Call for Papers – Chinese Audio-Visual Cultures: The Interaction between China and the Rest of the World, University of Southampton, May 9, 2020

The Centre for International Film Research (CIFR), run by the Film department at the University of Southampton, cordially invites postgraduate research students and early career researchers to submit proposals for our postgraduate symposium ‘Chinese Audio-Visual Cultures: The Interaction between China and the Rest of the World’. This symposium will be held at the University of Southampton on May 9, 2020.

This symposium will explore the relationships that have formed between China and the globe, and more generally, how international and transnational relationships have shaped film industries on a worldwide scale. It will explore transnational media contents co-productions and distribution; distribution and exhibition of Chinese audio-visual products throughout the world; distribution and exhibition of audio-visual products from others countries/territories in China; film industries in East Asia; how China has adopted global aesthetics, and how contrastingly, film industries from other parts of the world have indeed adopted Chinese aesthetics; how the global media contents industry may have changed with China’s influence; how China’s film industry may have changed in light of influences from other parts of the world; and how digital media and its globalizing technologies have reshaped international film industries, amongst other possible topics. From cinema and video games to television and other art forms, this one-day event will offer a comprehensive and interdisciplinary insight not only into visual cultures itself, but also the eclectic range of innovative research methods and critical approaches employed to study and analyze such cultures.

Our confirmed panel discussants are:

• Dr Hongwei Bao (University of Nottingham, UK)
• Prof. Tim Bergfelder (University of Southampton, UK)
• Dr Iain Robert Smith (King’s College London, UK)

For postgraduate students and early career researchers, this is a good opportunity to discuss your work with the leading scholars in related fields. It will also be an excellent opportunity to start networking and stay abreast of the latest research trends in the related disciplines. This event is FREE (lunch and refreshments included).

Papers may include, but are by no means limited to, the following areas:

• Discussions of how cultural origins are defined and categorised
• Representations of global aesthetics, philosophy, history and identity in Chinese-language film, TV and other media
• Representations of Chinese aesthetics, philosophy, history and identity in world cinema/TV series/other media
• Transnational film/TV/media co-productions between China and other countries/territories
• Film festivals in China and other Chinese-speaking regions
• Film Festivals in non-Chinese-speaking countries/territories that feature Chinese-language film sections
• Production/distribution/exhibition of Chinese-language audio-visual cultures in and outside China
• Transnational Distribution
• Exhibition of transnational audio-visual products

This symposium is sponsored by the Confucius Institute at Southampton.

Abstract and paper submission:

For individual paper proposal submissions, abstracts should be no more than 250 words. Please also submit a short biography of no more than 100 words, including your affiliation, email address and PhD supervisors. There is no registration fee; chosen presenters will have to arrange their own trip/accommodation.

Please send your abstract to cicotaus2020@gmail.com by Tuesday, March 3, 2020, 4pm (UK time). Notifications of acceptance will be sent out by mid-March 2020.

Selected presenters are asked to submit of a full paper for a presentation of 20 minutes by late April 2020 (date TBC).