Future Histories of the Moving Image

An international conference to be held at University of Sunderland

16-18 November 2007


**** Due to growing interest and new confirmed speakers we have ****

extended the submission deadline:  30 June 2007



Keynote Speakers:  Professor Patricia Zimmermann (Ithaca College, New  
York), and Holly Aylett (Vertigo Magazine and Independent Film  
Parliament, UK)


As is now widely acknowledged, with the advent of digital technology  
the nature of moving image production, distribution and exhibition  
has changed dramatically.  In particular, a rapidly increasing number  
of people are now accessing an increasing volume and range of moving  
image material online.  This technology is also changing the way in  
which we analyse and document current and historical moving image  
practices, as there has been a recent proliferation of digital  
archive and database projects relating to film, video and television  
practices.  It is timely therefore to examine the changing ways in  
which we are circulating and interrogating all areas of our moving  
image culture.

We would particularly welcome papers that address the following areas:

–       What impact does the increasing reliance on database  
resources have on the nature of the histories we produce and write?

–       History as database vs history as narrative.

–       Implications of the proliferation of online critical writing  
(from refereed academic journals through to personal blogs) and its  
dissemination, with the blurring of the traditional distinction  
between professional and amateur writer.

–       The role and implication of immediate online distribution/ 
exhibition of works

–       What impact is digital distribution having on theatrical  
exhibition?

–       Issues arising from the perceived need on the part of major  
producers/broadcasters to develop content for multiple platforms.

–       The implications of multiple producers being able to  
disseminate a wide range of material to multiple niche audiences  
(giving the idea of ‘narrowcasting’ a new meaning).

–       Revival/development of found footage production practices  
with the availability of digital archives such as Library of Congress  
Internet Archive (including the Prelinger Archive) and BBC Open  
Archive initiative.

–       Questions relating to the increasing accessibility online of  
moving image material in relation to intellectual property and the  
development of the Creative Commons copyright licence.

–       The creative influence of database logic on film structure.


The conference will also host an open workshop – with participation  
by the Arts Council England, the Tate, the British Film Institute,  
Marcel Schwierin (Cinovid Database, Germany) and Gaby Wijers  
(Netherlands Media Art Institute, Montevideo/Time Based Arts) – which  
will address the issues of securing the sustainability and maximising  
the use/visibility of the growing number of film and video database/ 
online research resources.  The workshop is funded by the AHRC  
Networks and Workshops Scheme.

Check out our blog regularly for latest news:  
myblogs.sunderland.ac.uk/blogs/futurehistories/

Please send proposals of 200-300 words for papers of approx. 20  
minutes, together with a brief biographical note by 30 June 2007 to  
the conference organisers (Steven Ball, Julia Knight and Stephen  
Partridge) at [log in to unmask]

Future Histories of the Moving Image is a joint conference organised  
by the University of Sunderland, the British Artists’ Film and Video  
Study Collection (University of the Arts, London) and the Visual  
Research Centre REWIND project DJCAD at the University of Dundee, in  
collaboration with Convergence: The International Journal of Research  
into New Media Technologies.  All papers delivered at the conference  
will be considered for publication in the journal.