New Terrain: Sundance and Film
A conference presented by the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information.
New Terrain: Sundance and Film is an academic conference that brings leading scholars together to discuss the future of independent cinema in the United States. This event will provide a new forum for cinema studies, exploring how changes in production, storytelling, exhibition, access, technology, and audiences are reshaping the field – and how filmmakers, festival planners, and researchers are responding.
At New Terrain, academics, students, and practitioners will engage in collaborative imagination about the future of independent cinema and present their research and creative work. Through these conversations, New Terrain seeks to establish a stronger and more sustained community of study and practice - locally, regionally, and nationally.
For our inaugural 2027 event, we will examine the future of independent film and film festivals, through historical and contemporary changes in production cultures, technology, and festival practices. The event includes screenings open to practitioners and students.
More conference details and presentation titles to be announced.
Presenters:
- Patricia Aufderheide, American University
- Colin Burnett, Washington University in St. Louis
- Amalia Cordova, Smithsonian Institute
- Jason Evans Groth, Library of Congress
- Eric Hoyt, University of Wisconsin
- Martin Johnson, University of North Carolina
- Kathryn Ramey, Emerson College
- Pooja Rangan, Amherst College
- Laura Isabel Serna, University of Southern California
- Shelly Stamp, University of California Santa Cruz
- Dan Streible, New York University
January 16
9-9:30: Conference opening
9:30-10:50: Session 1
10:50-11:00: Break
11:00-11:20: Session 2
11:20-11:30: Break
11:30-12:30: Plenary Session
12:30-1:40: Lunch
1:40-3:00: Session 3
3:00-3:10: Break
3:10-4:30: Session 4
January 17
10:00-11:20: Session 5
11:20-11:30: Break
11:30-12:45: Lunch
12:45-3:00: Conference Planning Session
3:00-3:15: Closing Remarks
January 19
Details to be announced...