[rohrpost] 5th Annual Southeast Asian Cinemas Conference (ASEACC). STATES OFINDEPENDENCE, Manila, Philippines

[Tilman Baumgärtel]

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: magpaubaya at yahoo.com <mailto:magpaubaya at yahoo.com>
Dr. Sophia Harvey: sophfeline at earthlink.net 
<mailto:sophfeline at earthlink.net>
Dr. Gaik Cheng Khoo: gaik.khoo at gmail.com <mailto:gaik.khoo at gmail.com>
Dr. Tilman Baumgärtel: mail at tilmanbaumgaertel.net 
<mailto:mail at tilmanbaumgaertel.net>

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