[ecrea] CFPs - The Stardom Film

Call for Papers



Cinematic Reflections on Stardom and the ‘Stardom Film’

An international conference hosted by the Film Studies Department, 
King’s College, London

Friday 13 September 2013



Keynote Speakers: Prof Rachel Dwyer (SOAS, UoL) and Prof Mandy Merck 
(Royal Holloway, UoL)

Closing panel led by Prof Ginette Vincendeau (King’s College London)



Stardom is a well-established and thriving area in film studies. Recent 
series such as the BFI Palgrave’s Film Stars and Rutgers University 
Press’s Stars Decades, as well as Routledge’s Celebrity Studies journal 
offer compelling examples of expansion in the field. This conference 
wishes to explore an, as yet, largely untapped area of star studies, the 
‘stardom film’. Specifically, it aims to explore the ways in which the 
phenomenon of stardom has been represented and reflected upon in popular 
cinema, art and artists’ film, and documentary.

We welcome considerations of all types of stardom (music and theatre 
stars, royalty, politicians, sportsmen and women). In particular, we 
appeal to considerations of representations of film stars and stardom 
from various national, historical and generic contexts – an over-looked 
area that has particular potential for wider reflection not only on star 
and celebrity studies but also on the cinematic medium, as well as 
cinephilia.



Possible topics include, but are not limited to:

– Cinematic forms and genres about stardom:

§ Melodramas and musicals

§ Biopics and ‘autobiopics’

§ Portraiture

§ Art cinema

§ Found-footage film and experimental film

§ Documentaries (from direct cinema and mockumentary to DVD extras and 
E! Entertainment).

– Cinematic representations of the origins of stardom, including the 
many variations of the ‘a star is born’ narrative within Hollywood and 
world cinemas.

– Performance issues arising from ‘stardom films’, such as playing 
oneself and camp.

– Case studies, including star couples (both romantic and non-romantic 
on-screen teams).

– Cinephilia and intertextuality.

– Reception and fan cultures.


Please send an abstract of 200-300 words for a paper of 20 minutes, 
along with a short bio of approx 100 words to (olga.kourelou /at/ kcl.ac.uk) 
and (kulraj.phullar /at/ kcl.ac.uk) by Friday 1st March 2013.





----------------
ECREA-Mailing list
----------------
This mailing list is a free service from ECREA.
---
To unsubscribe, please visit http://www.ecrea.eu/mailinglist
---
ECREA - European Communication Research and Education Association
Postal address:
ECREA
Université Libre de Bruxelles
c/o Dept. of Information and Communication Sciences
CP123, avenue F.D. Roosevelt 50, b-1050 Bruxelles, Belgium
Email: (info /at/ ecrea.eu)
URL: http://www.ecrea.eu
----------------