General Call for Papers
Please download and read the full Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies (JICMS) Notes for Contributors before submitting to the journal.
JICMS is an English-language forum for theoretical, methodological and critical debate on Italian film and media production, reception and consumption. It provides a platform for dialogue between academics, filmmakers and cinema and media professionals. This peer-reviewed journal invites submissions of scholarly articles relating to the artistic features, cultural themes, international influence and history of Italian film and media. Furthermore, the journal intends to revive a critical discussion on the auteurs, revisit the historiography of Italian cinema and celebrate the dynamic role played by new directors. The journal includes a book and film review section as well as notes on Italian film festivals abroad and international conference reports.
The profound transformation undergone by the rapidly expanding media environment under the impact of digital technology has lead scholars in the field of media studies to elaborate new theoretical paradigms and methodological approaches to account for the complexities of a changing landscape of convergence and hybridization. The boundaries between cinema and media as art forms and fields of inquiry are increasingly hybridized too. Taking into account this evolving scenario, JICMS provides an international arena for critical engagement with a wider range of issues related to the current media environment. The journal welcomes in particular contributions that discuss any aspect of Italian media production, distribution and consumption within national and transnational, social, political, economic and historical contexts.
Within the realm of a post-national and trans-cultural debate, the purpose of JICMS is to refer to Italy as the unifying site for a contemporary discussion on translocal cinema. The journal aims to elaborate a multifaceted definition of Italian cinema, transcending geo-ethnic land and sea borders and moving away from merely celebratory local cinematic experiences. Therefore, the journal also devotes attention to Italophone filmmakers and diasporic, accented or exilic cinema. JICMS is also interested in the artistic intersections between Italian and other international cinemas.
JICMS also invites submissions that examine experimental cinema, video art, short films, long/short feature and documentary animation, original and adapted screenplays, film music (songs and scores), issues of stardom and reception studies. The professional contributions of screenplay writers, art directors, cinematographers, film editors, costume designers and make-up artists are also potential subject areas for submissions.
Interested contributors should send: (1) a 500-word abstract outlining the topic, approach and theoretical bases; (2) the relevant bibliography and filmography and (3) 200-word biographical notes (listing academic publications) to the editor.
Journal contributors will receive a free PDF copy of their final work upon publication. Print copies of the journal may also be purchased by contributors at half price.
Special Issue Call for Papers
‘The circulation of the Italian cinema in the United States between 1945 and 1975: Distribution, reception, impact’
Guest-editors:
Federico di Chio, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Università degli Studi di Bologna
Marina Nicoli, Bocconi University
Immediately after the Second World War, Italian cinema experienced a surge in popularity in the United States, notably with neorealist classics like Open City (Rossellini, 1945), Obsession (Visconti, 1943), Paisan (Rossellini, 1946) and Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948). After that, Italian cinema witnessed a steady increase in its distribution in American theatres, reaching its zenith in the mid-1960s, enjoying both high success with the public and appreciation from critics. The Academy awarded four Oscars to Vittorio De Sica (Shoeshine, 1948; Bicycle Thieves, 1950; Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 1965, The Garden of the Finzi Contini, 1972) and four to Federico Fellini (La strada, 1957; The Nights of Cabiria, 1958; 8½, 1964; Amarcord, 1975). The influence and popularity of Italian films extended well beyond auteur films, with historical and mythological epics, such as the Hercules saga (Hercules) (Francisci, 1957); Hercules Unchained (Francisci and Bava, 1959) which achieved flattering results. Although there was a slight decline following its hight (mid-1960s), Italian cinema maintained its relevance, with directors like Luchino Visconti, Michelangelo Antonioni, Sergio Leone and emerging talents such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Lina Wertmüller and Liliana Cavani. Furthermore, the impact of Italian cinema on American auteurs, including Sam Peckinpah, Quentin Tarantino, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese, solidified its enduring legacy.
The fascinating history of Italian cinema in the United States has been primarily depicted in fragments through the professional biographies of key figures, such as producers (e.g., Dino De Laurentiis), distributors (e.g., Joseph E. Levine), directors (e.g., Sergio Leone) and performers (e.g., Sofia Loren). Critical reception of Italian films has been explored by some scholars, particularly focusing on neorealism films (Schoonover 2008) and subsequent auteurs, notably Antonioni, Fellini, Visconti and Leone (Garofalo 2023). Distribution strategy of Italian top-grossers has been illustrated by few contributions focused on art-house venues (Wilinski 2001, Segrave 2004, Balio 2010, McKenna 2016, Garofalo 2023). Preliminary investigations have also been conducted on the influence of these auteurs on emerging American filmmakers (McDonald Carolan 2013). However, what is lacking is an overarching framework that integrates the artistic and stylistic features with the socio-cultural and economic-industrial dimensions.
The currently available academic contributions focus on the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and lack a convincing analysis in addressing more fundamental issues, such as: How many Italian films were distributed in the United States between 1945 and 1975? Which films were distributed (genre, directors, actors)? Who were the producers and distributors involved in their distribution? Which was the distribution strategy and what were the outcomes of these distribution efforts? These inquiries are essential for a comprehensive understanding of the distribution and reception of Italian cinema in the United States during the period under investigation.
The special issue of the Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies aims to delve into the analysis of the circulation of Italian cinema in the United States from 1945 to 1975 with a more organic approach by covering both the economic as well as the artistic dimensions of the phenomenon. We aim to feature interdisciplinary contributions and draw upon a rich array of previously unpublished data sourced from archival materials, encompassing diplomatic, industrial, and banking records from Italy and the United States. Additionally, insights from sector-specific press in both countries will be seamlessly integrated. This comprehensive approach is designed to deliver a more professional and coherent examination of the distribution and reception of Italian cinema in the United States in the post-Second World War era.
We aim to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and collaboration among scholars, inviting them to contribute with their studies, research, and insights to enrich the discussion.
We invite you to submit proposals about the following topics (the list is not exhaustive):
- Neorealism: impact on American intellectual elites and young authors
- Italian cinema and Italian-American audiences (the 'ethnic distribution')
- Italian art films and American metropolitan audiences (the 'art-house' distribution)
- Italian adventure movies and American popular audiences (the 'commercial' distribution)
- The Italian comedy and the American audiences
- Italian films belonging to the tradition of Meridionalism/melodrama/opera and their circulation in the United States
- The Cosmopolitanism of the Italian film industry: the success of Italian actors/actresses and their personal adventures in Hollywood
- The story and the role of the independent American distributors who promoted Italian cinema in the United States
- The story and the role of Italian distributors who settled in the United States to distribute Italian cinema
- Italian cinema and American censorship (Production Code Authority, Legion of Decency and local/district censorship)
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Italian cinema
Please submit a 350-500-word proposal in English of original and unpublished research plus a filmography and bibliography, and a biographical note of about 150 words to Prof. Federico di Chio (federico.dichio@mediaset.it) and Prof. Marina Nicoli (marina.nicoli@unibocconi.it) by 31 May 2024.
The outcome of the selection process will be communicated by 30 June 2024. Authors of the selected proposals will be invited to submit full-length articles by 30 November 2024. Their articles will be peer-reviewed and, if accepted, they will be published in a forthcoming special issue of the Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies.
Call for Contributions – ‘Doctoral Dissertations’ column
The Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies invites contributions for a new column about recent doctoral dissertations. The column is designed to keep scholars and teachers up to date regarding the defence and publication of graduate research into any aspect of Italian cinema and/or media studies while promoting access to an emerging generation of international scholarship. Depending on the number of submissions, the column may publish up to three entries per issue. Proposals are welcome for dissertations defended during the past two years.
Entries will appear in the form of short dissertation abstracts and will include the following information: dissertation title, author name, current e-mail address, degree-granting department and school, advisor name and affiliation, ISBN or equivalent identification number, abstract (500 words maximum) and biographical note (100 words maximum). Abstracts will be written in a way that focuses directly on the historical and/or theoretical intervention, including presentation of primary sources, methodology and conclusions. Entries for dissertations written in languages other than English are encouraged, and the column curator will work together with international authors where translation is required.
For inquiries and submissions, write to Jim Carter (jimrc@umich.edu).
Jim Carter holds a Ph.D. in Italian from the University of Michigan and is currently working on a book about industrial culture at Olivetti (1930s through 1950s). His essays on cultural studies have appeared in international publications like Modern Italy and Italian Culture, and he is the co-editor (with Carlo Baghetti and Lorenzo Marmo) of the forthcoming volume Italian Industrial Literature and Film (Peter Lang, Italian Modernities Series). In 2018–19, he was a fellow of the American Academy in Rome.
Call for Contributions – ‘Translations’ and ‘Archival Notes’ columns
Journal of Italian Cinema and Media Studies is introducing two new columns devoted to translations and archival news. Their goal is to serve scholars and teachers working on Italian film and media history and who are interested in the availability of primary sources. The journal expects that both writing and reading these columns will contribute to novel research collaborations and opportunities in cinema and media studies. Depending on the volume and quality of submissions, these new columns may appear fairly regularly in the journal.
Translations: The first column comprises English translations of short texts – whether essays, reviews, interviews or official documents (i.e., governmental policies, industry memos, legal judgments, censorship records) that scholars of Italian cinema and media culture have rarely accessed or utilized in their work. These texts will not have been already available in English. Scholars submitting a proposal for a translation should offer a rationale of its relevance and, upon acceptance, be prepared to: (a) secure the appropriate rights for its translation into English as the original publication will be duly acknowledged; (b) arrange for a proper translation into English; and (c) provide a brief contextualization of the text’s publishing history and importance for readers and, where applicable, use endnotes to offer a critical annotation of the text’s cultural references.
Length: the limit for each submission, with rare exceptions, is 2000 words. For inquiries and submissions, write to Giorgio Bertellini (giorgiob@umich.edu).
Archival Notes is a column that aims to provide readers with practical information about the availability of archival collections or the establishment of new archives in Italy or elsewhere. The column may also focus on digital repositories such as new research databases that are yet to become widely known among scholars. Scholars wishing to submit a proposal should offer a rationale for its relevance. Upon acceptance, they should introduce the new collection, archive or database in terms of its importance for cinema and media research as well as information on its institutional genesis, organization and mode of access – online versus in situ. References to highlights and possible scholarly uses are particularly appreciated. The format of the column may vary: authors may provide the same information either by writing the text themselves or by way of an interview to an archivist or a researcher who has been directly involved in establishing or processing of the collection, archive or database.
Length: the limit for each submission, with rare exceptions, is 2000 words. For inquiries and submissions, write to Giorgio Bertellini (giorgiob@umich.edu).