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