HoMER 2025 Conference: Cinema and Conflict

Dates: 8-11 July 2025

Location: Galatasaray University, Istanbul, Turkey

Deadline for proposals: 19 January 2025

Letters of acceptance/rejection: 17 February 2025

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:

1. Cinema and War/Conflict Zones

• The role of cinemagoing during past and contemporary wars.
• Wartime conditions influence cinema-going patterns and exhibition practices.
• Cinema as a space for healing, dialogue, and solidarity in regions affected by violence.
• The role of mobile cinemas and pop-up screenings in fostering community resilience.
• The role of cinema in organising and shaping contentious politics, such as protests, revolutions, and uprisings.

2. Cinema Spaces and Exhibition Practices

• Conflicts over cinema venues: from mainstream multiplexes to alternative and underground spaces.
• The role of non-traditional spaces (e.g., open-air cinemas, community centers) in times of crisis.
• Cinematic practices that challenge or transform the conventional use of space and place in the exhibition.
• The role of non-theatrical spaces in navigating power struggles and cultural conflicts in film exhibition.

3. Cinema, Identity, and Borders

• Cinema’s role in expressing or contesting national, ethnic, and linguistic identities.
• The influence of borders—geopolitical, cultural, and linguistic—on cinemagoing.
• The intersection of cinema and migration: experiences of migrant communities and their access to cinema.
• Gender conflicts in cinema reception and audience engagement.
• The role of cinema in shaping or questioning gender norms during periods of social conflict.

4. Industry Conflicts and Power Struggles

• Conflicts between and among film distributors, producers, and exhibitors.
• Territorial disputes and the politics of film circulation.
• The impact of censorship and regulatory conflicts on film exhibition.
• The impact of state and non-state actors in controlling or promoting cinema as a form of political expression.

Submission guidelines

Please send your proposal through the Abstract Submission Form :

• 250-word proposals for individual presentations, including the title of the paper, the name, email address and institutional affiliation of the presenter
• or 750-word proposals for pre-constituted panels, including an outline of each paper as well as the title of the panel and the name, email address and institutional affiliation of each presenter
• 250-word descriptions are invited for artistic-academic presentations and poster presentations. Artistic-academic works may include video essays, performance lectures, interactive multimedia, or other formats that blend creative practice with critical inquiry. Proposals should also include the presenter(s)’ name(s), email address, and institutional affiliation(s)

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