Creating a motion picture encompasses several stages, from a preliminary concept to the final distribution, including pre-production, production (shooting), and post-production (editing, sound, visual effects), and focuses on logistical and financial aspects that bring the film to completion. Filmmaking takes place in various economic, social, and political contexts. Historically, the cinema industry went through spectacular transitions (sound, colors, design and sets, lightweight technology) with significant impact on filmmaking. In similar fashion, the adoption of virtual production processes and the use of AI have had a transformative effect on film production. As a result, national industries and transnational companies have embraced new technologies that greatly changed the industry. Many producers (national states especially) adopted strategies to protect themselves or enhanced cooperation (through co-productions, or other ways) with other establishments to overcome new challenges. In present-day changing economic, social, legal and artistic circumstances, it is important to understand how companies, filmmakers and people involved to the film industry adapt and find strategies to make production possible and sustainable.

Lodz Film School (Poland) in collaboration with the 16th International Small Cinemas Conference invites 20min individual proposals and panel proposals (of maximum four presentations), and/or round table proposals on a large array of topics (from industry studies, to production history, to individual practice, to textual analysis) related to the large variety of (pre, post) production processes:
· regionalism in the film production;
· the independent producer and his role in the national cinema;
· the archival turn in production studies, a new history of cinema;
· film production culture: legal and organizational aspects;
· representations of the filmmaking process, producers, crew members (editors, actors, others), etc. in films about making films;
· comparing the production of small versus big films (challenges, expectations, etc.);
· impact of small/big production companies on the successful marketing/distribution of their product;
· small (national, auteur, art, independent) cinemas production success practices;
· the small vs. the big production strategies;
· the impact of production challenges on policy framework;
· AI in film production.

Submissions should include the title, author(s), institutional affiliation, an abstract of up to 250 words and a short bio of the presenter(s). We welcome pre-constituted panels with a maximum of four presentations. Panel abstract submissions should be up to 600 words, describing the role of each presenter within the panel.

Proposal submission should be sent to: conference@filmschool.lodz.pl, subject heading: ‘Submission to Lodz Conference 2025’. Submission deadline: June 30, 2025. Confirmation of acceptance: July 15, 2025.

The keynote speaker will be announced via the conference website in mid-July.

Venue: Lodz Film School - One of the oldest film schools in the world (1948), it educates film directors, directors of photography, animators, photographers, screenwriters, editors, film and television production managers and actors. Some of our graduates are Adam Holender, Sławomir Idziak, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Kazimierz Kutz, Roman Polański, Jerzy Skolimowski, Małgorzata Szumowska, Andrzej Wajda, Krzysztof Zanussi. To learn more, please visit: https://www.filmschool.lodz.pl/

The registration fee is 40EUR or 20EUR for PhD students, free for students. Included in the fee: conference participation, materials, snacks, drinks. Participants are responsible for their own travel, accommodation and food.

If your paper is selected for the conference, the registration fee should be paid by July 30, 2025, to be included in the program.

Contact: For additional information, please contact the conference organizers at conference@filmschool.lodz.pl.