Zhenia Mahdi-Nau (She/Her)

Delighted to be the recipient of the Emerging Scholar Award and present my research next week on Peak-Flow States in Embodied Screendance Filmmaking and Visual Representation at the 17th International Conference on the Image.

So excited to present my paper, "Peak-flow states in Slow and Meditative Screendance filmmaking" at The Vienna Conference on Arts & Humanities in November. Can't wait! vcah.iafor.org/ #iafor #CFP

Absolutely delighted to receive the SIAP project funding from Arts council NI @ArtsCouncilNI to develop my project and continue my collaboration with dancer Maeve McGreevy and poet Sara Shine.

A few more stills from the second day of residency. Concept, direction, camera Zhenia Mahdi Choreography & performance Maeve McGreevy Poetry Sara Shine @tyronegutheriecentre @artscouncilni

A few stills from the second day of residency. More creative experiments, more surprises, more wonder. Film & concept: Zhenia Mahdi-Nau Performance: Maeve McCreevy Poetry: Sara Shine @artscouncilni @TyroneGuthrie

First day of our residency at the beautiful Tyrone Gutherie Centre. Using a particular method I've been working on, using projections, no filters or editing. Film & concept: Zhenia Mahdi-Nau Performance: Maeve McCreevy Poetry: Sara Shine @artscouncilni @TyroneGuthrie

Presenting at Film Philosophy Conference 2025 in Malta was a fantastic experience! Such a warm and welcoming conference with so many insightful papers and scholars from countries around the world. @film_philosophy_2025 @filmphiljournal

So looking forward to presenting my research on Peak and Flow states in creative experiences of Embodied Screendance Filmmaking, at the international Film-Philosophy Conference in Malta next week. @film_philosophy_2025 @filmphiljournal @filmphilosophyjournal

Stills from rehearing for our Expanded Screendance project and residency to develop it at the wonderful @TyroneGuthrie in July, made possible with kind support by @artscouncilni Film and images by ©Zhenia Mahdi @zheniamahdi Performance by Maeve McCreevy @maevecaitriona

A great event in Belfast, conversation with the absolutely brilliant and most engaging Asif Kapadia

Really looking forward to hearing the director Asif Kapadia. Senna and Amy are among his amazing films.

As part of my Ph.D. research I’m holding an embodied filmmaking workshop in July. The workshop will be held in a studio space in Belfast, NI. For more information/to take part, please email at z.mahdi-nau@brighton.ac.uk

Exciting experiments and new possibilities instagram.com/p/C7o8piEN08_/…

Another session of creative experimentation with the amazing Maeve McCreevy

Short demo performance before presenting my paper at Irish Screen Studies Seminar yesterday #irishscreenstudiesseminar @IrishScreenStud

Really delighted with the positive responses to my presentation at the @IrishScreenStud. Well organised & welcoming event with some very interesting papers and talks. Looking forward to next year’s ISSS which will be back in the south.

Really looking forward to presenting my paper today at Irish Screen Studies Seminar 2024, on ‘A phenomenological investigation of peak-experience and flow states through a practice of embodied Screendance filmmaking’ @IrishScreenStud

In ‘Beyond Flow’ the blurred form of the performer, shrouded in darkness portrays her presence beyond her concrete form and suggests the possibility of the presence of less tangible states. It is a visual metaphor for crossing the thresholds in consciousness into flow states.