16, 17, 18 June 2022

The 'little apparatus':

100 years of 9.5mm film

An international conference hosted online by the Department of Film Studies’ ‘Centre For International Film Research’ at the University of Southampton.

This event aims to reflect on the diverse use of 9.5mm film throughout its 100 year history and create space for scholars, archivists and curators to explore and share new research in the field while opening up new avenues for inquiry.

Registration is free of charge, but booking is essential as spaces are limited.

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December 1922 will mark the centenary of the introduction of 9.5mm film to the French cinematographic market. Pathé Freres first launched their ‘Pathé Baby’ home cinema system on home territory in time for the Christmas season, with the promise of a soon to follow lightweight and modestly priced cine-camera using the same narrow gauge, that could fit in a vest pocket (1923, pp. 48–50). In time, the new gauge became available elsewhere -arriving just ahead of Kodak’s 16mm film/cinema system and together signalling the first major boom in amateur filmmaking.

Hosted online by the University of Southampton this international conference seeks contributions exploring the global reach of 9.5mm film culture.

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The conference organisers are delighted to confirm keynote addresses by Dr Ryan Shand (Ravensbourne University London) and Dr Annamaria Motrescu-Mayes (University of Cambridge).

We have invited proposals for papers and panels, from scholars, archivists, and curators around the world at any stage in their academic careers. We are especially interested in interdisciplinary submissions and have encouraged papers and contributions across the wide use and application of 9.5mm film in the last 100 years.

The organisers have welcomed papers on topics including, but not limited to:

· 9.5mm as an amateur gauge

· Professional/Avant Garde/artists’ filmmaking using 9.5mm

· ‘Cult’ 9.5

· 9.5mm and the democratisation of filmmaking

· 9.5mm and challenges of representation and diversity in amateur film collections

· The archival challenge/digitisation agendas/funding/historiography

· Curating amateur film gauges, especially 9.5mm

· 9.5mm and global experience of amateur technologies

· 9.5mm and ‘The Cinema In Your Home’

· 9.5mm and colour film

Supported by