CALL FOR PAPERS Vol. 12 No. 2 (2027) Biographical Narratives in Cinematic Practices, Arts and Society
CALL FOR PAPERS
Vol. 12 No. 2 (2027)
Title:
Biographical Narratives in Cinematic Practices, Arts and Society
Guest Editors:
Adérito Fernandes-Marcos, University of Saint Joseph, Macau
Selma Pereira, CICANT, ISMAT, Portugal
This special issue of the International Journal of Film and Media Arts (IJFMA), guest-edited by Adérito Fernandes-Marcos and Selma Pereira, invites filmmakers, artists, and researchers to submit original papers that critically engage with, but are not limited to, the following topics:
- Digital biographical storytelling in cinema, interactive film, and experimental documentary
- Personal narratives and autoethnographic approaches in digital media arts
- Expanded cinema and immersive biographical installations
- Hybrid forms of digital biography: transmedia, web-based narratives, and VR/AR experiences
- Critical perspectives on media literacy and audience engagement through personal narratives
- Archival practices, affective memory, and digital preservation in cinema and media art
- Counter-hegemonic voices, Black cinema, postcolonial narratives, and cultural diversity
- Generative video art, AI-driven storytelling, and the ethics of digital biography
- Representational agency and narrative politics in digital life histories
- Pedagogical strategies using biographical storytelling in arts and media education
Digital biographical narratives are transforming cinema and media arts by blending personal and collective stories with digital and analogue forms. They challenge traditional linear storytelling through interactive documentaries, video essays, immersive installations, and experimental cinema. Across mainstream, independent, Black, and postcolonial cinema, digital biography serves to reclaim voice, affirm identity, and oppose hegemonic narratives. These works, rooted in memory and cultural complexity, foster critical engagement with issues such as inequality, diaspora, and historical erasure. Ultimately, digital biographies are not just art but acts of epistemological and political world-making within digital visual culture.
Digital biographical narratives—whether documentary, artistic, or educational—connect personal experience with culture, preserving memories and exploring social, political, and cultural structures across various digital formats. In cinema and media arts, these narratives reimagine storytelling with immersive, experimental, and authorial techniques that challenge traditional linear forms. By merging personal stories with digital aesthetics, they foster a broader media literacy, enabling audiences to become discerning viewers and active co-creators.
This special issue encourages original contributions that explore how digital biographical narratives intersect with cinematic practices and media arts, emphasising both theoretical frameworks and creative approaches. We invite articles that critically examine the socio-cultural implications of digital biography, as well as those that present innovative artistic or curatorial practices.
Keywords:
Digital Biographical Narratives; Media Art Practices; Experimental and Interactive Cinema; Cultural and Collective Memory; Autobiographical Expression in the Digital Age
Submission Guidelines & Deadlines
The double-blind peer review process will only start after the Full Paper Submission Deadline has passed. Authors are strongly encouraged to check the Schedule for Publication.
Schedule for Publication:
Full Paper Submission Deadline: 31 July 2026
Feedback on Full Papers: September 2026
Final Revisions Due: November 2026
Publication Date: January 2027
Manuscript Preparation
Authors must prepare and submit two separate Word documents (.doc) with no identifying information (see below) via our online platform:
Please submit to: https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/ijfma/about/submissions
- Full Paper Manuscript:
- This document must contain the Title, Keywords, Full Article, and References APA Style (Videos/ Films should also be cited).
- Anonymity is mandatory: The manuscript must not contain any reference to the authors, their name(s), or their institutional affiliation(s), directly or indirectly. Authors are responsible for ensuring all identifying markers are removed before submission.
- Author Information & Bio:
- A brief Biography of no more than 50-70 words.
- This document must clearly state the Author Name(s), Email Address(es), and Institutional Affiliation(s). It should not be included in the full paper document.
Open Call Designation & Scope
IJFMA typically has multiple current open calls. To ensure the correct guest editors and reviewers review your paper, authors must include a clear comment during the submission process indicating the specific open call (by Volume/Number and/or Title) they are responding to.
- If the paper does not mention the intended call, the IJFMA Editorial team will assign it to the call that most closely matches the submitted topic.
- Submissions outside the scope of all current open calls will not be considered for peer review.
- Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.
Peer Review Process & Fees
All submissions must be made anonymously and will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process. At least two independent reviewers will evaluate each paper.
No fees are requested for submission or processing.
