Biography

After completing undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Welsh and Film Studies at the University of Wales Aberystwyth, Dr Ffrancon was appointed Lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Wales Bangor in 2002. She was appointed to Swansea University in September 2005 to teach modules on film and television through the medium of English and Welsh.

Her main research interests are imaging Wales, Scotland and Ireland on screen; film and television in Wales; the history of film in Britain and America; the history of animation; and the careers of some of Wales’ foremost actors including Emlyn Williams, Hugh Griffith, Rachel Thomas, Richard Burton, Rachel Roberts and Siân Phillips. Her first monograph, Cyfaredd y Cysgodion, was nominated for the long short list of the Academy Book of the Year Competition for 2004–5.

Dr Ffrancon is co-founder of the project Cyfrwng (Media) which was established in 2002. This project, which is supported by all the higher education institutions in Wales and several media industry institutions, consists of an academic journal, an annual conference and a website (www.cyfrwng.com) which provides a platform for the discussion of media in Wales and Wales and the media. The project also aims to bridge the divide between the world of media in higher education and the media industry. Dr Ffrancon is co-editor of the project’s multi-disciplinary and bilingual journal, Cyfrwng: Media Wales Journal – Cyfnodolyn Cyfryngau Cymru published annually by University of Wales Press.

Following a highly successful inaugural conference at Bangor in 2004 the Cyfrwng conference has visited the following locations: University of Glamorgan (2005), National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales at the National Library of Wales (2006); Swansea University (2007); Aberystwyth University (2008) and BBC Cymru Wales, Cardiff (2009). She was the organiser of the conferences at Bangor and Swansea and co-organiser on the other four conferences.

Dr Ffrancon is also principal investigator of a research project that involves all universities in Wales. The project is to create an online English-Welsh dictionary of terms for media studies. The first stage of the project, gathering, rationalizing, providing translation and definition for 800 English-medium terms in the subject area of New Media, was completed in July 2008. The second phase of the dictionary, which will focus on film and television studies terminology, will begin in October 2009. In all, it is anticipated that that there will be four stages to the dictionary and each section will be added to the live website upon completion.

Current Research

Dr Ffrancon is currently researching a biography of Swansea-born actress Rachel Thomas. She is also examining the contribution of Wales to the medium of animation.

Selected Recent Publications

• (Forthcoming) ‘Ar gyrion y darlun: delweddu Affro-Americaniaid ar y sgrîn fawr Gymreig’ in Daniel Williams (ed), Canu Caeth: Cymru ac Affro-America (Gomer)
• (Forthcoming) ‘Cynnau’r Fflam: Arloeswyr Cynnar y Sinema, 1894-1914’ in Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones (ed), Llawlyfr Astudiaethau Ffilm a Theledu (Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru)
• (2008) Llais Cenedl: Cyfrol Deyrnged John Roberts Williams (co-edited volume with Nan Elis, Gwasg Gwynedd)
• (2007) ‘“The same old firm dressed up in a new suit”: Blue Scar (Craigie, 1949) and the portrayal of the nationalisation of the coal industry’, Media History, 13, no. 2/3 (Routledge), pp. 169-180.
• (2004-to date) Co-editor of Cyfrwng: Media Wales Journal

She supervises Screen Studies and Media Studies undergraduate dissertations, and, currently, two PhD doctoral theses.

She is also the co-coordinator of the department’s Welsh-medium provision.