Radical Film Network Nottingham 2019
Transnational Radical Film Cultures: An International Conference
June 3 to 5
Call for Presentations
‘Radicalism’ is a concept with a diverse range of applications and ‘radical film’ can be used to describe a wide range of cultural practices. For some, ‘radicalism’ refers first and foremost to a political affiliation with the Left and the various traditions that underpin it: from anarchism and socialism to radical environmentalism and struggles for racial, sexual and gender equality. For others, radicalism is about aesthetics as much as politics, about interrogating the nature of film language, experimenting with the medium and developing new approaches to audio-visual communication.
In keeping with the spirit in which the Radical Film Network (RFN) was founded, this conference aims to bring together the political and aesthetic avant-gardes, with a particular focus on the transnational nature of contemporary radical film culture. By looking at how radical films are produced, circulated and engaged with in different parts of the world, the conference aims to shed light on the transnational nature of film cultures and the intersecting relationship between political struggle and aesthetic innovation. Bringing together filmmakers and researchers, the conference hopes to create new and consolidate existing connections and networks, facilitate transnational and cross-cultural dialogues and forge global solidarity against hegemonic powers.
Following the previous Radical Film Network conferences held in Birmingham (2015), Glasgow (2016), New York City (2017), Tolpuddle (2017) and Dublin (2018), this year’s conference will take place in Nottingham, the UNESCO City of Literature, to pay tribute to the city’s radical heritage, represented not least by the radical legend Robin Hood, and to celebrate the city’s many and vibrant radical cultures. During the conference, participants will be invited to embark on a radical city tour and to attend some public events at the Nottingham Contemporary (http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org) and the Five Leaves Bookshop ((https://fiveleavesbookshop.co.uk/about/).
The conference will also take place on the eve of Sheffield Doc/Fest (https://sheffdocfest.com/), the international documentary film festival (6-11 June 2019). All RFN members are eligible for Doc/Fest’s Organisational Discount, and we would urge conference delegates to attend the festival and bring their perspectives into this more mainstream arena. To register interest in an Organisational Discount Pass to the festival, please email info@radicalfilmnetwork.com.
We particularly welcome filmmakers and researchers from the Global South, and contributions engaging with themes in the Global South from individuals and communities both inside and outside of academia. To this end, we may be able to offer a limited number of travel subsidies to participants from underprivileged backgrounds and the Global South. Please get in touch with the conference organisers to check eligibility once more details are announced in the spring of 2019.
Contributions may include, but not limited to, the following:
- Radical aesthetics and politics;
- Political filmmaking and ethical issues;
- Class and radical films;
- Forms of radical film activism and political agitation;
- Programming, distribution and exhibition;
- Radical film festivals and audiences;
- Radical film history across national borders;
- (Self)-Representation, identity and privacy in radical film cultures;
- Collaborative and participatory practices in radical film cultures;
- Partnerships between radical filmmakers and institutions;
- Issues of inclusion/exclusion in radical film cultures;
- Radical film cultures, memory, the archive and preservation;
- Creativity and innovation in radical film cultures;
- Radical films and the proliferation of digital technologies;
- Radical film cultures in the Global South;
- Radical film cultures and future direction(s)
Proposals to a maximum of 300 words should be sent to: Trfc2019conference@gmail.com
Please address any enquiries to the same address. Details of the complete programme will be announced in due course.
Important dates:
Deadline for submission of abstracts: Thursday 31st January 2019
Notification of acceptance of abstracts: Thursday 28th February 2019
Registration:
Registration starts on 1 December 2018 and through the University of Nottingham store:
https://store.nottingham.ac.uk/
Participants with institutional support: £100
Standard registration fee: £60
Early bird registration fee: £40 (before 31 March 2019)
Unwaged participants: £20
Organisers:
Hongwei Bao and Daniel Mutibwa (Department of Cultural, Media and Visual Studies, University of Nottingham, UK)
Partners:
Radical Film Network (https://radicalfilmnetwork.com/about/)
Nottingham Contemporary (http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org/) and
Five Leaves Bookshop (https://fiveleavesbookshop.co.uk/about/)