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Call for Chapter Proposals – Refocus: The Films of Agnès Varda
Edited by Melissa Oliver-Powell and Natasha Farrell
- Deadline for proposals: November 29, 2024
- Notification of acceptance: December 17, 2024
- Deadline for chapters: September 20, 2025
Renowned for her innovation, independence, and uniquely eclectic style, it is hard to overstate the importance of Agnès Varda's place in film history, which spans multiple genres, forms and movements. The rich legacy of her work continues to be felt in recent exhibitions, retrospectives, and across university film curricula worldwide. However, for many of her 65 years as a filmmaker she was treated as a footnote, regulated to the shadows of her male New Wave counterparts. In the early 1980s, she spoke about being omitted from the history books and special issues of Cahiers du Cinéma. These omissions began to be redressed in the late 20th century with the publication of seminal monographs on Varda’s work in the ’90s. Later volumes have continued to cement her significance as a unique and vital artist, often focusing on particular aspects of her style, and interweaving her work as a photographer and plasticienne in her later career.
The proposed Refocus volume will contribute to the growing body of scholarship on Varda with a holistic overview of her film work, bringing together new critical perspectives throughout the diverse stages of her career in cinema. Across the board, we are interested in prioritizing approaches and frameworks that are relevant to but have been underserved within work on Varda. This proposed volume will seek to contextualize, problematise, and theorise her entire canon to further spotlight how Varda’s films are not a cinema of the obvious. They do not fit neatly into boxes, including a feminist one, even while unmistakably feminist. We welcome proposals for chapters offering fresh perspectives on all aspects of Varda’s cinema and its legacy, whether on specific films or periods of her filmmaking, themes across her work, or the influence of Varda on other filmmakers. We are particularly keen to see – but are not limited to – proposals on the following topics:
- Revisiting the early New Wave and Left Bank films in France
- Varda abroad: films from California, Cuba, Iran, and elsewhere
- New perspectives on the digital documentaries
- Varda’s influence on and intertexts with later filmmakers
- Varda’s collaborations with other artists (directors, actors, musicians, etc.)
- Varda’s collaborations with non-artist participants
- Varda the poet: her oeuvre’s relationship to photography, literature, music, etc.
- Filmmaking and or as political activism
- New or underserved theoretical approaches, including:
- Queer theory
- Ecocriticism
- Animal studies
- Linguistics
- Medical humanities
- Intermediality
- Care and empathy in Varda’s filmmaking
- Family and friendship in practice and representation
- Cultural events, retrospectives and film restoration
Please send chapter proposals of 250-400 words and a 100-word bio to both editors of the volume, Melissa Oliver-Powell (melissa.oliver-powell@york.ac.uk) and Natasha Farrell
(f39nf@mun.ca) by 29th November. Acceptances will be sent out by 17th December. Final chapters will be expected to be around 6000-8000 words, in English, and referenced in Chicago endnote style. We are expecting final chapters to be delivered in September 2025.
Please direct any questions to:
Melissa Oliver-Powell (melissa.oliver-powell@york.ac.uk)
Natasha Farrell (f39nf@mun.ca)
CALL FOR PAPERS: Society for Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image 2025 Conference
Wednesday, June 4 to Saturday, June 7 2025
Edmonton, Canada – University of Alberta
Co-sponsored by the University of Alberta and University of Lethbridge
The Society for Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image (SCSMI) invites proposals for presentations at its annual conference to be held June 4 to June 7, 2025, at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. SCSMI is an interdisciplinary organization of scholars interested in cognitive, philosophical, aesthetic, historical, psychological, neuroscientific, and evolutionary approaches to the analysis of film and other moving image media. Presentations should facilitate the Society’s mission: to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue between moving image theorists, historians, critics, and philosophers, and scientifically-oriented researchers working on moving image media.
The conference will be held at the University of Alberta’s Humanities Centre
(11121 Saskatchewan Dr NW, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2S1)
The campus is centrally located in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, which is one of the largest cities in western Canada. The University of Alberta is situated near the beautiful Kinsmen Park, the impressive Alberta Legislature Building, and 2 km from the city’s downtown.
For more information about the conference, including special events, visit the conference website: http://scsmi-online.org/conference
Questions about the conference or submission process should be addressed to the conference organizers, Dr. Tico Romao and Dr. Aaron Taylor, at scsmicon@ualberta.ca
Submission Procedures
Submit proposals by 11:59 pm (UTC-12) on Friday, December 13, 2024, through Oxford Abstracts at https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/76492/submitter. Complete submission procedures and proposal types can be found at Oxford Abstracts.
The Conference Committee will aspire to circulate its decisions by February 10, 2025.
The Society for the Cognitive Studies of the Moving Image is dedicated to welcoming and encouraging all participants, regardless of ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, religion, and other such characteristics. We actively seek to enhance the diversity of our membership and encourage research in areas related to diversity, equity, and inclusivity. Visit the website for the full SCSMI Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy.
Types of Proposals
Presenters must present original work that they have not presented elsewhere in one of the following four formats:
Long Paper Presentation
A 50-minute session divided between a 25-minute presentation and a 25-minute Q&A.
Short Paper Presentation
A 25-minute session divided between a presentation of 15 minutes or less with the residual time used for discussion.
Poster Presentation or Demonstration
Any form of research display or demonstration.
Author-Meets-Critics Panel
A pre-constituted panel focusing on outstanding publications of interest to the Society. Anyone can propose an AMC panel on another’s work, but the author of the work must not be the proposer of the panel. Only works published between March 2024 and September 2025 will be considered for such panels.
Full descriptions of the types of presentations may be found on the submission website.
Presenter Information
Presenters must be current members of the Society. Nonmembers may submit a proposal but, if accepted, they must join SCSMI by Saturday, March 15, 2025 or acceptance will be withdrawn. For more information about SCSMI, to join, or to learn about membership costs and privileges, visit https://scsmi-online.org.
Presenters should plan to physically attend the conference. However, a limited number of online presentation slots will be made available on a needs basis, and can be requested as part of your presentation proposal. All presentations (not including special events) will also be accessible online.
Presenters unable to attend for financial reasons are encouraged to apply for a Travel Award.
SCSMI will sponsor four travel awards for presenters in the amount of $1000 apiece. Travel award procedures and criteria are listed on the submission portal.
If attending the conference, please be sure to register no later than 11:59 pm (UTC-12) on Friday, April 4, 2025. You may register for the conference at https://register.oxfordabstracts.com/event/73947?preview=false.
Regular fees: US$200
Student fees: US$100
Regular late fees: US$300
Student late fees: US$150
Associate or Full Professor of Film Studies
locations: Montclair, NJ
time type: Full time
POSITION DESCRIPTION
Montclair State University is seeking a Film Studies scholar of national standing to fill the Marie Frazee-Baldassarre Professorship in the Department of English. We are seeking a scholar with expertise in the history of American film from its origins to the present who can assume a leadership position in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to promote the study of film and the moving image. Interest in non-mainstream cinemas and new media will also be important. Candidates should have experience teaching introductory courses, historical surveys, and advanced undergraduate courses. A Ph.D. in Film Studies or related field is required. The Professorship comes with a reduced teaching load (2/2), significant research funds, and an expectation that the holder will develop co-curricular programming and will work with colleagues across the college and the university on interdisciplinary initiatives. At Montclair State University, Film Studies is located in the English Department. Montclair State University serves over 20,000 students, is a nationally recognized Hispanic Serving Institution, and is located 12 miles from New York City.
COLLEGE/SCHOOL AND DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTIONS
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) at Montclair State University combines a traditional liberal arts education with focused preparation in a wide range of disciplines and professional areas. With more than 20 majors, nearly 50 minors and numerous areas of graduate study and professional certificate programs, we offer students the opportunity to begin a lifetime of learning in the humanities and social sciences while preparing for a successful career. The Department of English comprises more than 20 full-time faculty, some 400 undergraduate majors, and approximately 40 M.A. students; a diverse and wide-ranging literary studies curriculum is complemented by robust programs in film studies, creative writing, and teacher education.
THE UNIVERSITY
Montclair State University is a nationally recognized R2 research doctoral institution that empowers students, faculty, and researchers to rise above their own expectations. Building on a distinguished history dating back to 1908, the University today has 13 colleges and schools that serve more than 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students with more than 300 doctoral, master’s and baccalaureate programs. Situated on a beautiful, 252-acre suburban campus just 12 miles from New York City, Montclair State welcomes a diverse population of students, many of whom are first generation, and delivers the instructional and research resources of a large public university in a supportive and sophisticated academic environment.
QUALIFICATIONS
Ph.D. in Film Studies or related field; expertise in the history of American film from its origins to the present; experience teaching introductory courses, historical surveys, and advanced undergraduate courses; and a strong track record of publication and participation in conferences and other public forums.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION STATEMENT
Montclair State University is committed to establishing and maintaining a diverse campus community that is representative of the State of New Jersey through inclusive excellence and equal opportunity. Montclair State University’s commitment to access and equity is designed to prepare each graduate to thrive as a global citizen. As an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution we are working to support a campus-wide agenda to foster a community that both values and promotes the varied voices of our students, faculty, and staff. The University encourages candidates to apply who will contribute to the cultural tapestry of Montclair State University and who value teaching a diverse student population, many of whom are first generation students.
SALARY RANGE Commensurate with experience
STARTING DATE September 1, 2025
Assistant Professor (Tenure Track) – Film Studies
The Faculty of Media, Art, & Performance at the University of Regina invites applications for a tenure-track position in Film Studies (Department of Film) at the rank of Assistant Professor, commencing January 1, 2025 or July 1, 2025. Applicants must have a PhD in Film Studies or a related discipline, and an active research practice. Teaching experience at the university or college level is an asset.
Responsibilities of the position include teaching a full range of broadly-based courses in Film Studies, as well as more specialized senior undergraduate and graduate courses in the candidate’s area of expertise; supervising student work; building a research practice; serving on department, faculty, and university committees; and participating in faculty, university, and community life.
The successful candidate will have a strong research program in Film Studies, which should include specialization in one or more of the following areas: Indigenous cinemas; contemporary media platforms including games and social media; psychoanalysis; European cinemas; animation studies; cinemas of the global south; contemporary world cinemas; expanded cinema.
The University of Regina is located in the heart of a vibrant and increasingly diverse, mid-sized city in the centre of the beautiful Canadian prairies on Treaty 4 territory with a presence in Treaty 6, the territories of the Nehiyawak, Anihsinapek, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakada peoples, and the traditional homeland of the Metis/Michif Nation. The University has a student population of 16,000+ and is home to 10 Faculties. These units have established national and international reputations for excellence and innovative programs leading to bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The University has three federated colleges: First Nations University of Canada, Campion College, and Luther College. Our colleges bring further excellence and diversity to the educational experiences we offer.
The Department of Film offers BA, BA (Honours), and MA programs in Film Studies as well as BFA and MFA programs in Film Production. The Department of Film is committed to teaching film in an interdisciplinary environment within the Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance.
With 35 full-time professors, the Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance enjoys a reputation as one of Western Canada’s foremost environments for artistic research at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. We value diversity in the workplace.
Please apply for this position at: https://urcareers.uregina.ca/postings/16772
Closing Date: October 17, 2024
Call for Panelists: Perspectives on Materiality in Animated Media
For the 2025 Society of Cinema and Media Studies conference, taking place in Chicago, we are looking to put together a panel that explores our shifting understandings of materiality in animated media.
As innovations and developments in digital technology continue to dominate the contemporary media landscape, our relationship with materiality changes, renegotiated and reconsidered in light of constantly changing contexts. As Paul Ward suggests, ‘It is in the process of actively engaging with different contexts that one learns anything. It therefore follows that knowledge about something is produced by constantly critically (re-)evaluating what that something is, and how it relates to its (many) contexts.’
Potential topics include:
- CG imagery
- New media e.g. VR film
- Paradigm shifts brought about by AI
- Craft practices and the politics of representation
- Possible intersections between animation and other disciplines
So far the panel is made up of the following talks:
Anastasiia Gushchina (University of Calgary) – Materiality and the renegotiation of the feminist in Animated Documentary
Cecilia Chen (University of Hong Kong) – Using Quill for Spatial Storytelling in VR Film
Markus Beeken (King’s College, London) – Stop-Motion Materiality and the Supposed “return” to analogue practices
If you are interested in joining this panel, please send us an abstract and short bio to markus.beeken@kcl.ac.uk by Monday, 26th of August. Abstracts should be a maximum of 2500 characters long with 3-5 bibliographic sources.
CFP: Barbenheimer at Canadian Journal of Film Studies
Canadian Journal of Film Studies
Call for Papers
Special Issue: Barbenheimer
(Version française ci-bas)
On July 21, 2023, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie were both released, generating an estimated $235.5 million at the American box office that weekend. These two films seem complete opposites aesthetically, thematically, and ideologically, with radically different markets and audiences. However, audiences came out in droves to watch both films, often dressing up, and creating their own fanworks combining both films—thus, Barbenheimer was born. Barbie and Oppenheimer exceeded expectations at the box office and received critical acclaim. These successes, while expected, were only accentuated due to Barbenheimer. Indeed, studios have attempted to re-create the Barbenheimer phenomena in the year since it happened, but none have succeeded. For example, Paramount and Lionsgate both released Saw X and PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie on the same date in 2023, leading to Saw Patrol, and now Wicked and Gladiator II will be released on 22 November 2024 with a similar attempt at portmanteau marketing. But these attempts go nowhere near the cultural or commercial significance of Barbenheimer. Thus, Barbenheimer as a fan phenomenon and as a specific moment in ‘post’-pandemic cinema and counterprogramming stands apart.
This special issue is seeking articles that place Barbie and Oppenheimer into direct conversation with each other. The Barbenheimer counterprogramming is the point of departure, but it is not the all-encompassing purpose for the issue. While all articles do not need to discuss the Barbenheimer phenomena specifically, all articles must discuss both films, their concatenations and contradictions. Topics could, for example, include Barbenheimer and plasticity; retro-nostalgia aesthetics; auteur theory; male/female/posthuman gazes; the SAG strikes and marketing; material histories; environmentalism; and embodiment.
In order to accommodate as many kinds of contributions as possible, we are open to papers of varied length and approach, and we especially encourage innovative interdisciplinary methods. Proposals should be approximately 300 words, indicate anticipated length, include a short bio, bibliography and should be submitted no later than 15 September. Contributors will be notified by 1 October. Completed papers will be due 15 March 2025. Please email proposals to special issue editor, Julia A. Empey, barbenheimer.issue@gmail.com
Revue Canadienne d’études cinématographiques
Appel à contributions
Numéro spécial: Barbenheimer
Le 21 juillet 2023, Oppenheimer de Christopher Nolan et Barbie de Greta Gerwig sont tous deux sortis, générant environ 235,5 millions de dollars au box-office américain pendant ce week-end. Ces deux films semblent complètement opposés esthétiquement, thématiquement et idéologiquement, avec des marchés et des publics radicalement différents. Cependant, le public est venu en masse pour visionner les deux films, se déguisant souvent et créant ses propres œuvres de fans combinant les deux films. Ainsi est né Barbenheimer. Barbie et Oppenheimer ont dépassé les attentes au box-office et ont été acclamés par la critique. Ces succès, bien qu’attendus, furent accentués grâce à Barbenheimer. Les studios ont tenté de recréer le phénomène Barbenheimer au cours de l’année qui a suivi, mais aucun n’a réussi. Par exemple, Paramount et Lionsgate ont tous deux lancé Saw X et PAW Patrol : The Mighty Movie à la même date en 2023, menant à Saw Patrol, et maintenant Wicked et Gladiator II sortiront le 22 novembre 2024 avec une tentative similaire de marketing combiné. Mais ces tentatives sont loin d’avoir l’importance culturelle ou commerciale de Barbenheimer. Celui-ci se démarque en tant que phénomène de fans et en tant que moment spécifique du cinéma et de la contre-programmation « post »-pandémique.
Ce numéro spécial recherche des articles qui placent Barbie et Oppenheimer dans une conversation directe. La contre-programmation de Barbenheimer est le point de départ, mais elle n’est pas l’objectif global du projet. Même s’il n’est pas nécessaire que tous les articles traitent spécifiquement du phénomène Barbenheimer, tous les articles doivent discuter des deux films, de leurs enchaînements et de leurs contradictions. Les sujets pourraient, par exemple, inclure Barbenheimer et la plasticité; l’esthétique rétro-nostalgique; la théorie de l’auteur; les regards masculins/féminins/posthumains ; les grèves du SAG et le marketing; les histoires matérielles; l’environnementalisme; et l’incarnation.
Afin d’accueillir autant de types de contributions que possible, nous sommes ouverts à des articles de longueur et d’approche variées, et nous encourageons particulièrement les méthodes interdisciplinaires innovantes. Les propositions doivent compter environ 300 mots, indiquer la longueur prévue, inclure une courte biographie, une bibliographie et doivent être soumises au plus tard le 15 septembre. Les contributeurs seront informés le 1er octobre. Les articles complétés seront attendus le 15 mars 2025.Veuillez envoyer vos propositions par courrier électronique à l’éditrice invité, Julia A. Empey, à barbenheimer.issue@gmail.com.
Call for Submissions, Issue 104 The Art Film
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: CINEACTION 104 THE ART FILM
Issue 104 Call for Submissions: The Art Film
Queries and submissions to fjacob@yorku.ca and rlippe@yorku.ca.
Deadline Oct. 15, 2024
In the last few years, a revival of the art film is evident in films like Glazer’s Zone of Interest, Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves, Wenders’ A Perfect Day, Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, and even, one might argue, last year’s blockbusters, Gerwig’s Barbie and Nolan’s Oppenheimer. The resurgence of the art film is significant as it extends beyond commercialism, considering authorship, style, a personal voice, often challenging the audience to participate and engage in an active way. It also attests to a cinema that still attracts an audience willing and eager to experience a screening in a theatre.
In the next issue, we welcome submissions on the subject of the art film, past and present, considering the permeable boundaries between art and entertainment.
Archive/Counter-Archive is thrilled to share the final schedule and registration information for the Global Audiovisual Archiving Conference: Building Alliances (GAVA), which will take place at the iconic TIFF Lightbox in downtown Toronto. This event promises to be an exceptional gathering of experts, enthusiasts, and innovators in the fields of media archiving and heritage.
Please direct any questions that you might have about the conference schedule or registration details to globalarchiving@gmail.com.
Conference Details:
Location: TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
Dates: July 12-14
Website: https://counterarchive.ca/gava-2024
The Global Audiovisual Archiving Conference: Building Alliances (GAVA) is a collaborative event and outreach program co-organized by Archive/Counter-Archive, the Eye Filmmuseum, and the Toronto International Film Festival that aims to foster an international network around AV community archives from parts of the world that have historically been left out of mainstream archival discussions. GAVA will bring together archival specialists from across Canada and around the world with a wide range of expertise, experience, and engagement with media archives at an equally wide variety of scales. The discussions, presentations, screenings, video series, workshops, and tours that comprise this project will largely focus on community archives and archival projects by activists and artists. The focus on marginalized audiovisual archives is imperative and directly linked to the urgency of the current situation.
Schedule Now Available:
The full conference program is now available on our website (https://counterarchive.ca/gava-program). Please note that in addition to the three main days of the conference (July 12-14), there will also be an opening reception at Toronto Metropolitan University on the evening of July 11 and a full-day tour of several local Toronto archives on July 15 that is being coordinated by Cléo Sallis-Parchet (York University). We will be sending out more details about registering for the archival tour shortly, but in the meantime, please reach out to globalarchiving@gmail.com if you are interested in attending.
Registration Now Open:
Registration is now open for GAVA (https://counterarchive.ca/gava-register). You may register for the conference through the Toronto International Film Festival’s website via the links listed below. After clicking the links, you will be redirected to a Ticketmaster portal that will include in-person and remote registration options. In-person tickets for the full conference are priced at $100, with student/remote tickets available for $50. For those where these fees would pose a financial barrier that would prevent you from participating, we invite you to contact globalarchiving@gmail.com to apply for a fee waiver. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with industry leaders and explore the latest in audiovisual archiving!
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International Graduate Summer Institute
In addition to the main conference, we are also very excited to announce the Archive/Counter-Archive GAVA Summer Institute GS/FILM 5700 A SICI Global Audiovisual Archiving: Building Alliances, Curating Difference (Tues-Thurs online June 25-Aug 1). The course is offered online, and organized through York University’s Graduate Program in Cinema & Media Studies/Film. It is open to graduate students from other Canadian and international universities.
For more information about this online course and if you are interested in registering for (or auditing) this course, please email zryd@yorku.ca and kmo@counterarchive.ca before June 14th with “FILM 5700 SICI enrollment” in the subject line.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Symposium: Film Festivals: Borders, Identities, Solidarities
University Ca’ Foscari of Venice
November 4–6, 2024
This symposium aims to explore how the issues of borders, identities and solidarities have been tackled by and through film festivals. As a repetitive practice happening in regular intervals and at the same place, film festivals operate as ‘places of memory’ of a particular kind (Nora, 1984 [1997]). As such, they provide an institutional framework for the cultural memories they preserve and produce through their programmes. By the default of cultural memory creation (Assmann, 1995), their influence becomes long-term and wide encompassing, moving far beyond from their actual time and place. In addition, thanks to the engagement of diverse festival actors (journalists, critics, industry representatives, politicians, etc.) the narratives that they create reach diverse categories of society, not limited to those present at the screening. The influence created in such a way becomes especially important in the times of political and military conflicts and social turbulences, when not only various kinds of liberties, but also people’s lives, can be threatened. With this in mind, this symposium aims to bring together scholars working on diverse aspects of film festival studies to discuss interrelations between film festivals and the questions of borders, identities and solidarities. In the current context of political and social upheavals, and social movements for civil rights, the symposium will explore the capacity of film festivals to operate not simply as spaces for cinematic representation related to borders and identities, but how they have (or may become) vehicles for forging solidarities, past, present and future.
We welcome submissions in the following (non-exhaustive) topic areas:
– Film festivals and political propaganda
– Film festivals as places for expression of solidarity
– Film festivals, cultural memory and national identity
– Film festivals and gender identity
– Definitions of film festivals’ identity
– Borderland film festivals
– Borders and boundaries in film festival programmes
Submissions may be individual or for panels of three papers. We are inviting proposals from participants from diverse ranges of career levels, from doctoral students to established scholars.
Please submit your proposals – 250-word abstracts for 20-minute presentations – to cba.trieste.symposium@gmail.com by July 5, 2024. Notifications of acceptance will be sent by August 15, 2024.
The symposium is organized by Dr Dunja Jelenkovic and Prof. Marco Dalla Gassa in the framework of the project CBA TRIESTE (The Cinematic Battle for the Adriatic: Films, Frontiers, and the Trieste Crisis) which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101020692 (MSCA-IF-EF).
For any inquiries, please contact dunja.jelenkovic@unive.it (please put “CBA TRIESTE Symposium“ as the email subject).
CFP: Performance and Experience: A Collection of Essays on Acting by Non-Actors in the Cinema
Proposed by Catherine Russell
Actors without training who play characters in fiction films are usually referred to as non-professionals or non-actors and have come to proliferate in independent cinema and “global art cinema.” Little scholarly work has been devoted to this phenomenon, but the study of non-professional acting can be a rich avenue of investigation into the role of the body in film aesthetics and the human interactions that underpin film production. Beyond neorealism, it can help us understand the role of experience in filmmaking, and the power dynamics implicit in the situation of filmmaking. Walter Benjamin understood film performance as a primal encounter between the human body and the technology of cinema, and thus as an allegory for the people-machine encounter that has subsequently evolved into the digitization of everyday life.
Non-professional acting marks multiple borderlines between fiction film and documentary and between film and the performance arts including dance, music, circus, sports and rodeo. Non-professional acting is a means of giving drama an ethnographic aspect; and also a means of bringing ethnography into the realm of speculation and fiction. Non-professional acting flags the critical question of film labour, not only as an issue of compensation and workplace protection, but equally as an issue of aesthetics and anti-corporate, anti-celebrity being.
The legacy of neorealism established the realist aesthetics of these films, and the discourse of liberal humanism that underpins the discourse around casting and performance style as well. Robert Bresson referred to his non-professional performers as “models” and, like Andre Bazin, felt that they were only useful for one performance. More recently, directors have adopted a more humane and collaborative attitude toward the people cast in their films who are not (yet) movie stars. Sean Baker refers to his actors as “first timers,” leaving a space for them to pursue an acting career should they choose to do so. Others, such as Zacharias Kunuk, work in collaboration with a specific community who perform in his films.
While film acting has received a great deal of scholarly attention, the bulk of this work has been devoted to star studies, and the performances of well-known actors. Some work on film labour has begun to address issues of non-professional film performance, and in 2024, two monographs on the topic were published by Catherine O’Rawe (The Non-Professional Actor (Bloomsbury) and Miguel Gaggiotti Nonprofessional Film Performance (Palgrave-MacMillan), laying the groundwork for more considered discussion of the aesthetics, politics and effects of non-professional film performance. While the most innovative filmmaking defies boundaries between fiction, documentary, experimental and essayistic modalities, this collection will emphasize the roles of untrained actors in dramatic fiction, looking at actors performing characters who are not necessarily “themselves,” no matter how closely aligned their characters and themselves may be.
In 2017 Film at Lincoln Centre programmed a series of films featuring non-professional actors. While it is by no means an exhaustive list of all the relevant films, it may be a good starting point to consider the scope of the topic. https://www.filmlinc.org/daily/the-non-actor-a-historical-survey-spanning-over-40-films-begins-november-24/
Proposals for films and performers who are women, Black, Indigenous or racialized, or from the Global South are especially welcome, although all proposals will be considered.
Possible approaches to the topic of non-professional film performance include:
1. Discussion of the casting and aftermath of individuals cast in fiction films.
2. Close analysis of performances, including “amalgams” of professional and non-
professional.
3. Relationships between directors and non-professional actors
4. Contracts, legal documents and other labour arrangements
5. Non-professional actors and digital cultures
6. Reality television
7. Ethical issues raised in specific productions
8. Dramatic fiction in amateur filmmaking
9. Dramatic fiction in visual anthropology
10. Philosophical effects of non-professional performance
11. Performance studies and non-professional film acting
12. Non-professional acting and the legacy of neorealism
13. An interview with a director about their work with non-professional actors
14. An interview with a performer in a fiction film who can be considered “non-professional.”
Proposals should be 300 words, accompanied by a short bio and a bibliography.
Please send to katie.russell@concordia.ca by July 15
I have provisional interest from Routledge for a publication. Translation of previously published essays or interviews will also be considered. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for additional information. If all goes well, final essays will be expected in Summer 2025.
Journal
Sustaining Members
