Dynamics of Change in Baltic Sea Region Cinema: Industries, Institutions, and Audiences

 

Dates: 13-14 November 2025

Location: Estonian Film Museum, Tallinn, Estonia

Organizers: Baltic Film, Media and Arts School; Estonian Film Museum; The Film Archive of the National Archives of Estonia; and Estonian Film Institute
Partners: Latvian Academy of Culture; Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre; Meno Avilys; Black Nights Film Festival; and Estonian Film Researchers Association

 

The Baltic Sea Region Film History Conference is delighted to announce its 10th edition, inviting scholars, researchers, and practitioners to explore and engage with the rich cinematic heritage of the Baltic Sea region. This milestone conference will continue its tradition of fostering vibrant discussions on film history, culture, and practice.

 

The 10th Baltic Sea Region Film History Conference centers on the theme "Dynamics of Change in Baltic Sea Region Cinema: Industries, Institutions, and Audiences." This theme invites an exploration of the forces driving transformation in production, distribution, exhibition, and consumption within the region's film industries. These dynamics may be shaped by technological innovations, social and cultural shifts, political developments, and evolving audience habits. Change can manifest across a range of practices, from artistic creation and industry workflows to the exhibition and reception of films, as well as in the preservation, restoration and reuse of film heritage. By addressing these interconnected processes, the conference aims to uncover the mechanisms and relationships that define the ever-changing landscape of cinema in the Baltic Sea Region.

 

We invite papers that explore these dynamics from various scholarly perspectives, including audience and production studies, film studies, and new cinema history. Contributions from cultural studies, media industry studies, archival studies, festival studies, and artistic research are also encouraged, offering a broad and interdisciplinary framework for understanding the forces shaping film as market, culture and art in this region.

 

We welcome papers that address, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Dynamics in production: technological, social, and political influences on filmmaking practices;

• Examining the evolution of production, distribution, and exhibition practices in the Baltic Sea Region;

• Shifts in audience practices and audience engagement;

• Reinterpretation and reuse of film heritage in the contemporary media ecosystem;

• The role of festivals in shaping industry and audience dynamics;

• Evolving practices and concepts of preservation, restoration, and presentation of film heritage;

• The status and practice of artistic research amidst academic and industrial change;

• Exploring the evolution of (trans)national cinema in the Baltic Sea Region.

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Submission Guidelines

We invite submissions of:

• Individual Papers: Presentations of 20 minutes followed by a 10-minute Q&A.

• Panels: Proposals for panels comprising 3-4 papers, with a designated chair.

 

Abstract Requirements:

• Abstracts should not exceed 300 words.

• Include a title, author(s) name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact details.

• Include a short biography of the author(s) (200 words)

 

Submission Deadline: EXTENDED TO MAY 21

 

The proposals will be considered by an international panel of experts. The authors of the submissions will be notified of the results by 1st June 2025

 

How to Submit

Please send your abstracts to sten.kauber@ajaloomuuseum.ee with the subject line: "Baltic Sea Region Film History Conference Abstract Submission." Attach your abstract as a Word or PDF document.

 

Registration and Fees

There are no conference fees and the details regarding registration will be announced soon. Please check our website for updates.

 

For further information, contact sten.kauber@ajaloomuuseum.ee

 

We look forward to welcoming you to Estonia to celebrate the 10th Baltic Sea Region Film History Conference and to explore the diverse and compelling history of cinema in this region.