The HoMER Network – History of Moviegoing, Exhibition and Reception invites researchers, scholars, and practitioners to submit papers for the 2025 conference themed Cinema and Conflict. Organized by a consortium of HoMERites scholars from various universities, the 2025 HoMER Network Conference will be held at Galatasaray University in Istanbul, a historic academic setting in a culturally dynamic city. With the theme ‘Cinema and Conflict’, the conference will unite scholars worldwide for keynotes, panels, screenings, social events fostering cross-cultural academic exchange in Istanbul’s rich heritage and vibrant settings.
This year’s theme will explore how various forms of conflict—social, political, ideological, and beyond—have not only shaped the historical experiences of moviegoing, exhibition, and reception but also been influenced by them. We aim to investigate the dynamic and reciprocal relationships between cinema and conflict by examining how tensions and disputes have impacted audience behaviours, exhibition practices, and film reception while also exploring how the collective experience of cinemagoing has, in turn, contributed to shaping social conflicts and political struggles. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the role of cinema during wartime, how cinemas have served as spaces for community cohesion or dissent in conflict zones, internal struggles within the film industry, and how contentious politics and social movements have intersected with both film exhibition and reception practices. We encourage contributions exploring global and local perspectives on how cinema has engaged with, reflected, or even helped drive conflict across historical periods. We hope to foster a deeper understanding of cinema’s evolution within historical conflict contexts by focusing on these dimensions.
The HoMER Network invites submissions for 20-minute papers and designated roundtables, panels, and workshops to be presented at the conference.
We welcome papers from researchers across the academic spectrum, including interdisciplinary work, and encourage papers from postgraduate and early-career researchers.
Possible topics to explore include but are not limited to:
The theme “Cinema and Conflict” encourages a multidisciplinary approach to understanding how moviegoing experiences, exhibition practices, and reception are shaped by and, in turn, shape conflict. We welcome papers addressing the following areas:
Submission guidelines
Please send your proposal through the Abstract Submission Form :
The deadline for proposals is 19 January 2025. The language for all submissions is English.
For queries regarding submission, please contact conference coordinators:
Talitha Ferraz talitha.ferraz@gmail.com and Matthew Jones M.W.Jones@exeter.ac.uk
We are thrilled to announce our keynote speakers for the HoMER 2025 conference:
Local Organising Committee:
Ayşe Toy Par
Gülsenem Gün
Ece Vitrinel
İlke Şanlıer
Özge Özyılmaz
Aydın Çam
Özde Çeliktemel
Barçın Boğaç