FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES CAUCUS - MISSION STATEMENT 

The AAIS Film and Media Studies Caucus (FMSC) is a dynamic initiative born from the collective discussions of scholars of the field. Recognizing the need for a dedicated platform to address the cultural, social, theoretical, aesthetic, and political relevance of film and media in Italian culture, the FMSC provides a vital space for collaborative exploration and innovation through a transnational, transhistorical, and transmedia lens. In an era where media industries, technologies, representations, and audiences are rapidly evolving, the FMSC promotes the integration of diverse critical perspectives and encourages interdisciplinary and intergenerational dialogue. By focusing on Italy and Italian studies, the FMSC aims to enhance the AAIS academic community’s understanding of global media dynamics, fostering a richer, more comprehensive view of film and media’s impact on culture and society.

Interdisciplinary Approach

Committed to fostering interdisciplinary critical tools, the FMSC bridges diverse academic fields and themes within and in relation to Italian studies. Utilizing cultural, historical, philosophical, political, economic, feminist, queer, technical and formalistic approaches, we encourage cross-disciplinary research and pedagogy. Our scope spans film criticism, history, and theory; media studies—including television, sound, radio, digital media, and photography; and film and media stardom, performance, and fan culture.

Objectives

The group, which brings together a diverse array of researchers and doctoral students, is committed to facilitating coordination and communication among the FMSC members, focusing on, but not limited to, the following themes within academia and Italian culture: 

  • Film and media scholarly practices, politics, and theories
  • History, theory and aesthetics of Italian film and media 
  • Italian film and media through transnational, transhistorical, and transmedia perspectives
  • Film and media institutions in Italy: impact, responsibility, transparency, and consumption
  • Technical and production processes
  • Audience reception processes
  • Ecocinema and eco-critical perspectives
  • Gender perspectives in film and media
  • Postcolonial approaches in film and media
  • New directions in documentary and nonfiction film and media
  • Innovative perspectives on animation studies
  • Visual studies and cultures
  • Approaches to sound and music in Italian film and media

 

Calendar of Events    

Every year, the FMSC will hold a General Business Meeting open to all its members. In 2024, the group that initiated the FMSC organized a giornata di studio on critical perspectives on Rapito by Marco Bellocchio, with a Q&A with the director. The caucus plans to host at least one such event annually, along with occasional social gatherings. The FMSC will have the opportunity to organize two sponsored panels and/or roundtables at the AAIS annual conference. Events organized in collaboration with other AAIS caucuses as well as informal social gatherings may also be implemented.

Awards

Beginning in Spring 2025, every year the FMSC will give the “Outstanding Research Paper Award” to the best research paper presented at the AAIS Conference. Papers can cover any topic within the field of Film and Media Studies, and FMS Caucus membership is not required. Papers must be submitted via the AAIS website (see details there). The recipient of the award will be a graduate student or non-tenure stream faculty member of the AAIS WSC. 

Donations

Please consider donating to the caucus via the donation page or through the donation option at the time of membership renewal (or new membership subscription). Suggested donation for faculty members is US$10, while for graduate students and other members is US$5. Donations will make it possible for the FMSC to implement new initiatives proposed by graduate students and young generation of scholars.

Organizing Committee

The FMSC operates within the larger framework of collaborative leadership and practice. The organizing committee includes two members serving as co-chairs along with a minimum of 5 up to 7 caucus members for terms of up to three years. The FMSC, who comprises a total of 9 members, broadly represents the academic areas detailed in the mission and the general membership (i.e., graduate students, post-doc scholars, contingent faculty, junior and senior researchers). To ensure continuity, the co-chairs may choose to extend their positions for an additional two years or transition to the advisory board for up to two years. Under this structure, the organizing committee will have at least 7 members, each with distinct roles and duties related to the Caucus’s functions (i.e., communication, event organization, governance). The FMSC will make sure that the AAIS constituencies’ needs be represented and discussed. To this end, the FMSC can launch surveys and enact other forms of communication and exchange. A member cannot serve on the FMSC Organizing Committee for more than 5 consecutive years unless approved by a majority vote of Caucus members. Elections for the organizing committee are conducted every two years before the FMSC General Business Meeting.

 

Co-chairs: 

Nicoletta Marini-Maio – PhD, Professor, Dickinson College

Christian Uva – PhD, Professor, Università degli Studi Roma Tre

 

Members: 

Arianna Avalle – PhD, University of Texas at Austin

Francesco D’Asero – PhD, Visiting Assistant Professor, DAMS, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro

Gabriele D’Autilia – PhD, Associate Professor, Università degli Studi di Teramo

Cristina Formenti – PhD, Independent Scholar

Malvina Giordana – PhD, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Biblioteca Hertziana

Giancarlo Lombardi – PhD, Professor, CUNY (City University of New York)

Gaoheng Zhang – PhD, Associate Professor, University of British Columbia