Commentary and Criticism

Deadline: May 31, 2019

Historically, female filmmakers’ work in television has functioned as a form of invisible labour, with television being seen as definitively distinct from cinema, the site of ‘real' and hard-won work. However, as we move towards the end of the twenty-first century’s second decade, television is regularly valued as the preeminent screen art format of our age, alongside a parallel reanimation of feminist issues and discourses in the spotlight, including gender equity in the screen industries. In this environment, the work that female practitioners from the independent sector undertake in and on television has taken on a wholly different status and potential.

As part of the special issue on Independent Women: From Film to Television, this edition of Commentary and Criticism interrogates this shift in women’s television work and how it is being understood and valued globally. We invite short essays which cast a transnational perspective on the migration of female practitioners from film to television, exploring how the industrial, textual and critical logic of independence moves across formats in different contexts.

We are particularly interested in submissions from practitioners’ perspectives.

The Commentary and Criticism section of Feminist Media Studies aims to publish brief (~1000 words), timely responses to current issues in feminist media culture, for an international readership. Submissions may pose a provocation, describe work in progress, or propose areas for future study. We will also consider book and event reviews, as well as contributions that depart from traditional academic formats. We encourage all submissions to strategically mobilise critique to also offer a productive contribution to both feminist politics and media studies. Submissions must go beyond mere description in order to be considered for publication in Commentary and Criticism.

Please submit contributions by 31 May 2019, via email to both Melanie Kennedy (mjk29@le.ac.uk) and Safiya Noble (safiya.noble@usc.edu). We also welcome questions and expressions of interest in advance of the deadline.

Submissions for Commentary and Criticism will not be correctly processed if submitted through via the Feminist Media Studies site, and should be emailed directly to Drs Kennedy and Noble using the email addresses above.

Please be sure to follow the Feminist Media Studies style and referencing guides, which can be found here.