CfP: Doing Women's Film History 13-15 April 2011: University of Sunderland

Women's Film History Network - UK/Ireland
Doing Women's Film History: Reframing
Cinema Past and Future
13-15 April 2011
Centre for Research in Media and Cultural Studies: University of Sunderland

Despite their marginalization in film history, women have always been widely involved in
and around cinema as: producers, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, editors,
designers, actresses, sound designers, voice coaches, composers, distributors,
programmers, cinema managers, publicists, critics, audiences, and so on. This
international conference brings together researchers, archivists, librarians,
filmmakers, website and database designers to explore new research in women’s film
history, its future development, and its impact on approaches to cinema and film history
itself.

We welcome individual case-studies of women working in or around silent, sound and
digital cinemas, in different national contexts, or across different media; papers on
historiographic, socio-economic and aesthetic issues (including the impact of the
women’s movement); and considerations of the future of women’s film history posed by
globalization, digital media and changes in archiving and databasing. Proposals for
papers might include issues such as:

   * sources and methodologies for gender-oriented film research
   * strategies for archiving, preservation and programming of women’s films
   * impact of women on cinema as audiences, campaigners, fans
   * women’s career moves from other creative media into cinema
   * future histories of women’s movement film workshops and recent filmmaking
   * cross-national connections and comparisons
   * relationship between feminism and women’s history
   * usefulness of ‘women’s cinema’ as a category in post-feminist and digital contexts
   * significance of women’s film history to women’s film practice now
   * curriculum issues, e.g: critical canons, teaching and film availability
   * women’s film historiography: filling gaps or changing film history?

Contributions from post-graduate researchers are welcome and some bursaries offered.
Women’s History Review, Journal of British Cinema and Television and Framework have
indicated interest in publishing suitable papers, subject to reviewers’ reports.

Keynote speakers and panelists will be confirmed in October.
The conference will include screenings, forums on teaching women's film history, the
film studies curriculum, and the future organization and web presence of the Women’s
Film History Network.

Proposals (150 word limit) for presentations of 20 minutes (including audiovisual
material) should be sent by 1 December 2010 to: Lianne Hopper, The David Puttnam Media
Centre, Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s, St Peter’s Way, Sunderland, SR6 ODD, UK; or
by email to: wfhconference AT sunderland.ac.uk. For more information about the Network and Conference please visit our wiki at
http://wfh.wikidot.com.