CALL FOR PAPERS: PGR Study Day – Methodologies in Film-Philosophy

Saturday 21th October 2017
Department of Film Studies, King’s College London

Organised in association with the British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies

Confirmed Keynote Speaker:
Professor John Ó Maoilearca, Kingston University

Since its emergence in the mid-1990s, the field of film-philosophy has stressed the mutually-productive engagement between its two titular disciplines. From Deleuzian inspired notions of a film-mind to the film-phenomenology of Vivian Sobchack, the terms of this engagement take many forms and positions. Does film illustrate philosophical issues, or more radically does film do philosophy? What does it mean to think philosophy with and alongside film? How we posit the relationship between film and philosophy in our own research is not only a question of staking a claim within a new discipline, but of the methodologies we use to negotiate our own position within this emerging terrain.

This study day will bring together postgraduate research students for a critical discussion on approaches and experiences of doing research at the intersection of film and philosophy. The day will explore the strengths and challenges of using diverse methodologies across this interdisciplinary frame of research, and Professor John Ó Maoilearca (Kingston University) will consider its implications for public engagement.

As opposed to traditional academic papers, we invite postgraduate research students working in any area across film and philosophy to submit abstracts for 15-minute presentations reflecting on their own methodological approach. This might encompass reflections on topics including, yet not limited to:

·         Selection of films and/or philosophical approach
·         The canon in film-philosophy
·         Relationship with film theory
·         The role of medium-specificity and/or digital technologies
·         Link to philosophies of other visual arts, literature, music
·         Intersection with ethics and/or politics
·         The limits of film-philosophy
·         Historiographies of film-philosophy
·         The Analytic-Continental distinction
·         Eurocentrism in film-philosophy
·         Practice-based research across film and philosophy

Proposals should include the title of the presentation, a 250-word abstract, and a short biographical statement. Please submit your proposal to film-philosophy@kcl.ac.uk by Friday 1 September 2017. Participants will receive a response by mid-September.

With the support of BAFTSS, we will be offering a limited number of small bursaries to help cover travel costs for presenters whose institutions cannot support them to attend the conference. If you wish to apply, please submit a short paragraph with your proposal explaining why you need the travel bursary in order to attend the conference, as well as a breakdown of anticipated expenses.

Organisers: Hannah Paveck (King’s College London) and Joseph Jenner (King’s College London)