cfp.english.upenn.edu

Call for Papers

The Films of Kathryn Bigelow

42nd Annual Convention, Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
April 7-10, 2011
New Brunswick, NJ – Hyatt New Brunswick
Host Institution: Rutgers University

At the 82nd Academy Awards, on March 7, 2010, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Oscar for Achievement in Directing for The Hurt Locker, which also received the award for Best Picture, the first time a film directed by a woman has received this honor. Bigelow’s historic achievement—which took place during Women’s History Month, and on the eve of International Women’s Day—is perhaps the most significant accolade bestowed upon a female director. Moreover, Bigelow is the first woman to win all three major directing awards—the Academy, BAFTA and DGA—for the same film. The wide-ranging scope of Bigelow’s oeuvre often treats traditionally male-dominated genres—including, among others, horror/western (Near Dark, 1987), action/adventure (Point Break, 1991), and war (K-19: The Widowmaker, 2002; The Hurt Locker, 2008)—thus challenging prevailing assumptions about female directing and filmmaking as well as the social construction of femininity. This panel considers all aspects of Bigelow’s cinematic production, in particular, how to situate her work within the larger context of feminist filmmaking. Please submit 250-500 word abstracts and a one-page CV to kathrynbigelownemla2011@gmail.com.

Deadline: September 30, 2010

Please include with your abstract:

Name and Affiliation
Email address
Postal address
Telephone number
A/V requirements (if any; $10 handling fee with registration)

The 42nd Annual Convention will feature approximately 360 sessions, as well as pre-conference workshops, dynamic speakers and cultural events. Details and the complete Call for Papers for the 2011 Convention will be posted in June: www.nemla.org.

Interested participants may submit abstracts to more than one NeMLA session; however panelists can only present one paper (panel or seminar). Convention participants may present a paper at a panel and also present at a creative session or participate in a roundtable. Do not accept a slot if you may cancel to present on another session.