[Commlist] Call for Papers - World cinema in the age of Netflix (Studies in World Cinema)

CALL FOR PAPERS: Studies in World Cinema

“World cinema in the age of Netflix”

Deadline for submission of abstracts: 15 June 2021


Over the course of less than a decade, the streaming phenomenon – that 
is, the online distribution of audiovisual content (mainly films and 
series) through pay-per-view or subscription services – has radically 
changed cinema’s ecosystem. This issue of Studies in World Cinema sets 
out to explore the specific effects of streaming on the production, 
distribution and consumption of primarily non-Western cinema. The focus 
is not on the American streaming giant Netflix as such – Netflix is 
rather used as a generic nomer or shorthand for international streaming 
services at large. Yet, there is no denying that Netflix is indeed of 
particular interest for its blurring of boundaries within the usual 
local/global dialectics, as pointed out by Ramon Lobato in his book 
Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital Distribution (2019).

Netflix is currently available in practically all countries around the 
globe (China being the most notable exception), and although the bulk of 
its films are mainstream US entertainment fare, Netflix is also keenly 
aware that when it comes to programming for an international audience, 
one size does not fit all. Across the world, the company is therefore 
supplementing its catalogue of American programmes with both licensed 
local content and original local films that are either commissioned by 
Netflix or, in one way or the other, produced or funded by the streaming 
giant.

This raises a number of questions of relevance to the study of world 
cinema, such as: Can Netflix (and other companies like it, such as, 
e.g., Amazon Prime and HBO GO) be said to benefit world cinema by 
enhancing the visibility of films that are otherwise rarely seen outside 
their countries of origin and/or the film festival circuit? Do, on the 
contrary, local films that are not distributed by Netflix risk becoming 
even more invisible for not having this online exposure? And how, if at 
all, do Netflix’s algorithms for personalised recommendations affect the 
visibility of world cinema? Also, what are the effects of Netflix’s 
investments in local production? Do they represent a welcome boost in 
funding, or do they come at too high a cost, in the shape of loss of 
control and demands for international streamlining of the films 
produced, for example? Will production companies that have not yet 
caught Netflix’s eye tend to adopt styles and narrative structures 
supposedly favoured by Netflix in the hope of attracting funding and/or 
gaining visibility, potentially at the expense of local authenticity? Is 
there a risk that local audiences – many of whom may not have access to 
high-speed internet connections, or the means to pay for streaming – 
will be left behind? Will we see a splitting of local film production 
into two strands: one geared towards international audiences (and local 
urban elites), with sufficient funding to secure a professional mode of 
production but out of touch with less affluent local audiences; and 
another, more artisanal, locally rooted and perhaps, in some cases, 
genuinely popular one, distributed locally but largely invisible to the 
outside world? Or, if this division arguably already exists, does the 
involvement of international streaming services contribute to enhancing, 
diminishing or otherwise changing it? These are some of the pertinent 
questions that we would like to address and debate from a variety of 
perspectives in this special issue, but the list is far from exhaustive.

  Possible topics for contributions include, but are not limited to:

•                The potential effects of Netflix on world cinema 
storytelling and aesthetics
•                Netflix (and other streaming services like Amazon Prime 
and Disney+ Hotstar) in India
•                Netflix in Nigeria
•                The effects of Netflix’s (and other international 
streaming services) investment in local film production in other 
countries, like, e.g., Mexico and South Korea
•                The effects of Netflix’s involvement in local 
production seen from a local audience perspective
•                Case studies of individual production companies and/or 
filmmakers before and after their cooperation with Netflix or other 
international streaming giants (such as HBO GO, Amazon Prime, Hulu etc.)
•                Streaming services dedicated to the promotion of cinema 
from all corners of the world, like, for instance, the UK-based mubi.com 
<http://mubi.com>
•                ‘Regional’ OTT streaming services featuring primarily 
non-Western cinema and TV series (such as Viu in South-East Asia and the 
Middle East)
•                The Chinese streaming service iQIYI, its pan-Asian 
rollout and global ambitions in a world cinema perspective
•                ’Alternative’ streaming services such as the Nollywood 
platform iROKOtv or Eros Now (dedicated to Bollywood)
•                Shifts in distribution and exhibition models of world 
cinema since Netflix (e.g. case studies of individual sales agents and 
distributors dedicated to world cinema)
•                Netflix and the phenomenon of serialisation in the 
context of world cinema

Timeline for contributions:

Proposals, consisting of a title and a 3-400-word abstract and a short 
author’s bio, should be sent to (evaj /at/ hum.ku.dk) <mailto:(evaj /at/ hum.ku.dk)> 
prior to 15 June 2021.
Notifications of acceptance or non-acceptance will be sent out in early 
July.
The submission deadline for accepted, full articles (max 8,000 words) is 
15 January 2022. All contributions will undergo double-blind peer review.
Publication is planned for October 2022.
No payment from the authors will be required.

Any queries should be addressed to Eva Jørholt ((evaj /at/ hum.ku.dk) 
<mailto:(evaj /at/ hum.ku.dk)>).

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