Special interest group:
Amateur Cinema

Convenor:

• ​Annamaria Motrescu-Mayes (University of Cambridge)

Overview

The Amateur Cinema Special Interest Group is linked to the Amateur Cinema Studies Network (ACSN). Founded by Dr Annamaria Motrescu-Mayes in 2010, the ACSN is the first international initiative that brings together scholars and visual artists concerned with the study and production of amateur cinema.​

The SIG will introduce scholars, researchers, and students of amateur cinema studies to wide-ranging and cross-disciplinary evaluations of key histories and theories of amateur media production (including home movies), distribution and reception. Ever since digital media and Web 2.0 became the globally dominant, almost ubiquitous mode of communication and representation, everyday amateur film / media productions have also become the centre of today’s film and media culture.​
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The Amateur Cinema SIG founding members include British and international film and media scholars, archivists and filmmakers interested in advancing current cross-disciplinary studies relevant to amateur film/media studies, from film history to social anthropology, psychology, political history and gender studies.  The Amateur Cinema SIG  is a forum for debate and best-practice protocols (theory and practice) while aiming to develop educational approaches for teaching amateur cinema/media studies and promote their inclusion in film and media studies programmes.

Reports on activities

Any relevant documentation will appear here.

Founding members

• Susan Aasman (Groningen University)
  
• Kevin Brownlow (director of Photoplay Productions)
  
• Ciara Chambers (University College Cork)
  
• Phillip Collins (Film archivist)
• Ian Craven (University of Glasgow)
  
• Andreas Fickers (University of Luxembourg)
  
• Caroline Frick (University of Texas at Austin)
  
• Angela Graham (UEA)
  
• Frank Gray (University of Brighton)
  
• Kevin Greenbank (University of Cambridge)
  
• Tim Jones (Canterbury Christ Church University)
  
• Abigail Keating (University College Cork)
  
• Karen Lury (University of Glasgow)​
• Nariman Massoumi (University of Bristol)
  
• Daniel Mauro (University of Texas at Austin)
  
• Heather Norris Nicholson (University of Huddersfield​)
• Patrick Russell (BFI National Archive​)
• Graham Spurr (University of the Arts, London)
  
• Kiki Tianqi Yu (USC-SJTU, Shanghai)