Call for papers: 5th Annual Southeast Asian Cinemas Conference (ASEACC).STATES OF INDEPENDENCE, Manila, The Philippines

From: Tilman Baumgärtel (email suppressed)
Date: Mon Apr 14 2008 - 10:51:09 PDT


Please circulate widely!

*_CALL FOR PAPERS _*
for the
*5th Annual Southeast Asian Cinemas Conference (ASEACC)

*

*THEME: STATES OF INDEPENDENCE *

The first decade of the 2000s has seen a stunning upsurge of independent
cinema in a number of Southeast Asian countries. This development has
been one of the motivations of the Annual Southeast Asian Cinemas
Conference (ASEACC), and this year we want to focus completely on the
issue of identity. We invite contributions that address the somewhat
contentious notion of "independent cinema" from different theoretical
and methodological angles. The concept of "independent cinema" means
something very different in the emerging countries of Southeast Asia
than in the US or Western Europe, and we want to tease out some of the
particular qualities of independent cinema in the region.

We want to ask what "independence" means in countries, where the
commercial film industry is slowly bleeding to death, but where the
distribution is often dominated by commercial chains that are rather
disinclined to show independent films. We are interested in papers about
the situation of independent distribution channels, be it "microcinemas"
in galleries, socio-cultural centers or people’s living rooms, or on the
Internet. We are looking for contributions that address the specific
aesthetics of independent films from the region. In particular, we
encourage papers that study the work of individual independent
filmmakers or analyse specific indie films. Finally, we will focus on
the situation in this year’s host country, the Philippines. As is our
tradition, filmmakers will participate in open forums and screen their
works.

NEW MEDIA
Another focus of this year’s conference will be the role of technology
and "new media" in the creation of an alternative "mediascape" in the
region. We invite papers that examine the influence of digital
technology on the film language that Southeast Asian film makers are
developing.

SOUTH EAST ASIA AND EUROPE
We are also encouraging contributions that engage with historic aspects
of dependence and independence, such as the colonial legacies of some
European countries in Southeast Asia or more contemporary
inter-dependencies between Europe and Southeast Asia (for example, the
policies of European film festivals, funding bodies or production
companies such as the Rotterdam Film Festival, the Hubert Bals Fund,
Fortissimo, etc).

OTHER TOPICS
- Alternative funding/distribution channels and bodies
- Issues of identity and representation in independent film
- Interdisciplinary approaches in alternative media production
- Independent film and the mainstream
- Festivals and grant-giving bodies
- The Local and the Global
- Independent film in the Philippines

5th Annual Southeast Asian Cinemas Conference (ASEACC). STATES OF
INDEPENDENCE

WHEN: November 27 – 29, 2008

WHERE: Manila, The Philippines

Please send an abstract (max. 500 words) of your proposed paper to one
these members of the program committee of the conference:
Dr. Rolando B. Tolentino: email suppressed>
Dr. Sophia Harvey: email suppressed
<mailto:email suppressed>
Dr. Gaik Cheng Khoo: email suppressed>
Dr. Tilman Baumgärtel: email suppressed
<mailto:email suppressed>

DEADLINE: May 21, 2008

We are currently attempting to get funding for travel subsidies and
accommodations but cannot offer any as yet. Prospective participants are
strongly encouraged to secure their own travel funding. We are also
trying to get discounted hotel and dorm rooms for conference participants.

The conference will be accompanied by screenings of selected independent
films from Southeast Asia from November 25 – 26 and on November 30, 2009.

For more information on the conference visit our website:
www.asianfilmarchive.org/aseacc/

-- 
Dr. Tilman Baumgärtel 
Film Institute, College of Mass Communication, 
University of the Philippines
www.tilmanbaumgaertel.net
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.