[Commlist] Reframing European Film Festivals: Transnational Histories, Cultures and Identities - Call for Papers

Call for papers
Reframing European Film Festivals: Transnational Histories, Cultures and 
Identities
Trieste, January 19-20, 2026

Film festivals are complex events, spaces of encounter, mediation, and 
flow, serving as nodal points within national and international networks 
that circulate and produce film culture. Each festival edition, 
spatially and temporally defined, establishes a unique dimension with 
its own rituals; nevertheless, the effects of these events resonate on a 
much larger scale. Film festivals not only convey and activate cultural, 
social, and industrial relations, but they also contribute to the 
formation and circulation of a canon, playing a crucial role in 
transnational cultural mediation as well as in the economic and tourism 
development of their surrounding areas.
Due to their historical, geographical, and thematic diversity, Europe 
features a significant number of film festivals that allow for various 
types of analysis. Beyond the three major events in Venice, Cannes, and 
Berlin, the continent features prominent, long-standing gatherings (such 
as Locarno FF, San Sebastián International FF, and Viennale), research 
or film restoration festivals (such as International FF Rotterdam and Il 
Cinema Ritrovato), thematic festivals dedicated to specific geographical 
regions (such as Udine Far East FF, Trieste FF, Karlovy Vary 
International FF, and Mostra de València), formats (such as 
International Short FF Oberhausen and Kraków FF), identities, genres, or 
specific themes (such as Queer Lisboa; Sitges FF and Annecy 
International Animation FF). Both the major international gatherings and 
the countless regional or local events scattered across Europe have 
increasingly become the focus of a growing number of publications and 
research projects in recent years, particularly concerning social, 
economic, and geopolitical aspects.
However, there is still a lack of research specifically dedicated to 
film festivals' historical and cultural aspects– their role in shaping 
film history, forming canons and imaginaries, and redefining national, 
ethnic, and subcultural identities. Furthermore, contributions to the 
transnational history of European film festivals remain scarce, 
particularly when viewed as events that contribute to the circulation of 
cinematic culture and as spaces for encounters and exchanges, never 
disassociated from the often-traumatic history of the continent in which 
they are located. On these premises, the Reframing European Film 
Festivals: Transnational Histories, Cultures and Identities conference 
invites scholars to submit proposals that explore the 
historical-cultural dimension of European film festivals through various 
approaches, favouring original case studies, unpublished sources, or 
innovative research methodologies.
We accept contributions related, but not limited, to the following topics:
- Research tools: strategies and perspectives for the analysis of film 
festivals; theoretical-methodological insights; innovative approaches 
and multidisciplinary approaches to the study of festivals; festival 
archives and sources for historical research.
- Archives and sources: Working with archival materials and various 
types of archives (institutional, public, and private) in Film Festival 
Studies; personal archives and collections that provide insight into the 
history of festivals (archives of programmers, directors, critics).
-Festivals and European history: the connection between European film 
festivals and the history of the continent; festival activities during 
times of war, traumatic events, and socio-political crises.
-History and histories of film festivals: explore film festivals' 
historical aspects and microhistorical narratives. This includes studies 
focusing on a particular festival, its specific edition or section, or 
significant individuals who have shaped the history of European film 
festivals.
-Authorship and canon formation: festivals as venues for cultural 
legitimation and canon formation; the role of festivals in promoting and 
“discovering” of marginal authors, trends, or cinemas.
-Location and environment: relations with public institutions and other 
local entities; role of festivals in promoting and developing the area 
in which they take place; festival tourism; festivals and ecological 
transition.
-The “written festival” between newspaper coverage and criticism: 
analysis of critical reviews of individual festivals; the “awards 
commentary” genre; the dynamics of reviewing at festivals; festival 
identity through gossip and glamour coverage.
-Economy and industry: economic aspects of festival management; economic 
history of festivals; film markets and festivals as industry nodes.
-Politics and ideology: politico-ideological issues related to festival 
planning; festivals and antifestivals; relations between festivals and 
state or regional institutions.
-Festivals as “celebrations “: the rituality and specificity of the 
festival dimension, stardom and glamour, and side events.
-Curatorship and organisation: management and curatorial policies of 
festivals; organisation and “behind-the-scenes” work at European 
festivals; the work of press offices and media relations.
-Festival communities: case studies and tools for analysing the various 
audiences that attend film festivals; fandom and festival cinephilia.
-Taxonomies and hybridity: approaches to the study of specialised and 
research festivals; local festivals and “small festivals”; festival 
encounters and intersections between film and other media; online film 
festivals.
-Identities and narratives: national, ethnic and gender identities in 
festival programming; editorial production of film festivals; 
promotional and autopoietic dimensions of film festivals.
-Festival geographies: the role of festivals in the transnational 
circulation of movies and film culture; relations between European and 
foreign film festivals; festivals as a space for intercultural 
encounters; thematic festivals dedicated to specific geographical areas.
- European festivals looking East: studies on the Trieste Film Festival 
and other events dedicated to Central and Eastern European cinema; 
history of cultural relations between West and East Europe through film 
festivals and cinematic events.
Submissions (up to 300 words), accompanied by an essential bibliography 
and a short biographical note, should be sent no later than September 15 
to the following e-mail address: (reframingitalianfilmfestivals /at/ gmail.com).
The selection process outcome will be communicated to all applicants by 
October 7.
The conference will be held in Trieste on January 19-20, 2026.
Language of the conference: English
The conference is promoted by the Trieste Film Festival and is part of 
the activities of the PRIN 2022 project RIFF – Reframing Italian Film 
Festivals. Histories, Politics, Cultures, held under the patronage of 
the Consulta Universitaria del Cinema (CUC).
Organizing Committee: Federico Zecca, Francesco D’Asero, Gabriele 
Landrini, Angela Bianca Saponari (Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo 
Moro”), Roy Menarini, Marco Zilioli (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università 
di Bologna), Marco Dalla Gassa, Giulio Tosi (Università Ca’ Foscari 
Venezia).


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