Society for Cinema & Media Studies Conference, March 17-21, 2010
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, Los Angeles, CA
Deadline for submissions to this panel: August 9, 2009 11:59 PM CST
Submissions sought for a panel that considers the relationship between film reviewing and media culture. Papers addressing film criticism in ways that relate to the overall conference theme (SCMS at 50: Archiving the Future/Mobilizing the Past) are particularly welcome.
Cinema scholars such as Robert Kapsis, Barbara Klinger, and Charles Maland have examined the role of reviews in discursively constructing popular genres and directorial reputations during the Classical Hollywood era. Over the past three years, however, more than 55 professional film critics have lost their jobs, a statistic reported by Sean P. Means of The Salt Lake Tribune, who attributes this plight to buyouts, layoffs, reassignment, retirement, or the death of their print publications. Meanwhile, online criticism continues to flourish, as evidenced by review aggregators such as Rotten Tomatoes, movie websites such as IMDB, and blogs dedicated to film analysis and evaluation. This panel aims to investigate not only the status of the film critic in the contemporary mediascape, but also the impact of print and Internet film reviewing on global cinema culture.
Potential topics may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Film reviews as historical evidence
- The future of film criticism
- Reviewing, academia, and cinephilia
- Popular opinion, moviegoing, and the DVD market
- Film criticism and film advertising
- The cultural presence of the public intellectual
- Canonicity, connoisseurship, and taste politics
- Print media vs. new media
- Coverage of international/independent films and film festivals
- Genre definitions (e.g. David Edelstein’s coinage of “torture porn”)
- The cult of the director
- The influence of the late Manny Farber
Send 300 word abstract and full academic CV (as separate e-mail attachments) to: Will Scheibel (willscheibel@gmail.com). Submitters will be notified as to the status of their proposal by August 15. Please visit the SCMS website for more details about the 2010 conference: http://www.cmstudies.org/
Will Scheibel
Indiana University
Department of Communication & Culture
800 East Third Street
Bloomington, IN 47404
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Ways of Watching: Tenth Annual Summer Symposium, July 24-25, 2009
Ways of Watching: Tenth Annual Summer Symposium, July 24-25, 2009
Northeast Historic Film, Bucksport, Maine USA
For two days this summer on the coast of Maine in the 1916 Alamo Theatre, scholars, filmmakers, archivists, students, and members of the public will gather to learn and discuss how and where art, educational, and amateur films have been shown. More than 90 presenters have shared their knowledge since the symposium was established in 2000. Our traditions include lively conversation, evening screenings, and a lobster dinner. The Northeast Historic Film annual symposium welcomes the following authors, archivists, teachers, and researchers who will bring forward the immensely varied practices of exhibition and viewing of non-commercial film. Please register by July 1.
Program details, registration, and lodging information at http://oldfilm.org/symp_2009 ; or contact jessica [at] oldfilm.org.
From Introspection to Convivial Participation: Departures from Black Box Topology in Contemporary Video Art Display
Cristina Albu, Ph.D. student, Department of History of Art and Architecture,
University of Pittsburgh
Western Ways Gone South: George Herbert as Failed Showman
Jennifer L. Jenkins, Ph.D., Division Head, Film and Television Studies,
School of Media Arts, University of Arizona
This Splendid Temple: Watching Films in the Wanamaker Department Stores
Caitlin McGrath, University of Chicago
Purposeful Pleasures: Social Awareness and Amateur Film Practic e in Britain, ca. 1927-1977
Heather Norris Nicholson, Ph.D., Department of History and Economic History, Manchester Metropolitan University, England
Watching Medical Films
Kirsten Ostherr, Associate Professor of English, Rice University
Spectatorship in the Classroom
Jennifer Peterson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Film Studies Program, University of Colorado
What You See is What You Get: Watching Swedish Private Film Collections
from the 1960s and the 1970s
Cecilia Mörner, Ph.D., School of Humanities and Media, Dalarna University,
Falun, Sweden
Through Trondheim in a Time Machine: Local Film History as Part of Contemporary Audiovisual Practices
Bjørn Sørenssen, Ph.D., Department of Art and Media Studies,
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
’Round the World and Back Again: An Examination of the Production and Exhibition of Adelaide Pearson Travel Films
Kimberly Tarr, NYU Moving Image Archives and Preservation Program
Our Cameras, Our Lives: Lesbian Home Movies, ca. 1935 – 1999
Sharon Thompson, author, Going All the Way: Teenage Girls’ Tales of Sex, Romance,
and Pregnancy, Hill & Wang/Farrar Straus Giroux
Watching on Cell Phones, Online and on Television
Bilge Yesil, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, CUNY-College of Staten Island
ORGANIZERS
Snowden Becker
School of Information
University of Texas, Austin
Janna Jones
School of Communication
Cinema and Visual Culture Program
Northern Arizona University
Mark Neumann
School of Communication
Northern Arizona University
Northeast Historic Film, Bucksport, Maine USA
For two days this summer on the coast of Maine in the 1916 Alamo Theatre, scholars, filmmakers, archivists, students, and members of the public will gather to learn and discuss how and where art, educational, and amateur films have been shown. More than 90 presenters have shared their knowledge since the symposium was established in 2000. Our traditions include lively conversation, evening screenings, and a lobster dinner. The Northeast Historic Film annual symposium welcomes the following authors, archivists, teachers, and researchers who will bring forward the immensely varied practices of exhibition and viewing of non-commercial film. Please register by July 1.
Program details, registration, and lodging information at http://oldfilm.org/symp_2009 ; or contact jessica [at] oldfilm.org.
From Introspection to Convivial Participation: Departures from Black Box Topology in Contemporary Video Art Display
Cristina Albu, Ph.D. student, Department of History of Art and Architecture,
University of Pittsburgh
Western Ways Gone South: George Herbert as Failed Showman
Jennifer L. Jenkins, Ph.D., Division Head, Film and Television Studies,
School of Media Arts, University of Arizona
This Splendid Temple: Watching Films in the Wanamaker Department Stores
Caitlin McGrath, University of Chicago
Purposeful Pleasures: Social Awareness and Amateur Film Practic e in Britain, ca. 1927-1977
Heather Norris Nicholson, Ph.D., Department of History and Economic History, Manchester Metropolitan University, England
Watching Medical Films
Kirsten Ostherr, Associate Professor of English, Rice University
Spectatorship in the Classroom
Jennifer Peterson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Film Studies Program, University of Colorado
What You See is What You Get: Watching Swedish Private Film Collections
from the 1960s and the 1970s
Cecilia Mörner, Ph.D., School of Humanities and Media, Dalarna University,
Falun, Sweden
Through Trondheim in a Time Machine: Local Film History as Part of Contemporary Audiovisual Practices
Bjørn Sørenssen, Ph.D., Department of Art and Media Studies,
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
’Round the World and Back Again: An Examination of the Production and Exhibition of Adelaide Pearson Travel Films
Kimberly Tarr, NYU Moving Image Archives and Preservation Program
Our Cameras, Our Lives: Lesbian Home Movies, ca. 1935 – 1999
Sharon Thompson, author, Going All the Way: Teenage Girls’ Tales of Sex, Romance,
and Pregnancy, Hill & Wang/Farrar Straus Giroux
Watching on Cell Phones, Online and on Television
Bilge Yesil, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, CUNY-College of Staten Island
ORGANIZERS
Snowden Becker
School of Information
University of Texas, Austin
Janna Jones
School of Communication
Cinema and Visual Culture Program
Northern Arizona University
Mark Neumann
School of Communication
Northern Arizona University
Monday, May 18, 2009
Brief Notes on Two Summer Indie Movies: The Girlfriend Experience and The Brothers Bloom
Brief Notes on Two Summer Indie Movies
While I kicked off the summer movie season proper with J.J. Abram's Star Trek and can tell you that I enjoyed it, having not seen the other films or any of the television series, I remain unsure of exactly what my analysis can entail that would be worthy of reading. The film is far from perfect, but my criticisms remain largely aesthetic such as the overuse of a glowing filter/lighting technique everyone seems to be talking about and handheld camera at unnecessary moments. Star Trek is this year's Iron Man...I just hope there is something on par with The Dark Knight. This noted, I feel like my notes on two other summer films, Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience and Rian Johnson's The Brothers Bloom, while brief and far from complete, can offer more than my elementary review of Star Trek.
The Girlfriend Experience
Steven Soderbergh, as I have described elsewhere, is a master of what I have called "twin cinema." He is filmmaker who crosses the border between indie and mainstream rather easily and while some of these efforts undoubtedly fail (The Good German, Full Frontal) and others succeed (Out of Sight, Che), they always are intellectually engaging and worthy of viewing (even the low-bar of Ocean's 12). The Girlfriend Experience, Soderbergh's second low budget/day and date release film for Magnolia Pictures and 2929, does not match the intense experience of Bubble. The problem with The Girlfriend Experience is that Soderbergh seems to have once again over-relied on homage. Whereas his reliance on Casablanca and The Third Man crippled The Good German in many respects, Soderbergh's reliance on the "world's oldest profession" preoccupation of Jean-Luc Godard have taken much of the bite out of Girlfriend Experience.
Porn star Sasha Grey stars as Chelsea, a high-priced call girl who provides clients with the title of the movie: an experience in which sex almost always is present, but along side a night of extravagant dinners and trips to the local cinema. When she is off the clock, she spends her spare time keeping a journal (which are essentially characterless chronicles of the previous night's work, included a list of the clothing she wore) and going out with her boyfriend Chris (Christopher Santos). I should note that Chris is aware of Chelsea's occupation and is, for the most part, accepting. After all, he essentially performs the same services and makes the same compromises as Chelsea in his own occupation as a gym trainer. The film, a 77 minute non-linear narrative, finds its focal point in an analysis of the social obstacles that Chelsea must construct in order to engage in this line of work, which essentially cripples her attempts at a non-professional romantic relationship. Yet, after spending my last quarter in a Jean-Luc Godard class and revisiting Vivre Sa Vie and 2 ou 3 Choses Que Je Sais D'Elle, I could not help but wonder what is new about this approach. While Soderbergh tries to contextualize it differently by consistently alluding to the harsh economic climate of the United States in the days running up to the 2008 election, it does not differentiate itself enough to be engaging to a viewer already familiar with its line of engagement.
With regard to the performance by Sasha Grey, who undoubtedly has a presence, it remains difficult to evaluate. While she often comes off as wooden, it remains unclear to me whether she is a poor actress or quite a good one by utilizing this wooden characterization to highlight the mask she is forced to wear to be a prostitute. If I had to make a take one side or the other, I would tend to drift towards the good. A cameo of note comes from film critic Glenn Kenny as a escort reviewer simply known as "The Erotic Connoisseur" which climaxes (pun intended) with a street rendition of "Everyone's a Critic." To quote Juliette in "2 ou 3 Choses" with relation to my thoughts on the film, "To define myself, one word: indifference." Maybe a second viewing will change my opinions. After all, I still felt engaged by it and find myself thinking about it a great deal, so from that standpoint it is worth watching but, especially after Che and Bubble, I still feel a tinge of disappointment.
The Brothers Bloom
Director Rian Johnson's follow-up to his superb high school-noir Brick takes another genre and tilts it on its head: the con man flick. Johnson discussed in a post-screening Q&A how this genre can be traditionally distancing to a viewer due to its reliance on a hall of mirrors structure in which cons are favored over people. Watching films like David Mamet's House of Games or Christopher Nolan's The Prestige for the first time, I certainly felt a distance and only upon repeated viewings did I start to walk away with a greater appreciation. The con man genre is a tight rope to walk and Rian Johnson's film proved to be quite the feat.
My notes will be brief and vague, due to the nature of the genre and the film and my fear of showing too much of Johnson's hand. The film begins with the brothers Bloom, Bloom (Adrian Brody) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo), two of the greatest con men in this Wes Anderson-esque world of 40s suits, delightful banter, and 60s rock. Stephen is the master of the con, writing and planning his brother into the consistent role of the brokenhearted bait. Bloom, as the years and cons progress, has become under whelmed with his role and intends to retire to an island alone before being talked into one last con. The mark? An epileptic photographer, millionaire, and hobby collector named Penelope (Rachel Weisz), whom Bloom must trick into falling in love with him in order for the swindle to progress.
While the first two-acts of the film follow the Mamet-esque emphasis on trickery, Johnson never completely loses sight of the characters and utilizes a third-act, which initially appears unnecessary, as a means of underlining his intent. The third-act is what differentiates itself from the genre and while I held initial fears upon its unveiling, it leads the film towards perfection. The cast here, of course, is incredibly solid. Ruffalo might have benefited from some additional screen time, particularly with Brody alone in order to sketch out their relationship a bit more, but this is a minor quibble. Brody plays his usual sap, much like his role in The Darjeeling Limited except this film should show Wes Anderson what it is like to make a good movie within his stylistic preoccupations again. Weisz is quite amazing in a role of a complete eccentric but, like Audrey Tautou in Amelie, the quirks never overwhelm the person and the audience cannot help but follow Bloom in falling in love with her. There are some lively supporting roles here as well by Robbie Coltrane and Maximilian Schell but the real highlight in this band of outsiders is Babel actress and Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi as the mute demolitions expert Bang Bang. My enthusiasm for this film cannot go understated and if these brief reflections do not make you want to see it, let me just say what else the film has to offer: a cat with a wooden leg and a roller skate.
While I kicked off the summer movie season proper with J.J. Abram's Star Trek and can tell you that I enjoyed it, having not seen the other films or any of the television series, I remain unsure of exactly what my analysis can entail that would be worthy of reading. The film is far from perfect, but my criticisms remain largely aesthetic such as the overuse of a glowing filter/lighting technique everyone seems to be talking about and handheld camera at unnecessary moments. Star Trek is this year's Iron Man...I just hope there is something on par with The Dark Knight. This noted, I feel like my notes on two other summer films, Steven Soderbergh's The Girlfriend Experience and Rian Johnson's The Brothers Bloom, while brief and far from complete, can offer more than my elementary review of Star Trek.
The Girlfriend Experience
Steven Soderbergh, as I have described elsewhere, is a master of what I have called "twin cinema." He is filmmaker who crosses the border between indie and mainstream rather easily and while some of these efforts undoubtedly fail (The Good German, Full Frontal) and others succeed (Out of Sight, Che), they always are intellectually engaging and worthy of viewing (even the low-bar of Ocean's 12). The Girlfriend Experience, Soderbergh's second low budget/day and date release film for Magnolia Pictures and 2929, does not match the intense experience of Bubble. The problem with The Girlfriend Experience is that Soderbergh seems to have once again over-relied on homage. Whereas his reliance on Casablanca and The Third Man crippled The Good German in many respects, Soderbergh's reliance on the "world's oldest profession" preoccupation of Jean-Luc Godard have taken much of the bite out of Girlfriend Experience.
Porn star Sasha Grey stars as Chelsea, a high-priced call girl who provides clients with the title of the movie: an experience in which sex almost always is present, but along side a night of extravagant dinners and trips to the local cinema. When she is off the clock, she spends her spare time keeping a journal (which are essentially characterless chronicles of the previous night's work, included a list of the clothing she wore) and going out with her boyfriend Chris (Christopher Santos). I should note that Chris is aware of Chelsea's occupation and is, for the most part, accepting. After all, he essentially performs the same services and makes the same compromises as Chelsea in his own occupation as a gym trainer. The film, a 77 minute non-linear narrative, finds its focal point in an analysis of the social obstacles that Chelsea must construct in order to engage in this line of work, which essentially cripples her attempts at a non-professional romantic relationship. Yet, after spending my last quarter in a Jean-Luc Godard class and revisiting Vivre Sa Vie and 2 ou 3 Choses Que Je Sais D'Elle, I could not help but wonder what is new about this approach. While Soderbergh tries to contextualize it differently by consistently alluding to the harsh economic climate of the United States in the days running up to the 2008 election, it does not differentiate itself enough to be engaging to a viewer already familiar with its line of engagement.
With regard to the performance by Sasha Grey, who undoubtedly has a presence, it remains difficult to evaluate. While she often comes off as wooden, it remains unclear to me whether she is a poor actress or quite a good one by utilizing this wooden characterization to highlight the mask she is forced to wear to be a prostitute. If I had to make a take one side or the other, I would tend to drift towards the good. A cameo of note comes from film critic Glenn Kenny as a escort reviewer simply known as "The Erotic Connoisseur" which climaxes (pun intended) with a street rendition of "Everyone's a Critic." To quote Juliette in "2 ou 3 Choses" with relation to my thoughts on the film, "To define myself, one word: indifference." Maybe a second viewing will change my opinions. After all, I still felt engaged by it and find myself thinking about it a great deal, so from that standpoint it is worth watching but, especially after Che and Bubble, I still feel a tinge of disappointment.
The Brothers Bloom
Director Rian Johnson's follow-up to his superb high school-noir Brick takes another genre and tilts it on its head: the con man flick. Johnson discussed in a post-screening Q&A how this genre can be traditionally distancing to a viewer due to its reliance on a hall of mirrors structure in which cons are favored over people. Watching films like David Mamet's House of Games or Christopher Nolan's The Prestige for the first time, I certainly felt a distance and only upon repeated viewings did I start to walk away with a greater appreciation. The con man genre is a tight rope to walk and Rian Johnson's film proved to be quite the feat.
My notes will be brief and vague, due to the nature of the genre and the film and my fear of showing too much of Johnson's hand. The film begins with the brothers Bloom, Bloom (Adrian Brody) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo), two of the greatest con men in this Wes Anderson-esque world of 40s suits, delightful banter, and 60s rock. Stephen is the master of the con, writing and planning his brother into the consistent role of the brokenhearted bait. Bloom, as the years and cons progress, has become under whelmed with his role and intends to retire to an island alone before being talked into one last con. The mark? An epileptic photographer, millionaire, and hobby collector named Penelope (Rachel Weisz), whom Bloom must trick into falling in love with him in order for the swindle to progress.
While the first two-acts of the film follow the Mamet-esque emphasis on trickery, Johnson never completely loses sight of the characters and utilizes a third-act, which initially appears unnecessary, as a means of underlining his intent. The third-act is what differentiates itself from the genre and while I held initial fears upon its unveiling, it leads the film towards perfection. The cast here, of course, is incredibly solid. Ruffalo might have benefited from some additional screen time, particularly with Brody alone in order to sketch out their relationship a bit more, but this is a minor quibble. Brody plays his usual sap, much like his role in The Darjeeling Limited except this film should show Wes Anderson what it is like to make a good movie within his stylistic preoccupations again. Weisz is quite amazing in a role of a complete eccentric but, like Audrey Tautou in Amelie, the quirks never overwhelm the person and the audience cannot help but follow Bloom in falling in love with her. There are some lively supporting roles here as well by Robbie Coltrane and Maximilian Schell but the real highlight in this band of outsiders is Babel actress and Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi as the mute demolitions expert Bang Bang. My enthusiasm for this film cannot go understated and if these brief reflections do not make you want to see it, let me just say what else the film has to offer: a cat with a wooden leg and a roller skate.
Monday, May 11, 2009
UPDATED (May 12 2009): SCMS Cancelled
Dear Colleagues,
I am writing to you with news about our upcoming Tokyo conference that requires your immediate attention. Please forward this announcement to anyone you know who is planning to attend the Tokyo conference.
With the advent of the H1N1 virus (“swine flu”), the Japanese government has issued a travel advisory and is aggressively monitoring the situation. Among the actions being taken are quarantines of anyone who appears to have symptoms of the flu. If a case were to emerge on your flight or among our membership at the conference, anyone who came into contact with an infected person may be quarantined. Quarantine can last up to ten days and you may be required to pay for medical attention if you show signs of being ill. Additional airline change fees may also apply if you were to become ill. On Saturday, three cases of the H1N1 flu were confirmed in Japan.
Both the National Government and the Chiyoda District Government, where the Josai University-Kioichô Campus is located, have asked Josai to cancel the conference. The Josai University administration has resisted this request and has kindly negotiated conditions under which the conference can take place. These include the following:
1) To monitor the situation and inform conference participants of any outbreak, the government requires information regarding each participant’s whereabouts, including hotel location and contact numbers during the conference and for ten days afterward.
2) Conference participants will have their temperatures taken when they enter the conference each day. Those registering a temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be given an additional test to rule out the H1N1 virus. If the test is positive, there is a chance that conference participants, along with the infected individual, could be quarantined.
3) Participants will need to fill out a health declaration form each day of the conference. The declaration will ask about symptoms (including fever, nausea, dizziness, etc.) experienced during the past twenty-four hours.
4) Participants will be required to wear surgical masks during the conference.
5) If the World Health Organization raises the alert level to phase 6 (either before or during the conference), or if a conference participant is found to have the H1N1 virus, then we will be required to cancel the conference. This could happen anytime up to and including the conference dates. Any potential financial costs resulting from quarantine and associated delays are the responsibility of the traveler; the Society is not responsible for these costs, and members traveling agree to incur them.
Although the US Centers for Disease Control and various other health officials have determined that the H1N1 virus is much milder than was originally anticipated, we nevertheless need to alert you to the situation in Japan. We feel it is our responsibility to inform you to prepare for long airport delays and inconveniences, daily health screenings, and paperwork that travelers to Japan are currently experiencing. The cases of swine flu currently in Japan were brought in via air travel. All nonstop flights from the US and Canada will be boarded by health workers in bio-hazard suits and passengers on such flights will be monitored while on the plane for fever and other flu signs.
We ask that you let us know whether, under these conditions, you intend to attend the conference or not. Your response will enable us to determine whether or not the conference should take place. SCMS is unable to postpone or reschedule this event. Please let us know of your plans immediately and no later than 5:00 CST tomorrow, May 12, 2009 by clicking on the following link and responding to our survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Y5nh04W0KpjyzJ8mmEkkqQ_3d_3d.
If you decide to cancel your trip and inform us by 5:00pm CST tomorrow, SCMS will reimburse your registration fees. Those who choose not to attend the conference may wish to investigate their airline’s particular cancellation and postponement terms and conditions. Many airlines charge a change fee but will allow travelers to change the terms of their tickets for up to a year.
If you decide to attend the conference, you must provide us with your contact information in Tokyo (and for ten days after the conference), and you must agree to the terms which Josai University has arranged with the Health Ministries, outlined above.
We ask for your understanding of these difficult circumstances, which are beyond the Society’s control.
Sincerely,
Patrice Petro
SCMS President
UPDATE POSTED MAY 12th 2009:
A decision regarding the Tokyo conference has not been made. The Board of Directors will discuss the survey results this evening. We will post an announcement on the website and send an e-mail to everyone Wednesday morning with the decision. We have contacted Japan Travel Bureau regarding refunds for hotel reservations for individuals who can not attend the conference. As soon as we know what the outcome will be we will post another announcement and send an e-mail to everyone.
UPDATED:
Dear Colleagues:
It is with a very great regret that we are announcing the cancellation of the SCMS conference in Tokyo scheduled for May 21-24, 2009.
Late last week we learned that the Government of Japan and the Chiyoda District Government requested that Josai International University cancel the conference due to concerns about containing the H1N1 ("Swine Flu") virus. That request, and the conditions that were imposed under which the conference might occur, resulted in daily discussions among the officers of SCMS, members of the Board of Directors, the Society's legal counsel, and representatives of Josai.
We have determined that proceeding with the conference under the conditions ordered by the government present too many risks for our members and the Society. These include the personal risks to individual members (including possible quarantine, additional expense, and considerable stress), potential liability to SCMS, as well as pressures on the Society's small infrastructure. Moreover, the survey conducted yesterday (564 of 748 registrants replied) indicated that almost one-third of those responding chose to withdraw from the conference. Many of those who said that they would still attend indicated that they would do so out of a sense of obligation or said that they would spend minimal time at the conference. It was also clear that some registrants who did not respond to the survey, but who communicated in other ways, were waiting for more information before making a decision.
We are extremely grateful for the efforts of JIU, on behalf of SCMS, for negotiating with the national and local governments to create conditions under which the conference could move forward. But it is clear that members felt that those conditions would not be conducive to a satisfactory conference experience. The high cancellation rate - with more likely - presented us with a depleted program rather than the robust intellectual and social experience our members have come to expect of the SCMS conference.
You are urged to cancel your hotel reservations and flights immediately, unless you plan to travel to Japan for pleasure. You should contact your airline to arrange for credit on your airfare. We will be working with Japan Travel Bureau to reduce or eliminate hotel cancellation penalties.
Conference fees will be refunded, or individuals may request that their registration fee be used for the 2010 conference in Los Angeles. More details will follow.
We are working on plans to retain as much of the Tokyo conference as possible as a part of our Los Angeles conference. We will provide more information as soon as possible.
We will be creating a forum on the SCMS website for individuals to register their comments.
If you have already arrived in Japan and need assistance, please contact the SCMS office staff as soon as possible. Others can expect their e-mail messages and phone calls to be answered in the order that are received as soon as the staff can respond.
This has been a severe trial for the SCMS leadership, and we realize that the uncertainty caused by this global health situation has created great confusion and anxiety among our members.
We are extremely disappointed that we have had to make this decision, especially in light of the tremendous amount of planning and work that our members, the SCMS staff, and our exhibitors committed to this conference. Again, we offer our heartfelt gratitude to the Chancellor of Josai and Josai International Universities, Dean En Fukuyuki, Shinozaki Kayo and the rest of the staff at JIU who generously offered his or her services above and beyond any duties, responsibilities, or obligations and on top of their already considerable responsibilities at JIU.
We are saddened that we will not be able to meet in Tokyo, but we look forward to a combined Tokyo/Los Angeles conference at which we will be able to celebrate our 50th anniversary and to demonstrate our resilience.
Sincerely,
Patrice Petro, President
Anne Friedberg, President-Elect
Stephen Prince, Past-President
Eric Schaefer, Secretary
Paula Massood, Treasurer
Scott Curtis, Member of the Board
F. Hollis Griffin, Graduate Student Representative
Michele Hilmes, Member of the Board
Priya Jaikumar, Member of the Board
Victoria Johnson, Member of the Board
Charles Wolfe, Member of the Board
Michael Zryd, Member of the Board
I am writing to you with news about our upcoming Tokyo conference that requires your immediate attention. Please forward this announcement to anyone you know who is planning to attend the Tokyo conference.
With the advent of the H1N1 virus (“swine flu”), the Japanese government has issued a travel advisory and is aggressively monitoring the situation. Among the actions being taken are quarantines of anyone who appears to have symptoms of the flu. If a case were to emerge on your flight or among our membership at the conference, anyone who came into contact with an infected person may be quarantined. Quarantine can last up to ten days and you may be required to pay for medical attention if you show signs of being ill. Additional airline change fees may also apply if you were to become ill. On Saturday, three cases of the H1N1 flu were confirmed in Japan.
Both the National Government and the Chiyoda District Government, where the Josai University-Kioichô Campus is located, have asked Josai to cancel the conference. The Josai University administration has resisted this request and has kindly negotiated conditions under which the conference can take place. These include the following:
1) To monitor the situation and inform conference participants of any outbreak, the government requires information regarding each participant’s whereabouts, including hotel location and contact numbers during the conference and for ten days afterward.
2) Conference participants will have their temperatures taken when they enter the conference each day. Those registering a temperature above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will be given an additional test to rule out the H1N1 virus. If the test is positive, there is a chance that conference participants, along with the infected individual, could be quarantined.
3) Participants will need to fill out a health declaration form each day of the conference. The declaration will ask about symptoms (including fever, nausea, dizziness, etc.) experienced during the past twenty-four hours.
4) Participants will be required to wear surgical masks during the conference.
5) If the World Health Organization raises the alert level to phase 6 (either before or during the conference), or if a conference participant is found to have the H1N1 virus, then we will be required to cancel the conference. This could happen anytime up to and including the conference dates. Any potential financial costs resulting from quarantine and associated delays are the responsibility of the traveler; the Society is not responsible for these costs, and members traveling agree to incur them.
Although the US Centers for Disease Control and various other health officials have determined that the H1N1 virus is much milder than was originally anticipated, we nevertheless need to alert you to the situation in Japan. We feel it is our responsibility to inform you to prepare for long airport delays and inconveniences, daily health screenings, and paperwork that travelers to Japan are currently experiencing. The cases of swine flu currently in Japan were brought in via air travel. All nonstop flights from the US and Canada will be boarded by health workers in bio-hazard suits and passengers on such flights will be monitored while on the plane for fever and other flu signs.
We ask that you let us know whether, under these conditions, you intend to attend the conference or not. Your response will enable us to determine whether or not the conference should take place. SCMS is unable to postpone or reschedule this event. Please let us know of your plans immediately and no later than 5:00 CST tomorrow, May 12, 2009 by clicking on the following link and responding to our survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Y5nh04W0KpjyzJ8mmEkkqQ_3d_3d.
If you decide to cancel your trip and inform us by 5:00pm CST tomorrow, SCMS will reimburse your registration fees. Those who choose not to attend the conference may wish to investigate their airline’s particular cancellation and postponement terms and conditions. Many airlines charge a change fee but will allow travelers to change the terms of their tickets for up to a year.
If you decide to attend the conference, you must provide us with your contact information in Tokyo (and for ten days after the conference), and you must agree to the terms which Josai University has arranged with the Health Ministries, outlined above.
We ask for your understanding of these difficult circumstances, which are beyond the Society’s control.
Sincerely,
Patrice Petro
SCMS President
UPDATE POSTED MAY 12th 2009:
A decision regarding the Tokyo conference has not been made. The Board of Directors will discuss the survey results this evening. We will post an announcement on the website and send an e-mail to everyone Wednesday morning with the decision. We have contacted Japan Travel Bureau regarding refunds for hotel reservations for individuals who can not attend the conference. As soon as we know what the outcome will be we will post another announcement and send an e-mail to everyone.
UPDATED:
Dear Colleagues:
It is with a very great regret that we are announcing the cancellation of the SCMS conference in Tokyo scheduled for May 21-24, 2009.
Late last week we learned that the Government of Japan and the Chiyoda District Government requested that Josai International University cancel the conference due to concerns about containing the H1N1 ("Swine Flu") virus. That request, and the conditions that were imposed under which the conference might occur, resulted in daily discussions among the officers of SCMS, members of the Board of Directors, the Society's legal counsel, and representatives of Josai.
We have determined that proceeding with the conference under the conditions ordered by the government present too many risks for our members and the Society. These include the personal risks to individual members (including possible quarantine, additional expense, and considerable stress), potential liability to SCMS, as well as pressures on the Society's small infrastructure. Moreover, the survey conducted yesterday (564 of 748 registrants replied) indicated that almost one-third of those responding chose to withdraw from the conference. Many of those who said that they would still attend indicated that they would do so out of a sense of obligation or said that they would spend minimal time at the conference. It was also clear that some registrants who did not respond to the survey, but who communicated in other ways, were waiting for more information before making a decision.
We are extremely grateful for the efforts of JIU, on behalf of SCMS, for negotiating with the national and local governments to create conditions under which the conference could move forward. But it is clear that members felt that those conditions would not be conducive to a satisfactory conference experience. The high cancellation rate - with more likely - presented us with a depleted program rather than the robust intellectual and social experience our members have come to expect of the SCMS conference.
You are urged to cancel your hotel reservations and flights immediately, unless you plan to travel to Japan for pleasure. You should contact your airline to arrange for credit on your airfare. We will be working with Japan Travel Bureau to reduce or eliminate hotel cancellation penalties.
Conference fees will be refunded, or individuals may request that their registration fee be used for the 2010 conference in Los Angeles. More details will follow.
We are working on plans to retain as much of the Tokyo conference as possible as a part of our Los Angeles conference. We will provide more information as soon as possible.
We will be creating a forum on the SCMS website for individuals to register their comments.
If you have already arrived in Japan and need assistance, please contact the SCMS office staff as soon as possible. Others can expect their e-mail messages and phone calls to be answered in the order that are received as soon as the staff can respond.
This has been a severe trial for the SCMS leadership, and we realize that the uncertainty caused by this global health situation has created great confusion and anxiety among our members.
We are extremely disappointed that we have had to make this decision, especially in light of the tremendous amount of planning and work that our members, the SCMS staff, and our exhibitors committed to this conference. Again, we offer our heartfelt gratitude to the Chancellor of Josai and Josai International Universities, Dean En Fukuyuki, Shinozaki Kayo and the rest of the staff at JIU who generously offered his or her services above and beyond any duties, responsibilities, or obligations and on top of their already considerable responsibilities at JIU.
We are saddened that we will not be able to meet in Tokyo, but we look forward to a combined Tokyo/Los Angeles conference at which we will be able to celebrate our 50th anniversary and to demonstrate our resilience.
Sincerely,
Patrice Petro, President
Anne Friedberg, President-Elect
Stephen Prince, Past-President
Eric Schaefer, Secretary
Paula Massood, Treasurer
Scott Curtis, Member of the Board
F. Hollis Griffin, Graduate Student Representative
Michele Hilmes, Member of the Board
Priya Jaikumar, Member of the Board
Victoria Johnson, Member of the Board
Charles Wolfe, Member of the Board
Michael Zryd, Member of the Board
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Mabuse at SCMS Tokyo 2009
Anyone interested in trying to set up a Mabuse night out in Tokyo? I'll be in town from Weds. 20th (when I fly in) to Monday the 25th. My cell will not be traveling with me, but I will be in the dorms at the conference site and you can probably reach me via e-mail. I've heard there is a French-style cinephile bar in town that is supposed to be quite the attraction...
Any thoughts?
Also, congrats to Jason and Scott on the book. Looking forward to reading it!
Any thoughts?
Also, congrats to Jason and Scott on the book. Looking forward to reading it!
Cinephilia in the Age of Digital Reproduction
To me, 2006 was a very good SCMS. It was my first trip to the conference. Vancouver was truly a fascinating city ... yet one that was relatively affordable for, at the time, a poor graduate student. It was here I met some particular scholars I now consider as dear friends.It was also here where my collaborator (and longtime friend) Jason Sperb and I began to explore the subject of cinephilia in the digital age with a well-received panel. Over coffee at a diner across from our hotel, we realized neither one of us were ready to abandon this subject after the week. 'Cinephilia' denotes a deep, even limitless passion for cinema including consuming, defining, sharing, discussing and writing about films. We wanted to consider the term in its current context within our interconnected digital world - as something truly expansive beyond (yet respectful) of the cine-club movements of the 20th century.
Three years later, I am pleased to write that the collection Cinephilia in the Age of Digital Reproduction: Film, Pleasure, and Digital Culture, Vol. 1, is going to press. If you don't mind a little self-promotion, here is a link to the page on the Wallflower Press website.
Focusing mainly on digital imagery and cinephilia, the original panel included the work of current contributors Jenna Ng and Tobey Crockett. Since that time, the project has evolved to consider the pleasures of cinema within digital imagery along with online communication and digitized home viewing. The project has grown to include the work of critics, scholars and bloggers from around the world, including Robert Burgoyne, Zach Campbell, Brian Darr, Kevin Fisher, Andy Horbal, Christian Keathley, Adrian Martin, Lisa Purse, Dan Sallitt, Girish Shambu, Jason, and myself. As this suggests, the expressed goal of the book is to include engaging work from the worlds of academia, journalism, and the blogosphere -- exploring 21st century cinephilia through a new form of collaboration between such worlds.
As such, I am proud to say we never set out to make a conventional academic collection. And thanks to our contributors (or should I write 'collaborators'?), I do believe we have created something original and worthwhile. With plans for a Volume 2 in the works, it makes me curious to see where cinephilia might take us next.
As I began, 2006 was a very good SCMS ...
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