organised by Andrea Gelardi, Gabriele Landrini, Angela Bianca Saponari and Federico Zecca
University of Bari “Aldo Moro”
Bari, 9 April 2024

The conference’s objective is to elaborate theoretical frameworks and methodological tools that will facilitate the preparation of research activities for PRIN 2022 “Reframing Italian Film Festivals”. The interdisciplinary exchange of ideas between scholars from diverse academic backgrounds facilitates an exploration of histories, politics, and cultures. The reflection will be structured around three principal thematic axes, which will facilitate the historical study of Italian film festivals. The initial focus will be on historiographic theories and methodologies that can inform the investigation of three processes: the formation of cultural canons, the creation of critical-interpretive categories and the emergence of hierarchies of taste. In a second phase, the divine cultures will be the subject of theoretical reflection, with specific attention paid to their distinctive ideological functions and their economic and symbolic implications. Finally, the interplay between national identities and the transnational dimension will be examined, with a particular focus on diplomatic and geopolitical issues, as well as the formation of cultural imaginaries, stereotypes and paradigms.