Exploring Gender in Cinema
The University of Salford, Manchester, UK, is set to host the conference “Unmasking Gender: Power, Identity, Privilege in Film” on 10 December 2025 at MediaCity. This significant event invites scholars, researchers, and practitioners to re-examine how cinema reflects and shapes our understanding of gender in contemporary society.
The conference will feature a keynote by Professor Kirsty Fairclough from the School of Digital Arts (SODA), MMU, and will provide a platform for critical debates around gender, spectatorship, and representation in film.
Historical and Theoretical Background
Since the 1970s, feminist scholars have critically examined the portrayal of women in Hollywood cinema. Influential works such as Marjorie Rosen’s Popcorn Venus (1973) and Molly Haskell’s From Reverence to Rape (1974) highlighted the stereotypical and reductive roles assigned to women on screen.
Building on these critiques, scholars like Claire Johnston and Laura Mulvey introduced concepts of counter-cinema, the male gaze, and female spectatorship, shaping film theory for decades. Others, such as Miriam Hansen and Mary Ann Doane, expanded on these ideas, exploring female desire, masquerade, and gendered spectatorship.
By the late 20th century, cultural commentators turned their attention to masculinity in crisis. Writers such as Susan Faludi and Ros Coward questioned whether feminism had shifted societal power dynamics, raising concerns about male identity in changing socio-economic contexts.
A Contemporary Re-Examination
In light of the #MeToo movement, shifting gender politics, and the rise of hypermasculine and anti-feminist narratives in digital spaces, this conference highlights the urgent need to revisit gender in cinema. Scholars are encouraged to critically analyze how contemporary film engages with portrayals of femininity, masculinity, and evolving notions of gender identity.
Suggested Themes for Papers
Contributors may explore a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
- The status of cinematic masculinity and femininity today
- Challenging gender dominance on screen
- The female gaze, the male gaze, and spectatorship in modern cinema
- Gender stereotypes and identity formation in film
- Toxic masculinity and empowerment narratives on screen
- Gender and social change through cinema
- The impact of women and men filmmakers in shaping cinematic discourse
- The appropriation of cinematic texts by online communities, including the “manosphere”
Submission Guidelines
Please submit abstracts for individual papers (max 250 words) with presentation title, up to 5 key words, your full name, affiliation, 50 word biography, and email address to _conferencesalford@gmail.com
Submission deadline: 28 September 2025
Notification of acceptance: 5 October 2025
The conference welcomes practice-as-research presentations, screenings, and papers from postgraduate and early-career researchers. Selected papers will also be considered for publication. Importantly, there is no registration fee for participation.
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