Higher Degrees. In recent years, she has been Head of VCA Film and Television. Previously, as Senior Lecturer in Film and Television, she was Convenor of Screenwriting Programs. Murphy completed her PhD in Creative Writing at Flinders University, supervised by Professor Jeri Kroll, with the thesis "The Art of Detachment: From Script to Novel: An Exploration of Reverse Adaptation." Her academic qualifications include a Master of Film and Television from the Victorian College of the Arts in 2008, Master of Research in Film and Television, Postgraduate Diploma in Film and Television, and Bachelor of Journalism. Her research specializations encompass screen direction, reverse adaptation, screenwriting, and storytelling.

Murphy has made significant contributions to screenwriting education and creative practice. She co-developed the Bachelor of Fine Arts Screenwriting program, which earned a 2017 Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in the Australian Awards for University Teaching, shared with colleagues Philippa Burne, Luke Devenish, and Ben Michael. She also received the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Melbourne. Her scholarly publications include "Reasons to be Cheerful: A Study in Reverse Adaptation" (2013), "The Rosie Project: Discussions with Graeme Simsion on Reverse Adaptation" (Journal of Screenwriting, 2016), contributions to "Evolution of the Exegesis: The Radical Trajectory of the Creative Writing Doctorate in Australia," and "The Welfare of Animals in Australian Filmed Media" (Animals, 2021, with P.L. Hitchens, K. Booth, K. Stevens, B. Jones, and L.M. Hemsworth). As a filmmaker, her works have screened at film festivals and on television worldwide, receiving awards and nominations. Murphy has contributed to national postgraduate research programs, edited works on the VCA Film School digital archive, and supervised creative projects exploring genre and adaptation. Her work bridges practice and theory, influencing screenwriting pedagogy and animal welfare in media production.

Professional Email: almurphy@unimelb.edu.au