In the current transformation of our networked societies, the audiovisual media are going through a profound change. New media forms and technologies, distribution channels and modes of reception are changing the art of film and the professions in the film sector. 

The interaction with the new digital possibilities puts the classic cinema space into perspective. The narratives and the imageries of film shape identity and reality under new conditions. Artistic research in the medium of film has taken on the task to reflect and co-design this change in its relationship to economy and politics, science and technological development.

In a broad European discourse over the past 30 years, the profiles and processes of artistic research as well as its institutional framework have been thoroughly discussed. Artistic research is an original kind of research by means of the arts. It works in its own languages, uses its own tools and procedures, and follows its own criteria. It joins discursive and non-discursive processes and results.

Against the backdrop of this dynamic, the IKF – Institute for Artistic Research at Film University Babelsberg is organizing the GEECT conference „Transversal Entanglement – Artistic Research in Film“ from June 3 to 5, 2021.  Further cooperation partners are the Erich Pommer Institut (EPI) Potsdam and the UNESCO Cities of Film Network.

• The conference will focus on artistic research in film, its work processes and discourses: 

• How do questions and researching approaches look like in the medium of film?

• How do the procedures, contents and methods vary in the various filmic forms and technologies?

• Which experiments, thought processes and propositions shape the world of possibilities?

• What is the specific knowledge of the cinematic media forms and how does  it differ from the knowledge of the sciences and technologies but also of the other art forms?

• How do discourses, narratives and imageries in film and its expanded media forms build on technological innovations? And how do they continue these developments artistically?

• What does research thought and practice mean for the actors in the various crafts in film?

• And how is artistic research in film shaping up for analog and digital spaces „after the cinema“ (Godard)?

The conference aims to discuss the many forms of artistic questioning and researching in film and audiovisual media, by means of current examples from practice, and to sketch out new lines into the future. The focus is on „case studies“ in which media artists and film makers present their artistic research work. The presentations are followed by plenary discussions in which working processes and discourses are reflected. The program of the conference offers ample opportunities to share positions and build networks to the speakers and the participants from the 93 European film schools in 34 countries that are currently members of GEECT, as well as filmmakers from Germany. 

We would like to invite proposals for 30 minutes presentations addressing the topics raised above. Each presentation will be followed by 25 minutes of discussion.

Please submit 200 word abstracts plus the current affiliation, contact information and a short biography of 50 words to: 
ArtisticResearchFilm@filmuniversitaet.de by the 1st of February, 2021. 
The conference will be held in English.

The candidates will be notified about the selection outcome in March 2021. For further questions please contact our project management: 
ikf@filmuniversitaet.de

We are looking forward to your proposals!

Gesa Marten, Stefan Winter, Christine Reeh-Peters and Marlis Roth

For participants: Please note the conference date. Information on registration will follow in the new year.

To our colleagues at Film University: please understand that we do not consider you as speakers but as moderators.