23rd New Directions in Turkish Film Studies Conference
May 9-11, 2024
Kadir Has University, Istanbul

Cinema, since its inception, has been haunted by an inherent paradox: the desire to transcend its own limitations for the direct representation of motion, the world, life, and reality in its entirety. From early film theories like Eisenstein’s Stereokino to Münsterberg’s and Balazs’ conceptualization of stereoscopic 3D, and from Bazin’s concept of Total Cinema to Youngblood’s vision of Expanded Cinema, it has been framed as inherently linked to the foundational telos of transcending its present state. This foundational telos similarly defines its technological evolution—from the introduction of sound and color to the rise of television, smartphones, digital cinema, and the internet, and from interactive to immersive experiences. These transformations continually challenge and redefine the very essence of cinema, all while fulfilling its paradoxical nature. In fact, cinema has been a medium that perpetually seeks its own obsolescence and its own dissolution into the very reality it seeks to represent. Cinema is becoming a post-cinema!

The 23rd edition of the “New Directions in Turkish Film Studies Conference” (TFAYY) will take place at Kadir Has University, Istanbul, on May 9-11, 2024. Confirmed keynote speakers are Marina Hassapopoulou (New York University) and Deniz Tortum (filmmaker). The conference calls for interventions about the ongoing debates surrounding the notion of post-cinema.

We encourage the exploration of cinema’s multifaceted relationship with emerging technologies, its intricate relation with diverse art forms, challenges posed by institutional boundaries, and adaptation to emerging platforms and technologies. We invite submissions for 20-minute presentations, panels, and video essays on -but not limited to- the following topics, themes, and concepts:

• Immersive cinema: VR, AR, XR, and MX
• Interactive cinema and interactive documentary
• Video games
• New media arts and practices 
• Glitch art
• Expanded Cinema
• Stereoscopic 3D Cinema
• Large or small format screens
• Artificial intelligence and large language models
• Virtual cinema and productions
• Post-cinema spectatorship
• Machinima

Application and Evaluation:
Abstracts (350 words) should be submitted along with a brief biography of the applicant (150 words) and a bibliography containing three sources.
Panel applications, which can include up to four participants, should be submitted by the organizer of the panel. The proposal should include a panel abstract (150 words), along with abstracts for each presentation (350 words each), panelist biographies (150 words each), and a bibliography containing three sources. Please include all panelists in the email message when submitting the application.
For video essay submissions, the completed work, not exceeding 10 minutes in length, should be uploaded to Vimeo or YouTube, and a link to the video should be sent along with a supporting text of up to 350 words. The conference will be held bilingually in Turkish and English. Proposals can be written in either language. 
Applications need to be sent via email to [email protected] by February 26, 2024.
Applications accepted following a blind peer review will be announced in March 2024. 

Scientific Committee:
Elif Akçalı (Kadir Has University)
Melis Behlil (Kadir Has University)
Reşat Fuat Çam (Kadir Has University)
İpek Çelik Rappas (Koç University)
Ahmet Gürata (Izmir Economy University)
Ersan Ocak (TED University)
Ece Vitrinel (Galatasaray University)

Organizing Committee:
Melis Behlil
Doğu Su Dönmez
Ülkünur Keskin
Neşe Öztemir
Esen Tan
Melis Terlemez