New Cabell Hall 441
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 12:30-1:30pm

Eli Carter is an Associate Professor specializing in Brazilian film, media, and cultural studies, with a focus on how television and new media reflect and shape Brazilian identity, race, and socio-political landscapes. Professor Carter has published several articles in leading academic journals that explore the evolution of Brazilian media amid political, social, technological, and cultural changes. His article, “Representing Blackness in Brazil’s Changing Television Landscape: The Cases of Mister Brau and O Grande Gonzalez,” received the 2019 LARR-Pitt Best Article Award. “Silence Behind the Talk of Crime: Representations of Violence in a Sample of Contemporary Brazilian Films and Television Series” earned an Honorable Mention from the Latin American Studies Association – Brazil Section in 2018. In addition to these and other articles, Professor Carter has published two books.

Professor Carter’s first book, Reimagining Brazilian Television: Luiz Fernando Carvalho’s Contemporary Vision (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2018), explores the groundbreaking work of Luiz Fernando Carvalho, a Brazilian director whose singular aesthetic innovations function to counter Brazil’s mainstream telenovelas.

In his second book, The New Brazilian Mediascape: Television Production in the Digital Streaming Age (University of Florida Press, 2020), Profesor Carter examines the impact of digital platforms and the Pay-TV Law (2012) on Brazil’s media landscape, documenting how recent shifts have diversified production, empowered independent creators, and transformed the representation of race, class, and cultural identity in Brazilian television. This work also addresses the cultural implications of new streaming platforms like Netflix and GloboPlay, examining how these media transformations influence Brazil’s position in a globalized mediascape.

Professor Carter’s current book project, Broadcasting Brasis: Television, Culture, and Modernity in Brazil (Under Contract), traces Brazilian television’s role in shaping modern national identity from its origins to the streaming era, exploring themes such as modernization, production, and globalization.

In the classroom, Professor Carter develops interdisciplinary courses on Brazilian media, literature, and culture in both English and Portuguese, fostering critical perspectives on identity, race, and media’s socio-political role. Professor Carter also created and leads study abroad programs in Brazil and Portugal. Recognized with the All-University Teaching Award (2018), Professor Carter has also guided numerous theses and served on dissertation committees, mentoring students from across grounds. Beyond UVA, Professor Carter contributes to the field through editorial work for leading academic journals, as well as through past service as Director of Latin American Studies and Co-Director of the Americas Center.