Call for Papers

2006 Film and History League Conference on

“The Documentary Tradition”

  www.filmandhistory.org

AREA: HBO and Redfining the Real

In the past two decades under the heading “America Undercover,” HBO  
has produced a wide variety of documentary programming.  Thanks to  
the commitment of Sheila Nevins, executive producer and now president  
of HBO documentary and family, documentaries range from intriguing  
and perverse subjects (Taxi Cab Confessions and Cathouse) to engaging  
and sensitive issues (4 Little Girls and Death in Gaza).  This unique  
situation of a cable television outlet committed to producing and  
disseminating stories about actual people and social issues has  
brought documentary films, previously the province of small theaters  
with limited release, into roughly one-third of American households.

HBO documentaries have served to motivate public awareness and action  
regarding previously ignored social issues.  Others have explored  
intriguing questions of bodies and sexuality.  Unlike more trendy  
reality TV shows, these documentaries are made by filmmakers who wish  
to explore various popular culture issues in depth.  This area will  
consider the various ways in which HBO has changed both the  
production and consumption of documentaries while altering the  
landscape of American television entertainment.

We are inviting submissions on all aspects of documentary  
programming.   Deadline for submission is July 25, 2006.

The Film and History League conference details can be found at

www.filmandhistory.org. The meeting will run from 8-12 November,  
2006, in the Dolce Conference Center near the DFW airport.  A  
spectrum of other areas will evolve on the web site over time.

Send all inquires and proposals to:

Dr. Laura Vazquez

Northern Illinois University

Department of Communication

DeKalb, IL 60115

815-753-7132

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Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the
University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu