*CFP* "STRUGGLE FOR GENDER EQUALITY IN FILM INDUSTRY", EDITED COLLECTION

I am looking for abstracts for an edited collection, as yet untitled, that will explore the ongoing struggle for gender equality in film industries across the world. To date, our knowledge is incomplete and fragmented. While it is true that the gender gap in Hollywood is widely publicised and many are familiar with the work of the Swedish Film Institute, for instance, less is known about the position in other countries.

This book will, firstly, provide a comprehensive overview of the position of women in film industries in a variety of different countries. It will offer a wide-ranging, critical assessment of policy, practice, power and progress internationally. Each chapter will focus on a different country and critically assess the extent to which gender equality is being tackled there. For instance, some funding bodies may be applying formal gender policies – how successful has that been?  Has the wider industry supported such change?  Elsewhere, there may be a theoretical commitment to gender equality but disagreement as to appropriate intervention strategies. There are also countries in which gender inequality is denied or dismissed; a position that is being challenged by ongoing activism. All these experiences are relevant to our understanding of the international situation and will facilitate comparing and contrasting the pace and rate of change internationally.

Areas of inquiry could include, but are certainly not limited to, a critical analysis of the current gender landscape in your country: an assessment of gender policies or an analysis of the lack of intervention; activism and the burning issues of the day; power and resistance to change; successful interventions; gender and industrial practices; the film production context and the cultural milieu.

It is anticipated that this book will make a valuable contribution to international debates on gender inequality in the international film industry. It is expected that this collection will facilitate scholars, students, activists, policy makers and practitioners in understanding the impact gender equality demands are having across the globe.

I have received a strong expression of interest from an international publisher who is awaiting the submission of a full proposal. Potential contributors should send me a detailed 300 word abstract and a short bio by Monday 10 September, 2018. The estimated timeframe for the completed first draft of 6,000-6,500 words is April, 2019.

Please send abstracts and queries to:  Susan Liddy, Department Media and Communication Studies, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. Susan.liddy@mic.ul.ie