[Commlist] cfp 5th Film Festivals Symposium

*5th Film Festivals Symposium*

*May 15–16, 2026*

*Eskişehir/Türkiye*

**

The 5th Film Festivals Symposium will be held within the framework of 
the 23rd Eskişehir International Film Festival on May 15–16, 2026.  The 
symposium aims to provide an academic platform for discussion that 
encompasses all aspects of film festivals. We are pleased to invite you 
to participate in the Film Festivals Symposium.

*Abstract and Panel Proposal Deadline: *April 15, 2026**

*Confirmed Keynote Speakers*

Aida Vallejo (Assoc.Prof., University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) 
Leioa, Spain)

María Paz Peirano (Assist. Prof., Universidad de Chile)

*Theme*

Methodology in film festival studies

Film festival studies, as a subfield of cinema, media, and industry 
studies, and at the intersection of culture and politics, has developed 
through interdisciplinary approaches that employ both quantitative and 
qualitative research methods. The complexity of the festival world has 
required methodological engagement with different disciplines and 
research traditions (Loist, 2016). de Valck’s (2016) question, arising 
from the view that the festival world is a potpourri of events, remains 
crucial: if festivals indeed constitute such a diverse and multifaceted 
field, how should they be studied? In this symposium, we aim to explore 
new methods and approaches to the study of film festivals. According to 
Peirano and Vallejo (2021), film festivals function as vanishing points 
where various disciplines within the humanities and social sciences 
converge. Methodological approaches in film festival studies have 
expanded across a broad spectrum, including archival research, mapping, 
ethnography, surveys, statistical data analysis, content analysis, and 
the possibilities offered by digital humanities. As Peirano and Vallejo 
(2021) further argue, the dual character of film festivals (ephemeral 
yet recurrent, local yet global, and both on-site and virtual) requires 
diverse methodological perspectives. Within this framework, what kind of 
methodological roadmap can be developed for film festival studies? 
Within this thematic scope, the symposium welcomes contributions on, but 
not limited to, the following topics:

Methodological challenges in archival research,

Case study–based methodologies,

Problems related to data access and data generation, and proposed solutions,

Methodological challenges in fieldwork and interviews,

Ethnographic methods and practice-led research,

Researcher immersion and immersive methodological approaches,

Collaborative methodologies in film festival research,

Mixed-methods approaches,

Data-driven methodologies,

Analysis of film circulation and distribution strategies,

Economic impact studies,

Convergences with digital humanities,

Cultural analytics perspectives,

Mapping of festival spaces,

Data-based research methods,

Network analysis of big data and production relations,

Network ethnography,

Visualization and web applications,

New methodological approaches within the framework of artificial 
intelligence, including algorithmic practices and ethics

*Key Bibliography*

de Valck, M., Kredell, B. and Loist, S. (eds.). (2016). Film festivals: 
History, theory, method, practice. Routledge.

Ostrowska, D. and Falicov, T. (eds.). (2025). Shaping film festivals in 
a changing world: Practice and methods. Amsterdam University Press.

Peirano, M.P. and Vallejo, A. (2021). The study of film festivals: 
methodological approaches. Rebeca,10:2:21-48.

Vallejo, A. and Peirano, M.P. (eds.). (2017). Film festivals and 
anthropology. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Vallejo, A. and Winton, E. (eds.). (2020). Documentary film festivals 
vol. 1 methods, history, politics. Palgrave Macmillan.

For resources on film festival studies, please consult the Film Festival 
Research Network (FFRN), developed by Skadi Loist and Marijke de Valck: 
http://www.filmfestivalresearch.org <http://www.filmfestivalresearch.org>

While the 5th Film Festivals Symposium focuses primarily on the main 
theme of Methodology in Film Festival Studies, it also welcomes papers 
that offer interdisciplinary perspectives on film festivals. 
Contributions may adopt empirical and/or theoretical approaches and may 
address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

The history and historiography of film festivals,

Juries and awards,

Programming and curatorial practices,

The relationship between film festivals, national cinema, and the film 
canon,

Film festival audiences and cinephilia,

Approaches to short films in festivals (fiction, documentary, animation, 
experimental),

Funding models of film festivals,

Sustainability of film festivals,

The global festival circuit and film markets,

Thematic and community-based festivals,

Transnational film festivals,

Film festivals and global cinema culture

The network and circuit functions of national/regional/international 
festivals

Cultural policies, public support and film festivals

Film festivals and ideology

Film festivals within the framework of cultural diplomacy or hegemony 
concepts

Funds as soft power of countries in hegemonic ascendancy

Film festivals as soft power

Precarious/flexible/labour-intensive working conditions within the 
framework of festival sustainability

Festivals as soft power of countries in hegemonic ascendancy

We believe that the 5th Film Festivals Symposium will provide a focused 
discussion on methodological and theoretical issues in film festival 
studies and create an opportunity for productive dialogue on current 
research agendas in the field. By bringing together research that 
examines film festivals from historical, economic, cultural, and 
theoretical perspectives, the symposium aims to offer a comprehensive 
academic platform for this area of study. The symposium is open to 
academics, festival professionals, film critics, and members of the film 
industry.

The Symposium will be conducted in Turkish and English and will be held 
in person during the festival period. Accepted abstracts will be 
published in the “Abstracts” eBook, and selected full papers will be 
published in the “Film Festivals V” eBook by Doruk Publishing.

*Venue*

Anadolu University

Faculty of Communication Sciences, Şener Şen Hall

Yunus Emre Campus, Eskişehir/Türkiye

*Important Dates*

April 15, 2026 Deadline for submission of abstracts and panel proposals

*Abstract Submission*: Individual paper proposals should include a 
500-word abstract, at least three scholarly references and a 150-word 
short biography, and they should be sent to: (infoscreenfest /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(infoscreenfest /at/ gmail.com)>.

*Panel Proposal Submission*: A 700-word panel proposal (including panel 
title, a brief description of the panel, information about the 
individual papers to be presented, and short biographies of the 
panelists) should be sent to: (infoscreenfest /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(infoscreenfest /at/ gmail.com)>.

April 25, 2026                Announcement of accepted papers and panels

May 1, 2026                                                       
Registration

*No registration fee is required*

May 15-16, 2026                                              Symposium dates

June 1, 2026                                                      
Invitations for submission of full papers

August 1, 2026                                                Deadline 
for submission of selected full papers (5,000–8,000 words)

October 1, 2026                                               
Publication of the eBook

Participants are responsible for covering their own travel and 
accommodation expenses. A list of recommended hotels and information 
about additional events will be published on the symposium website.

*Symposium Organizing Committee*

Hakan Erkılıç (Mersin University), Senem A. Duruel Erkılıç (Mersin 
University), S. Serhat Serter (Anadolu University), Emine Uçar İlbuğa 
(Akdeniz University), Aydın Çam (Çukurova University), Ali Karadoğan 
(Munzur University)

*Anadolu University Symposium Organizing Committee*

Barış Kılınç (Anadolu University), S. Serhat Serter (Anadolu 
University), Meltem Cemiloğlu (Anadolu University), Sibel Turan Akan 
(Anadolu University)


*For more information about the symposium, please visit:*

https://www.screenfest.org/sempozyum-symposium/5-film-festivalleri-sempozyumu-eskisehir/ 
<https://www.screenfest.org/sempozyum-symposium/5-film-festivalleri-sempozyumu-eskisehir/>

For inquiries, please *contact*: *(infoscreenfest /at/ gmail.com) 
<mailto:(infoscreenfest /at/ gmail.com)>*

---------------
The COMMLIST
---------------
This mailing list is a free service offered by Nico Carpentier. Please use it responsibly and wisely. The commlist has no responsibility for any damage caused by its postings. Subscription to the list automatically implies agreement with this rule.
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, please visit http://commlist.org/
--
Before sending a posting request, please always read the guidelines at http://commlist.org/
--
To contact the mailing list manager:
Email: (nico.carpentier /at/ commlist.org)
URL: http://nicocarpentier.net
---------------