CALL FOR PAPERS
FICTION FILM BY AMATEURS
Northeast Historic Film Summer Symposium
July 21-23, 2005
The Northeast Historic Film Summer Symposium is a
multi-disciplinary gathering devoted to the history, theory,
interpretation, and preservation of moving images. The Symposium is
noted for bringing together archivists, scholars, and artists in the
intimate setting of Northeast Historic Film, located in Bucksport,
Maine, on the Penobscot River. The town is near the Bangor
International Airport, on the way to Acadia National Park. Unlike
most conferences, each presenter has a full hour in which to deliver
her or his paper and engage in discussion with colleagues.
TOPIC: FICTION FILM BY AMATEURS
Presenters and participants will view and discuss amateur dramatic
works (individual, family, collective, and student works) seeking to
better understand amateur film as a creative and interpretive form.
There is a tradition of fictional narratives and avant-garde films made
by nonprofessional filmmakers back to the invention of 16mm
film—and earlier examples. Amateur fictional works from earliest days
of the moving image to the present are of interest. Examples include
Minnesota Historical Society’s The Great Perham Jewel Robbery
(1926), Wisconsin Historical Society’s A Study in Reds, Northeast
Historic Film’s Miss Olympia (1939), and Florida Moving Image
Archive’s Phyllis Le Shane Collection (1965-1972).
PRESENTATIONS INVITED
We invite presentations from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives
and approaches that help to expand our understanding of fictional
moving image works, their context, and their creators. How do these
films conform to or diverge from the norms of classical Hollywood
filmmaking? The planning committee will look for rigorous interpretive
presentations.
Your paper should be 30 minutes, and will be followed by 30 to 45
minutes of discussion. All presentations include clips, context, and
interpretation. The Symposium takes place in Northeast Historic
Film’s Alamo Theatre, a cinema with film, videotape, and DVD
projection.
PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
Proposals are limited to 500 words and should clearly outline the
major thesis and primary points of the presentation. Proposals must
include descriptions of audiovisual material that will be screened
during your presentation, including the original and presentation
medium, and the approximate length of clips. Priority is given to those
presentations that include archival clips; you are responsible for
obtaining and organizing screened material.
Proposals should include a brief biographical sketch of the presenter
including affiliation, rank (if appropriate), and relevant publications,
exhibitions or curatorial work, and all contact information.
Submissions must be received by January 1, 2005, and should be
sent to Karan Sheldon, Northeast Historic Film, PO Box 900,
Bucksport, Maine 04416. Decisions will be made by March 1, 2005.
Email submissions are accepted as Word attachments sent to
[log in to unmask] with the subject line Symposium 2005
Proposal
BACKGROUND
Northeast Historic Film (NHF) is among the leading regional moving
image archives in North America. The archives, founded in 1986, is
devoted to collecting, preserving, and making accessible moving
images of northern New England. NHF is noted for its pioneering
efforts to preserve and present home movies and amateur film and
video. For more on the archives visit www.oldfilm.org. The 2004
Symposium, Moving Image as Biography, brought together the
presenters listed below. It was rigorous, memorable, and fun.
To read more, visit
http://www.oldfilm.org/nhfWeb/ed/04Symp/schaefer_Essay_2004.htm
To discuss amateur fiction film presentation ideas, please contact
Dwight Swanson, [log in to unmask] or Karan Sheldon,
[log in to unmask]
2004 Symposium Presenters:
Michael Aronson, University of Oregon
Snowden Becker, Academy Film Archive
Bob Brodsky, Brodsky & Treadway
Marée Delofski, Macquarie University
Robert Goff, Univ of Massachusetts-Boston
Jan-Christopher Horak, Hollywood Entertainment Museum
Jane Johnson, Library of Congress
Janna Jones, Univ of South Florida
Eric Schaefer, Emerson College
Dwight Swanson, Human Studies Film Archives
Toni Treadway, Brodsky & Treadway
Pam Wintle, Human Studies Film Archive
----
Screen-L is sponsored by the Telecommunication & Film Dept., the
University of Alabama: http://www.tcf.ua.edu
|