Film History

Scope & Guideline

Advancing scholarship at the intersection of film and history.

Introduction

Welcome to the Film History information hub, where our guidelines provide a wealth of knowledge about the journal’s focus and academic contributions. This page includes an extensive look at the aims and scope of Film History, highlighting trending and emerging areas of study. We also examine declining topics to offer insight into academic interest shifts. Our curated list of highly cited topics and recent publications is part of our effort to guide scholars, using these guidelines to stay ahead in their research endeavors.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0892-2160
PublisherINDIANA UNIV PRESS
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited States
TypeJournal
Converge1987, 1999, from 2002 to 2023
AbbreviationFILM HIST / Film Hist.
Frequency4 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address601 N MORTON STREET, BLOOMINGTON, IN 47404-3797

Aims and Scopes

Film History is dedicated to the exploration and analysis of cinema's development, practices, and cultural implications across different eras and regions. The journal emphasizes scholarly research that contextualizes films within broader historical, social, and technological frameworks.
  1. Historical Analysis of Film Practices:
    The journal focuses on the historical evolution of filmmaking practices, examining how technological advancements, such as sound and color, have influenced cinema.
  2. Cultural and Social Contexts:
    It explores the intersection of cinema with various cultural and social movements, analyzing how films reflect and shape societal values and narratives.
  3. International Perspectives:
    The journal emphasizes a global view of film history, considering the contributions of non-Western cinema and the impact of colonial and post-colonial contexts.
  4. Archival Research and Rediscovery:
    Film History encourages the use of archival materials to uncover forgotten narratives and figures, fostering a deeper understanding of cinema's legacy.
  5. Interdisciplinary Approaches:
    The journal promotes interdisciplinary research, integrating methodologies from fields such as sociology, gender studies, and cultural studies to enrich film historical scholarship.
Recent publications in Film History indicate a shift towards exploring new themes and methodologies that reflect contemporary scholarly interests and societal changes.
  1. Decolonization and Post-Colonial Narratives:
    There is an increasing focus on how cinema has engaged with themes of colonialism and decolonization, examining films from formerly colonized nations and their representation.
  2. Technological Innovations and Their Impact:
    Emerging studies are delving into how advancements in technology, including digital filmmaking and distribution, are reshaping the film industry and audience engagement.
  3. Intersectionality in Film Analysis:
    A growing trend is the application of intersectional frameworks that consider race, gender, class, and sexuality in film studies, leading to richer analyses of film texts.
  4. Environmental Critique in Cinema:
    Emerging scholarship is exploring the representation of environmental issues in film, examining how cinema reflects and influences ecological awareness and activism.
  5. Globalization of Film Culture:
    There is a notable trend in analyzing the globalization of film culture, focusing on how films circulate across borders and the implications of these exchanges for cultural identity.

Declining or Waning

While Film History continues to thrive in many areas, certain themes are becoming less prevalent in recent publications. This shift may reflect changing academic interests and societal contexts.
  1. Traditional Hollywood Narratives:
    There has been a decline in studies focusing solely on traditional Hollywood narratives and star systems, as scholars increasingly seek to diversify their subject matter beyond mainstream cinema.
  2. Static Gender Perspectives:
    Research that only examines gender roles within a binary framework is waning, replaced by more nuanced discussions that incorporate intersectionality and broader social dynamics.
  3. Early Cinema Studies:
    While still relevant, the intense focus on early cinema is decreasing, with scholars now more frequently exploring modern and contemporary cinema contexts.
  4. Regional Cinema Exclusivity:
    Papers that focus solely on specific regional cinemas without connecting to global trends are less common, as there is a growing emphasis on transnational cinema.

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