World Documentary Film & TV Conference

Falmouth University

To contribute to world cinema documentary studies and to film theory/ practice debates, the World Documentary Film  & TV Conference aims to bring together  international scholars and film practitioners. It seeks to critically examine historical and contemporary world documentary films and factual television productions, whose analyses have been developed across many disciplines, but rarely discussed in one place.

Whereas world and transnational cinema studies have witnessed a thriving progression over the past two decades, they typically centred on narrative cinema and its social and cultural analyses.  We wish to approach this and other existing gaps in current world cinema critical frameworks.

With its emphasis on historical and contemporary tensions in the globalising world and their relation to the documentary genre, this conference will offer a common forum for articulating academic and creative/industry practitioners’ views on documentary productions from aesthetic, social, cultural, political and media perspectives.

To acknowledge the impact of currently available distribution channels, especially those using web-based digital platforms, we also intend to stimulate an analytical debate  on potential future directions in the development  of documentary films  and TV productions, including their popularity, reception and global audiences.

This interdisciplinary conference has been developed by the staff of the School of Film  & TV at Falmouth University. It originates from the School’s research and practical film and television projects.  It will coincide with the launch of two new teaching theory/practice programmes, BA(Hons)  TV and Film & Television MA, both starting on Penryn Campus in October  2014.

During the conference we will be showcasing a selected few feature and short documentaries with panel discussions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers in the evenings in The Poly cinema in Falmouth.

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Prof. Lucia Nagib (University of Reading)

Dr. Julian Ward (University of Edinburgh)

Prof. Michael Chanan (University of Roehampton)