Abstracts are sought for a film studies conference on "Cinema of the Arab World", which will take place on March 3-4, 2018 at the American University in Cairo.
Organizers welcome papers, which problematize contemporary scholarship on cinema of the Arab world by offering critiques of colonized theory or by offering new lines of inquiry which carry the discourse beyond prevailing tendencies.
Organizers seek papers that engage critically with, for example:
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the contemporary gravitation toward “world” and “transnational” cinema, including message-driven narrative films purporting socio-political commentary and critique
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the limitations of Arab cinema classics and festival darlings
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the longstanding practice of general and descriptive, theme-, genre- and auteur-based national cinema surveys
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the scope for research into commercial cinema audiences
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the culturalist emphasis on issues of “identity” and “difference,” religious “fundamentalism,” violence and “terrorism”
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intersections between experimental cinema and video art
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the seemingly endless deference to Continental philosophical fashions and trends (e.g., Agamben, Rancière, Deleuze, Foucault)
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new formations of celebrity and fan culture
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the relationship between satellite television, online platforms and contemporary cinema
In order to accommodate screening of clips and encourage more in-depth inquiry, papers are expected to run 30 minutes and will be organized into panels that will run approximately 2-¼ hours each.
Depending upon the availability of funds, every effort will be made to supply conference participants with 2 nights’ sleeping accommodations. Meals will be provided during the conference.
Deadlines
Please submit 300-400-word abstracts, including a short biographical statement and a 5-entry bibliography, to Terri Ginsberg and Iman Hamam by August 31, 2017. Acceptance notices will be circulated by October 1, 2018. Participants must submit their completed papers by February 4, 2018 in order for their names to appear on the conference program.
Contact Person
Terri Ginsberg, Director, AUC Film Program
Photo: The Destiny by Youssef Chahine