Beyond the Screen:

Institutions, Networks and Publics of Early Cinema

Eleventh International DOMITOR Conference

Sunday, 13 June to Thursday, 16 June, 2010

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Registration

Full Program

For the latest information on transportation, facilities, and conference locations, go to

http://domitor2010.blogspot.com/

 

Theme

The vanguard of recent film scholarship has shown that institutions and social networks established a variety of sites, contexts, and ways for viewing early cinema, not always as “harmless entertainment” or as a “business, pure and simple,” as the U. S.Supreme Court defined it in 1915. The DOMITOR 2010 Conference seeks to develop this line of inquiry by demonstrating how early cinema’s cultural function and social uses were shaped by a range of institutions, both commercial and noncommercial: How was cinema used in the domains of science, technology,education, and social uplift, and how did these applications influence its development and shape the public’s perception of the medium? What decisions and powers led to the marginalisation of alternatives to the “entertainment” model championed by the Supreme Court and pursued by a maturing industry? Which organisations and groups helped preserve and archive early cinema and its culture? How were the production practices of early film companies affected by their alliance with institutions outside the confines of the film industry?

 

Days

Sunday June 13th: Panels 9am-6pm; Dinner reception 7pm-9pm

Monday June 14th: Panels 9am-6pm; Special screening 8pm

Tuesday June 15th: Panels 9am-6pm; Special screening 8pm

Wednesday June 16th: Panels 9am-6pm; Special screening 8pm

Location

Conference panels will be held at the University of Toronto St. George campus (Bloor and St. George Streets) and Ryerson University (Dundas and Yonge Streets). These two universities are within walking distance of each other (approx. 20 minutes) and easy public transit is also an option. You will not have to walk from one campus to another between panels - all panels for a given day will be held at one location. The opening night reception will be on the University of Toronto campus and screenings for the three nights will be held throughout the city (venues with veritable projection).
 
The Holiday Inn and New College Residence is located on (or near) the University of Toronto campus, whereas the Delta Chelsea is near Ryerson University's campus. Any hotels around two these campus (or between the two) would be suitable.

For hotel information, go to http://domitor2010.blogspot.com/

 

Panels

Alternative Viewing Spaces in Early Cinema (I): Prisons, Museums, Charity Bazaars

Alternative Viewing Spaces in Early Cinema (II): Factories, Meeting Halls, Department Stores

Archives, Museums, and Preservation: Contemporary Challenges, Historical Paradigms

Case Studies in Commercial Exhibition

Early Educational Cinema (I): The Uses of Education

Early Educational Cinema (II): Colonialism, Conversion, and Cleanliness

Early Educational Cinema (III): National Contexts

Early Educational Cinema (IV): Rhetorics of Instruction

Institutions of Magic and Movement: Contextualizing the Trick Film and Early Animation

Intermedial Institutions: Film, Theatre, and Print Media

Lantern and Cinematograph in Service of Charity around 1900

Local and Regional Contexts

Narrative Institutions: Intertitles, Lecturers, Screenplays

National Imaginaries and Early Cinema

Non-Western Contexts: Education and Exhibition

Regulation, Legality, Governmentality

 

Screenings

World première of the restoration of Chalice of Sorrow (Ingram, 1916), plus His Nibs (La Cava, 1921)

Screening of Nonfiction Films from the Nederlands Filmmuseum

Screening of Early Canadian Cinema from the Libraries and Archives Canada

 

Registration page

      Registration opens and full program available by April 1, 2010

      Membership and registration deadline: April 30, 2010

      Go here to register!

 

Remember that all papers are due for translation by April 30, 2010

 

Watch http://domitor2010.blogspot.com/ for hotel and conference information