Film Studies

The film studies section of ECREA believes that the medium film deserves full academic attention in a communications context.

Ranging from early cinema experiences in European metropolis, to the contemporary blockbuster multiplexes, film has always been at the forefront of European popular culture. DVD and internet, digital cameras and projection urge us to reconsider and renew the existing theories and research on film, cinema and the moving image.

We approach the phenomenon of film in its broadest sense: film as content, as cultural artefact, as commercial product, as lived experience, as cultural and economic institution, as symbolic field of cultural production, as media technology, etc.

On a methodological level, we strive towards openness and multilevel approaches on the study of historical and contemporary cinema: film text, context, production, representation and reception. Cultural studies perspectives, historical approaches, political economy, textual analysis, audience research all find its place within the section. We want to leave behind the institutional tensions between humanities and social sciences approaches.

The film studies section wants to enlarge the visibility for film studies in other communication studies fora, connecting with international film studies organisations. We convene panels at international conferences, provide scholarly information and foster debate and exchange on matters relevant to the section members.