Call for Proposals
The 2026 Orphan Film Symposium: Crisis and Community
Submit by October 15, 2025
The NYU Orphan Film Symposium joins with the Wexner Center for the Arts at The Ohio State University. to convene its next edition April 8-11, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. Scholars, archivists, filmmakers, media artists, musicians, curators, preservationists, collectors, researchers, and enthusiasts will explore a variety of neglected works and moving image artifacts. We open on Wednesday evening, April 8th, and run through Saturday night, April 11th.
We invite proposals for presentations that respond to the concepts of crisis and/or community, broadly considered. How have neglected audiovisual media (orphan films) recorded, represented, influenced, and imagined these subjects throughout the history of moving images?
The present state of much of the world commands our attention to crises and community. But the symposium is invariably rich in historical studies and archival materials. We understand presentism can lead to fallacies of question framing. So we dedicate ourselves to persist in the fascinating research and creative work with neglected media.
Conceptions of crisis might include moments of particular crises, as conventionally defined (or otherwise) in historical accounts and contemporary thought: Dystopias, war, revolution, political conflict, social instability, emergency, insurrection, violence, financial and economic crises, environmental catastrophe, ideological struggle, unrest, protest, strikes, resistance, invasion, exile, chaos, apocalypse, death.
We welcome similarly expansive and eclectic ideas about community: Utopias, connection, communication, home, family, neighborhood, groups, collectives, coalitions, elsewheres, networks, belonging, community building, celebration, education, peace, tradition, ritual, love, labor, solidarity, language, religion, spirituality, belief, culture, identity, food, music, art, sports, trade, common ground, cohesion, birth.
We also welcome presentations about the evolving practices and challenges in preservation and archiving, and in media itself. Technologies from photochemistry to artificial intelligence. Community archiving. Environmental impact. Media obsolescence. Failures of media systems, including the once-dominant forms of news media, studio productions, television networks.
We encourage the screening of seldom-seen moving images, rediscovered archival material, recently preserved works, as well as new productions using archival material.
Proposals need not be constrained by terms or categories. We understand things are seldom simple binaries, and recall Ram Dass: “the matter of consciousness is how quickly you give up a past model, so that you can be here now.” As the symposium program comes together, we expect boundaries to blur and spark new thoughts.
Note: The symposium will again include presentation of the Helen Hill Award for independent filmmakers. (Self-nominations juried on this same schedule.)
Most daytime presentations will be allotted 20 to 30 minutes, but more time can be given when appropriate (for longer films, multiple presenters, performances, etc.). Evening screenings are generally films that require shorter spoken introduction and/or have longer run times.
Proposals (300 to 500 words + filmography + bio)
Summarize the rationale for your presentation: How does your proposal address the theme? What is the significance of the material? How will you present it? How many minutes are you requesting? (Indicate your flexibility.) If it’s not obvious in your description, in what way is this orphaned?
At the top of the proposal, put your name, (affiliation), email, and a working title. (Don’t feel obliged to use the word orphan, or even crisis or community in your title.) Include a mini-bio (100 words) at the bottom of the proposal.
Identify AV materials to be projected. Include video preview links if possible. Format like this.
- Buddhist parade–outtakes (1930) MOV, silent, 2 min. (Source: USC MIRC)
- Farewell, Etaoin Shrdlu (1980) 35mm print, sound, 29 min. (NYU Libraries)
- Et après (1969) 16mm print, mag stripe sound, 9 min. (CNC)
- [Japanese Paper Films compilation] (1930) DCP, silent, 11 min. (Eric Faden)
- [Medical slideshow] (2026) KEY, video, sound, 25 min. (Wellcome Collection)
Email a single file attachment to orphanfilm@nyu.edu. (.docx, .rtf formats best; no PDFs, thank you.)
Use the subject line: “PROPOSAL 2026 Orphan Film Symposium.” Name your file “proposal_Orphans2026_SURNAME.docx”
Proposals received by October 15, 2025 will be given first consideration. By December 15, submitters will be informed of the program committee’s selections.
Whether or not you send a proposal, we of course hope to see you at our 15th biennial gathering. Registration is open to all and begins October 1. Check this website and blog for updates.
Questions? orphanfilm@nyu.edu (a.k.a. Dan Streible)
