CFP: Gods, Icons, and Idols: Stars from Hollywood and Beyond

An area of multiple panels for the 2016 Film & History Conference:
Gods and Heretics: Figures of Power and Subversion in Film and Television October 26-October 30, 2016
The Milwaukee Hilton
Milwaukee, WI (USA)

DEADLINE for abstracts: July 15, 2016 

Stars are like gods: Worshipped. Admired. Emulated. Since the early twentieth century, stars have been the major cinematic draw for audiences and fans alike, and are an integral part of the filmmaking process, from the formulation of scripts to production strategies. For decades, A-list stars from film have made the transition to television, and today, transmedia stardom is more widespread than ever before. While much scholarly work focuses on stardom as an American phenomenon, many other countries and cultures have their own stars and star systems, which include different modes of “hero-worshipping” and industrial strategies.

This area invites 20-minute papers on a wide range of topics on stardom. Some possibilities include (but are not limited to):

• Stars from the silent era to contemporary Hollywood
• Stars from humble backgrounds or from established Hollywood families
• Transnational stars who capture the imaginations of different countries around the globe
• Stars from other industries outside of the U.S. such as India or Japan
• Posthumous stars who continue to resonate long after their deaths or stars who were once
  A-listers but are now largely forgotten
• Stars who have gained notoriety through paths outside of Hollywood
• Stars who consistently work in diverse media including television or new media
• Stars who spend time and resources outside of acting to fight for political and social causes
• Stars as auteurs
• Star–director collaborations
• Economic and industrial strategies of stardom
• Audiences, spectatorship, and fandom

  Proposals for complete panels (three related presentations) are also welcome, but they must include an abstract and contact information, including an e-mail address, for each presenter. For updates and registration information about the upcoming meeting, see the Film & History website (www.filmandhistory.org).

  Please e-mail your 200-word proposal by 15 July 2016, to the area chairs:

Chad Newsom
Savannah College of Art and Design
cnewsom@scad.edu

Amit Patel
University of Kansas
amitpatel@ku.edu