Essay contributions are sought for an edited 

collection on cinema of the Arab world that is 

presently under favorable consideration by the 

editors of an appropriate series at a major academic publisher.



Whereas the Arab world continues to be a central 

focus of Western media attention, relatively 

little scholarly work has been produced on Arab 

cinema. This forthcoming scholarly collection 

aims to explore and analyze the current state of 

cinematic and media production in the Arab world, 

drawing upon the expertise of scholars and 

practitioners, including but not limited to those 

who hail from or are based in the region itself. 

The volume will adopt a contemporary perspective, 

covering specific aspects and attributes of the 

Arab world as a whole and integrating an array of 

topics and theoretical approaches representing 

current developments in Arab filmmaking and 

studies.  Recognizing the field’s 

interdisciplinary breadth, the collection seeks 

intellectual inclusiveness and welcomes essays 

from diverse academic and national 

locations.  Its aim is to (re)situate Arab cinema 

and its scholarly pursuit, both recent and 

historical, on the map of international cultural 

studies, by soliciting critical work in areas including but not limited to:





·         Political conditions of filmmaking in 

the Arab world / reflections on the Arab 

Uprisings / co-optations of revolt / the refugee crisis



·         Arab(ic) filmmaking outside the region 

(e.g., “beur” cinema, exilic and diasporic filmmaking)



·         Comparative analyses of trends or films 

in (specific) Arab cinemas and those from non-Arab regions



·         Revisionist preoccupation with Islam and “terrorism”



·         Films concerning Palestine/Israel, 

Zionism, and the Arab–Israeli struggle



·         Censorship and propaganda



·         Classical industry films revisited / 

popular cinema / genres / star system



·         New directors / auteurism



·         The persistence and future of national cinemas



·         Animation / digital media / experimental / avant-garde



·         Documentary traditions and transformations



·         Commercially successful political comedies



·         The relationship of literary theory and 

theories of visual art to film analysis



·         Politics of distribution / film 

festivals / “world” cinema / transnational networks / collectives



·         The economics of Arab filmmaking / 

sources of funding within and beyond the region



·         Class politics / anti-colonial and 

postcolonial tendencies / returns to Marx



·         Feminism and women’s cinema / queer theory / masculinities



·         Cinema studies as a discipline in the Arab world





Deadline for electronic submission of 350-word 

abstracts (to include brief biographical 

statement and sample 5-item bibliography):   March 1, 2016



E-mail abstracts to:      Terri Ginsberg – 

<file:///mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]

                                     Assistant Professor of Film

                                     The American University in Cairo

                                     AND

                                     Chris 

Lippard – <file:///mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]

                                     Associate Professor of Film and Media Arts

                                     University of Utah



Commissioned papers should not exceed 5000 words 

(20 pages) and must be completed by January 15, 

2017.  While the collection will be published in 

English, papers submitted in Arabic are also acceptable and will be translated. 



----

For past messages, visit the Screen-L Archives:

https://listserv.ua.edu/archives/screen-l.html