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The document discusses the twentieth-anniversary conference of the journal "French Screen Studies," which was held in Lyon in November 2021. The conference marked a significant change in the journal's name and editorial team. The event focused on continuity, change, and perspectives in French cinema and screen media, with a collection of leading international scholars presenting their work. The document highlights the evolution of the journal, thematic issues, and the impact of digital age on publication and research in the field of French and Francophone cinema and media studies. [Extracted from the article]

In light of the high suicide rates among youth in the United States and the role that media can play in educating the public about it, this paper examines how the independent film Archie’s Final Project (2009) navigated the lingering stigma attached to suicidality. On the one hand, the film as a text advances the conversation around both teen suicide and the teen experience by defying the silence that the stigma of suicide often imposes. On the other, some of the film’s paratexts such as posters and titles appear to have been negatively influenced by the stigma of suicide. This situation allows for a discussion of movie advertising material as a contested territory. Among the several negotiations between various social players, the trade-off between allure and accuracy in the advertising material is examined both from the filmmakers’ perspective and indirectly from the audience’s perspective, on the basis of interviews with the filmmakers and a close readings of the movie paratexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hollywood motion picture industry has been the epitome of our understanding and explanation of the rise and fall of the studio system. However, this study spotlights the Japanese studio system, which was solidly maintained until the late 1960s. Carefully tracing the process through which the major studios outsourced the production sector, this study examines state regulation against monopoly as a crucial factor explaining the reorganisation of the Japanese film industry after studio restructuring. Because anti-monopoly policies such as the Paramount Decree did not exist in Japan, the studios moved toward maintaining affiliate theatres despite reorganisation in the 1960s and 1970s. As a result, independent producers who did not possess their own distribution networks branched into three major categories: theatrical, low budget adult films; social films meant for independent exhibition, and blockbusters supported by external finance. The shifts in the production sector paradoxically highlight the decisive influence of distribution in the film industry. In essence, this study endeavors to present an alternative analytical approach, using Japan as a case study, for comprehending the rise and fall of the studio system and its restructuring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of multi‐mode fluorescent patterns has attracted widespread attention, particularly for applications in high‐density information storage and highly secure encryption. However, the fabrication process of multi‐mode fluorescent patterns generally involves tedious and expensive steps. Specifically, in the fabrication technology of elastic full‐color fluorescent patterns, there is still a lack of ideal patterning preparation technology that can overcome the solvent orthogonality problem associated with multi‐color fabrication while ensuring both high elasticity and luminescence efficiency of the pattern. Herein, the multi‐mode elastic fluorescent patterns are successfully fabricated by multiple transferring of the quantum dots (QDs) from the carrier substrates to the elastomeric PDMS substrate via femtosecond laser‐induced forward transfer (FsLIFT) technology. Due to its solvent‐free nature, absence of masking requirements, and no need for annealing during FsLIFT processing, the multiple transferred QD films achieve independent patterns and does not interfere with each other, providing a strong promise for the fabrication of multi‐mode elastic full‐color patterns. Based on these stretchable fluorescent patterns, multi‐visual encryption techniques are successfully demonstrated. The proposed FsLIFT technology offers an efficient and straightforward strategy for fabricating multi‐mode fluorescent patterns with potential applications in advanced commercial security information encryption and dynamic camouflage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Independent film is rapidly gaining prominence in today's dynamic film industry. The democratization of filmmaking techniques and the progress of digital technology have given independent filmmakers greater opportunities to showcase their distinctive stories on large screens. This study focuses on the role of streaming platforms in the production of independent films and their impact on society. the study uses qualitative approach and interview-based data is collected from 16 experts drawn using purposive sampling technique. Later on, thematic analysis was applied to draw results and findings of the study. Findings of the study suggest that technology played a crucial part in the production and distribution of independent films. Since these films have low production and distribution budget online platforms prove helpful. In terms of social impact such films have a mixed impression on society. Some aspects are appreciated while other greatly discouraged. Despite, all responses it is hard to decline that independent films have earned mass viewership and following among the viewers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the Committee on International Non-Theatrical Events (CINE) and its role in promoting American nontheatrical films during the Cold War. CINE was established in 1957 to curate and submit American films to international festivals, aiming to present a positive image of the United States. The article discusses the geopolitical origins of film festivals and their use in cultural diplomacy. It also explores the clash between American and Soviet nontheatrical cinema and the significance of film festivals in generating cultural capital for nontheatrical filmmakers. CINE's growth and influence expanded over time, but it eventually became outdated and closed in 2018. [Extracted from the article]

The history of film as an independent art form begins at the end of the 19th century. But what inventions preceded it and what shaped the youngest audiovisual art form? So let's take a closer look at the beginnings of the functioning of the film industry, or the exciting lawsuits over patents. Let yourself be guided through the world of miracle factories!. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study critically examines the development of audiovisual and interactive content that draws on Edgar Allan Poe's oeuvre, with a particular focus on the interplay of transmedia storytelling and gothic elements within these narratives. Utilizing summative content analysis and non-participant observation, this research investigates five films and five independent video games that reinterpret Poe's literary themes. The results underscore the necessity of incorporating Mythos, Topos, and Ethos in adaptations to faithfully evoke the profound emotional resonance and explore the psychological and existential dilemmas inherent in Poe's works. Our analysis reveals distinct narrative strategies in cinema and video games: while horror predominates in film, integrating supernatural elements to evoke fear, video games predominantly leverage noir, crafting complex crime narratives infused with cynicism and dark ambiance. Additionally, the study highlights how gothic elements of abjection and sublimity are leveraged to navigate themes of mortality, morality, and the uncanny, thereby ensuring the continued relevance of Poe's legacy in contemporary media landscapes. This adaptation process not only preserves the essence of Poe's narrative but also dynamically engages a modern audience through innovative transmedia platforms, illustrating the enduring impact of his work on popular culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion bombardment is an important approach to generate thin film compressive residual stress independent of film growth through energetic deposition. In this study, a series of Cr/Si(100) thin films were energetically deposited using Modulated Pulsed Power Magnetron Sputtering (MPPMS) to learn the residual stress variation. The steady residual stress of Cr/Si(100) thin films, ex-situ characterized based on Stoney’s equation, exhibited a compressive nature with the maximum stress observed at approximately 100–150°C as the substrate temperature increased to 220°C. The steady residual stress variation was inconsistent with calculated thermal stress and intrinsic growth stress, and the calculated compressive stress for the adatom insertion and ion bombardment are contradictory under varied temperatures. The ability of adatom movement and insertion to grain boundaries promote the formation of compressive stress, while the defect annihilation and atom rearrangement inhibit the ion bombardment-induced residual stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the challenges faced by film festivals, focusing on Sundance and Berlin, as they navigate financial, political, and cultural pressures. Topics include the impact of COVID-19 on festival attendance, the evolving role of festivals in a changing world, and the legacy of Sundance in championing independent films and documentaries.

In the Vietnamese cinema industry today, state-sponsored (formerly known as revolutionary cinema) and commercial cinema (held by private entertainment groups) are the two cinema mainstreams that dominate the film market. The third, but lesser known, mode is a diverse range of new independent films. With an aesthetics of socialist realism, governmental cinema often shows less “dream” in the ordinary, personal, and secular sense. However, it often turns to grand visions and symbols that impress upon the whole community concepts like “a brighter tomorrow.” Meanwhile, commercial cinema follows the capitalist model of cultural reproduction, presenting pragmatic dreams about a prosperous, successful, and beautiful life to stimulate viewers to work, consume goods and services for tourism and entertainment, and accumulate wealth. Meanwhile, young independent directors of the 1990s generation in Vietnam today are deploying the cinematic language of black comedy and magical realism to resist the pragmatic consumerist and “land of tomorrow” ideologies of the two mainstream tendencies. In the movies of the independents, dreamlike and fanciful elements occupy equally important, essential, organic places. Dreaming becomes a way of escaping the politics of the space or the ideologies embedded in dreams of the future that influence people consciously and subconsciously. This paper also explores the possibility that Vietnamese independent films can create new narrative potentials and interpretations of people’s inner lives in the postsocialist era through a unique and anti-traditional cinematic aesthetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of Quentin Tarantino's career and his film "Pulp Fiction" on its 30th anniversary. It discusses Tarantino's background, his controversial reputation, and his contributions to cinema. The article also explores the narrative structure of "Pulp Fiction" and its impact on the development of puzzle films. It concludes by mentioning a special issue dedicated to analyzing different aspects of the film, including its reception, soundtrack, and themes. [Extracted from the article]

This text explores the concept of postnational cinema and its relationship to transnational cinema in the context of French film and television production. It discusses the diversification of offerings and audiences, as well as the connections between different levels in the production and consumption of media. The text includes analyses of various French and francophone productions, examining their strategies for appealing to international audiences and their portrayal of national identity. The authors suggest that the rise of streaming platforms and increasing intercultural literacy may lead to the prominence of less familiar territories and cultures within mainstream cinema circuits. They emphasize the importance of research in understanding our globalized world. [Extracted from the article]

We use nonequilibrium atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of unentangled melts of linear and star oligomer chains ( C 25 H 52 ) to study the steady-state viscoelastic response under confinement within nanoscale hematite (α − F e 2 O 3) channels. We report (i) the negative (positive) first (second) normal stress difference and (ii) the presence of viscoelastic tension at low W i. With the aim of uncovering the molecular mechanism of viscoelasticity, we link these effects to bond alignment such that absorbed chains near the surface can carry the elastic force exerted on the walls, which decays as the chains become more aligned in the flow direction. This alignment is observed to be independent of the film thickness but enhanced as the shear rate increases or the surface attraction weakens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the way children are represented and symbolically connected to themes involving boundaries and border-crossings in films directed by Latin American and Latinx filmmakers. The analysis centers on 11 films produced between 1998 and 2022, including critically-acclaimed and independent films with international distribution. Drawing from literature in critical/cultural studies and Latina/o communication studies, and using qualitative text analysis as a methodology, the analysis examines thematic references to physical, social, and symbolic boundaries and borders. Findings suggest that the figure of the child carries complex meanings in Latin American and Latinx cinema, and is connected to narrative tropes that involve a disruption of various boundaries and borders. From an intercultural and international perspective, the films emphasize ethical and humanitarian imperatives, addressing issues such as migration, exile, abandonment, and uprooting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the affinity that French director Céline Sciamma has for American teen movies, particularly American Pie. Despite the differences in tone and aesthetics, Sciamma aligns herself with the American teen movie genre, challenging the hierarchical relationship between French and American films. The article also explores Sciamma's portrayal of femininity, desire, and sexuality in her films, which prioritize female desires and relationships between girls. It discusses the film "Naissance des pieuvres" (Water Lilies) and its depiction of adolescent femininity, disrupting traditional representations of teen girlhood. Additionally, the article discusses how Sciamma's work offers a counter to the heteronormative coming-of-age narrative commonly found in American teen movies, emphasizing the potentiality and precarity of queer girlhood. Lastly, it examines the use of suburban spaces and malls in Sciamma's films, which reflect the postmodern genericity of American teen cinema and challenge dominant norms. Overall, Sciamma's work expands the understanding of adolescent femininity and operates within the globalized teen film category. [Extracted from the article]

"The Cool World" is a film directed by Shirley Clarke in 1963 that tells the story of a Black teenage boy living in Harlem who wants to become the leader of his gang. The film was one of the first to be shot on location in Harlem and featured non-professional actors from the neighborhood. Despite its historical and cultural significance, access to the film is extremely limited. The film's production history also highlights the challenges of cross-cultural collaboration. The novel on which the film is based, written by a white man, received mixed reactions from Black readers, with some praising its accurate portrayal of Black experience and others criticizing it as a form of literary "blackface." The film's reception among Black critics was also divided, with some praising its realistic depiction of Harlem and others dismissing it as propaganda. The film was intended to address white audiences and inspire social justice action, but it largely failed to attract white viewers. "The Cool World" is also significant as a rare example of a socially and politically engaged feature film made by a female director in the 1960s. The film's context, dealing with issues of police violence, inadequate housing, and false political promises, remains relevant today. The film should be easily accessible for its potential political utility and as a unique document of Harlem at a particular moment in time. [Extracted from the article]

Representations of Christianity in contemporary Chinese cinema are very limited, making the scholarship of this subject underexplored. Filmmaker Gan Xiao'er has made three feature-length independent films focusing on Christianity in China. These films, The Only Sons (2003), Raised from Dust (2007), and Waiting for God (2012), are used for case studies, with close analyses of their narratives and formal elements. They are also examined in the social and cultural contexts of postsocialist China. This article argues that Gan's religious features are significant in the context of postsocialist Chinese cinema. They not only depict the religious experience of Chinese Christians, which has been under-represented cinematically, but also provide a religious critique rarely seen in Chinese films. On the one hand, these films critically engage with the experience of underprivileged people during the Reform period, when economic development and materialism became dominant, while the socialist political system remained. Gan's religious features provide an alternative perspective that cares for people's spiritual needs. On the other hand, Gan's later films interrogate the local religious institution in China, questioning the arbitrary separation of the 'holy' and the 'unholy', proposing a more inclusive approach to the religious concept of love. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"The Films of Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen: Scripts, Working Documents, Interpretation" is a comprehensive collection that delves into the experimental films created by Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen starting from the 1970s. The book features newly compiled scripts, analyses of the films by various contributors, and introductions by the editor and Mulvey herself. It explores their working methods and examines their intricate films with depth and innovation. The collection also includes archival materials and outlines of their unrealized collaborative projects. The scripts offer detailed insights into the sounds, images, scenes, and sources utilized in their films, making the book a valuable resource for comprehending the complex discourses and structures present in their work. This article discusses the significance of writing as a tool for thinking and engaging in dialogue. It underscores the role of scripts in retelling stories and how they contribute to the process of generating ideas. The author emphasizes the importance of revisiting text and using it to reinterpret narratives within and about films. Overall, the article encourages readers to consider the value of writing in the creative process. [Extracted from the article]

A filmmaker and trailblazing film distribution entrepreneur, Freude (1942–2009) became a central figure in the San Francisco Bay Area film community in the late 1960s and 1970s. Her Serious Business Company (1972–83) distributed many of the era's most acclaimed independent and experimental films, but its lasting impact created a platform for discovering lesser-known works. Freude's contributions to the experimental film and independent filmmaking communities remain largely unsung. This article will excite further investigation and recognition into Freude's important efforts to support California and national artist-made filmmaking movements as it examines her professional relationships and draws from interviews, correspondence, and ephemera from the Serious Business Company archives at the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley. It also builds on recent efforts at BAMPFA and San Francisco State University's the Archive Project where authors Antonella Bonfanti and Tanya Zimbardo have recently been involved with public programs about Freude's legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is Club Des Femmes's messyfesto, in which we propose that learning about radicalism and resistance can happen not through academia but rather through collective experience of watching films together in the dual contextualization of a cinema and a conversation. Club Des Femmes is a queer feminist film curation collective that has been programming at independent venues across London (and beyond) since 2007. Our messyfesto draws primarily on our activities, in person and online, since the beginning of the COVID pandemic in March 2020. It is a polyphonic and eclectic record of the events we curated in that period, from our webzine Culture Club, through the 2020 online weekender Between Us We Have Everything We Need, and then our return to cinemas for live events at the Rio Cinema in London. First, the epic summer 2021 Lesbian Camp: Yes It's F**cking Political weekender, and most recently, the 2022 screening of Leontine Sagan's Mädchen in Uniform (1932). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this interview, award-winning musical comedian Alex MacKeith and I examine his screenplay for Alice Troughton's new film The Lesson (2023). MacKeith goes over his creative process, from his incorporation of some of his experiences as a tutor following university to his development of individual characters, and from his project's growth and improvement across successive drafts to the kinds of affirmation that he gets from his work in musical comedy in comparison to his work in scriptwriting. We go on to discuss his magnificent central character: the writer J. M. Sinclair (Richard E. Grant). The film follows Liam (Daryl McCormack), a young writer hired to prepare Sinclair's son (Stephen McMillan) for Oxford, but as it unfolds, we learn, alongside Liam, about Sinclair's personal and public lives. Sinclair's wife Hélène (Julie Delpy) hired Liam specifically to investigate him. A living cliché, Sinclair is claiming credit for work that really belongs to his deceased son Felix (Joseph Meurer). For this film, MacKeith was longlisted for a British Independent Film Award. It has been described by Stephen King as being '[c]old, smart, and suspenseful' and it is a New York Times's Critics Pick. In this climate, when conversations about originality, notably the place of artificial intelligence in creative and critical projects, are all the rage, this interview's exploration of authorship, intellectual property and retirement for creatives is especially timely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is a book review of "Making a Scene in Documentary Film: Iconic Filmmakers Discuss What Works and Why" by Maxine Trump. The book provides an analysis of American independent documentaries through interviews with renowned filmmakers. It focuses on specific scenes and explores the choices and circumstances that filmmakers face. The book is technical yet approachable, making it suitable for non-fiction film producers, editors, cinematographers, and aspiring directors. It also examines the evolution of documentary-making procedures and aesthetics over time. However, the book overlooks the longer histories of independent documentary filmmaking in America and the practice of making documentaries within institutional structures. [Extracted from the article]

This work aims to identify and propose a functional pipeline for indie live-action films using Virtual Production with photorealistic real-time rendering game engines. The new production landscape is radically changing how movies and shows are made. Those were made in a linear pipeline, and now filmmakers can execute multiple tasks in a parallel mode using real-time renderers with high potential for different types of productions. Four interviews of professionals in the Spanish film and television market were conducted to obtain the whole perspective of the new paradigm. Following those examples, a virtual production set was implemented with an Antilatency tracking system, Unreal Engine (version 5.3), and Aximmetry (version 2023.3.2) as the leading software applications. Results are commented on, presenting how all the work is currently closely connected between pre-production, shooting, and post-production and analyzing its potential in different fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olivier Marboeuf is a writer, performer, independent curator and film producer of Caribbean origin. He founded the independent art centre Espace Khiasma, which he ran from 2004 to 2018, in Les Lilas on the outskirts of Paris. At Khiasma, he developed a program addressing minority representation through exhibitions, screenings, debates, performances and collaborative projects across the North-East of Paris. He is an educator and has taught visual arts in several European Fine Art schools. He is a member of the cinema and performance collective 'The Living and The Dead Ensemble' and recently presented, as an artist, the first part of his sonic collective project 'The Museum of Breath' in the context of the Berlin Biennale 12. He currently produces films within Spectre Productions, a production company he founded in 2013 in Rennes (France). In 2022, Marboeuf published the collection of essays, "Suites décoloniales: s'enfuir de la plantation" (Decolonial Suites: Fleeing from the Plantation) as well as the poetry book "Les matières de la nuit" (Matters of the Night) (both published by Éditions du commun, Rennes, France). In 2023, two new books will be published: L'emeutier et la sorcière' (The Rioter and the Witch) in French and Vers un cinéma déparlant (une hypothèse caraïbe) (Towards a De-speaking Cinema: A Caribbean Hypothesis) in French, English, German and Spanish. Many of his texts are available to read on his blog, Toujours Debout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a case study of a groundbreaking yet hitherto overlooked transnational coproduction experience on European broadcasting: the South series (1991–93). An ambitious initiative led by Channel 4's Independent Film and Video Department (IFVD) and the South Productions company, headed by Argentine producer Ana de Skalon, the South series was widely conceived and promoted as the first magazine programme in the world to be directed by film and video makers from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Focusing on Latin America, this article reconstructs this unique experience of transnational collaboration on a global scale while also examining the shifting relationship between European broadcasting and the cinema of this region. Drawing on the internal production files of South Productions and using interviews with filmmakers, commissioning editors, and producers as well as the valuable information contained in Channel 4's press packs, this article sheds light on this major effort of transnational coproduction. South not only constitutes the peak of the transatlantic collaborations developed between British television and Latin American cinema, but also embodies the conceptual shift from the Third World to the Global South through its broadening of film- and video-making practices, as is made clear through the series' title. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a detailed account of the adaptation of Gurney Norman's fiction into film, focusing on Andrew Garrison's experiences and the contributions of the cast. Topics discussed include Garrison's process of working with Norman's stories, the casting and performances of the actors, and the personal anecdotes and relationships that shaped the project.

More than half a century after their discovery in the Ionian Sea near Riace Marina (Italy, 1972 CE), the Riace Bronzes continue to fascinate and interest. They are a pair of statues most likely sculpted in Greece in the mid-5th century and are considered masterpieces of Classical Greek sculpture. Many studies have been conducted, yet there are no morphometric studies that delve into their facial features. The aim of this study is to determine dentofacial characteristics and the presence of golden ratios in the so-called "young-man" warrior statue, equipped with a silver foil to represent the upper teeth. The interpupillar, interalar, intercanthal distances and mesio-distal diameter of the upper central incisors were subjected to virtual photogrammetry (GIMP-GNU Image Manipulation Programme). The presence of vertical and horizontal golden ratios between different landmarks (intercanthal distance: centre of the nose; centre of pupils: base of nose: base of upper incisors; centre of pupil-base of nose: base of upper incisors-base of chin; centre of pupils- base of upper incisors: base of the chin) were analysed using a dedicated software (PhiMatrix). The face and teeth satisfy most of golden canons, as also corroborated by the one-way ANOVA-statistic test (p < 0.05) for repeated measurements by independent expert operators. The virtual golden facial grid should confirm an ovoid face, which should match the same dental shape. The statue design stems from the search for beauty as divine proportion, and a relatively small detail such as teeth seems to have been carefully programmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the relationship between film and cities, focusing on how cities have influenced cinema and how cinema has shaped our understanding of urban spaces. It reviews four books that examine different aspects of this relationship, including censorship debates in early twentieth-century urban America, Black filmmaking in Los Angeles, location shooting in San Francisco, and the global circulation of urban imagery in film. The books highlight the intersections of regulation, race, and capital in the construction of cinematic representations of cities. The article provides a detailed analysis of each book's contributions to the field of film and urban history. It also discusses the representation of cities in Hollywood films, contrasting the depictions of San Francisco and Los Angeles in films from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The emergence of the L.A. Rebellion filmmakers, a group of Black independent filmmakers who focused on South Central Los Angeles, is also explored. The article mentions the book "Noir Urbanisms," which offers a global perspective on cinematic urban history by examining the portrayal of cities in film noir. Overall, the article emphasizes the importance of considering the political and economic factors that shape the representation of cities in film. [Extracted from the article]