International Master‵s Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, National Chengchi University

【Call for Papers】

The Sixth International Conference on the Film Histories of Taiwan and Asia Cinema, 2025

Wars in films and films during war time

Date: August 23-24, 2025
Venue: College of Communication, National Chengchi University

The theme of this year's conference is “Wars in films and films during war time.” As one of the most enduring subjects in film history, war not only reflects historical realities but also functions as a potent medium of cultural expression. This conference seeks to examine the multifaceted relationship between war and cinema, and how these two forces have shaped and informed one another across different historical, cultural, and geopolitical contexts. We welcome submissions of research papers on related topics and invite distinguished scholars to deliver keynote addresses that further enrich the discussion.
 

Sample Topics:

1. Narrative and Visual Style of War Films: 
   How are wars in Asia portrayed on screen? How do narrative structures, visual styles, and cinematic techniques shape audience understanding of war?
2. War and National Identity: 
   How do Asian and Taiwan films construct, reinforce, or question national, racial, and political identities during wartime? What ideological roles do war films play across different industries, countries, or historical periods in Asia?
3. Representation of History and Memory: 
   As a tool of historical narration, how does cinema re-present the history of war? What are the functions and limitations of film in reconstructing historical memory?
4. Gender and War Films: 
   How are gender roles portrayed in war films? How do these films depict the experiences and power dynamics of men and women in wartime? Do they challenge or reinforce existing gender stereotypes?
5. Cross-Cultural Comparison: 
   What are the similarities and differences in war films from various Asian countries or regions? Do these films express distinct cultural characteristics or perspectives on war?
6. Technological and Aesthetic Innovation: 
   How do war films utilize technological tools (such as visual effects, sound design, and cinematography) to depict battle scenes? What are their contributions to cinematic language and aesthetics?
7. Film and the Cold War, Post-Cold War, and New Cold War: 
   A study of film phenomena during the Cold War, post-Cold War, and current New Cold War periods—especially in Asia—under various forms of confrontation and ideological conflict.

We also call for other paper topics, such as:

1. Taiyupian studies: including (but not limited to) individual director studies, star studies, and studio studies.
2. Analysis of co-productions and reception of films across countries and regions.
3. Research on the relationship between film festivals and the film industries in various Asian countries.
4. Comparative analysis of various types of genres in Hong Kong and Taiwan in the 1970s.
5. Research on the development of Mandarin films by various film companies in Hong Kong.
6. Transformation of the images of stars and their international reception.
7. Film production and exhibition under the Cold War era.
8. Interaction among film and other literary and artistic forms.
9. Study of censorship systems in the film industry.

Abstract Submission:

1. Please submit abstracts via email to: icfhta@gmail.com by May 30, 2025.
2. Please indicate "Submission for The Sixth International Conference on the Film Histories of Taiwan and Asia Cinema" in the subject line, and include a brief personal resume, telephone number, address, or other contact information in the email.
3. Abstracts should be in Chinese or English, limited to 800 words or less.

Important Information:

1. Deadline for paper abstracts: May 30, 2025.
2. Deadline for full papers for the Conference: July 31, 2025.
3. Conference dates: August 23 - 24, 2025.
4. The Conference will be mainly conducted in Chinese. Papers can be presented in either Chinese or English. No simultaneous translation available.

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Conference Organizers and Sponsors

Organized by
College of Communication, NCCU
International Master's Program in Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, NCCU

Sponsored by
NCCU Office, University System of Taiwan (UST)
National Science and Technology Council (NSTC)
Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literatures, NTU (DFLL, NTU)
National Central University (NCU)
Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA)
Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI)