Cinema Studies to Host “Film Diplomacy in the Digital Age” Symposium
On Friday, April 18, Cinema Studies will host Film Diplomacy in the Digital Age. The symposium brings together scholars, filmmakers, and government officials to discuss how film and digital media are used by governments, NGOs, and grassroots movements to bring about social change. Speakers will address a wide range of global events, from the Middle East to Eastern Europe, and analyze how media has influenced national identity and public perception, whether in the form of protest videos released on YouTube or foreign language film submissions to the Oscars. The keynote speaker, Alec Ross, was instrumental in shaping the U.S. State Department’s digital media policies under Hillary Clinton.
The event is the second annual Dick Wolf Cinema Studies Conference. Wolf, C’69, is the producer of the Law and Order franchise. Wolf has also endowed a chair in New Media, as well as a summer internship program for Cinema Studies majors. “Dick has really made a mark on Penn film and media studies by creating opportunities for faculty and students to focus on a new and emerging area of research,” says Professor of English and Cinema Studies Peter Decherney.
The conference begins at 9 a.m. in the Kislak Center, located on the 6th Floor of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center. For more information on individual speakers, click here.
