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. 

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