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64th LISBON World Congress on Film studies, Sexuality and Eroticism (LFSSE-26) Aug. 18-20, 2026 Lisbon (Portugal)
Call for papers/Topics Full Articles/ Reviews/ Shorts Papers/ Abstracts are welcomed in the following research fields: 1. Theoretical Frameworks (The "How" of Analysis) These subtopics provide the academic tools used to "read" sexuality and eroticism in a film. The Cinematic Gaze The Male Gaze (Mulvey): The objectification of the female body for the pleasure of a presumed male spectator. The Female Gaze: Subjective female desire and the subversion of traditional power dynamics. The Oppositional Gaze (hooks): How race intersects with the gaze, specifically regarding Black spectatorship. The Queer Gaze: Non-heteronormative ways of looking and being looked at. Psychoanalytic Film Theory Voyeurism & Scopophilia: The pleasure derived from looking at others as objects. Fetishism: The use of specific body parts or objects (shoes, hair, leather) to represent erotic desire. The Unconscious: How repressed desires are manifested in dream-like film sequences. Queer Theory & Trans Studies Heteronormativity: How cinema reinforces "straightness" as the natural default. Gender Performativity (Butler): How characters "act out" gender through costume and behavior. Trans Cinema: Representation of non-binary and transgender identities beyond medical or "tragic" tropes. 2. Historical & Industrial Contexts These topics examine how laws, technology, and social movements shaped what could be shown on screen. Censorship & Regulation The Hays Code (1930–1968): The "Production Code" that banned "lustful kissing" and "sexual perversion" (homosexuality). Pre-Code Cinema: The era of "vamps" and explicit themes before strict moral enforcement. Rating Systems: The evolution of the X, NC-17, and R ratings and their impact on a film's commercial success. Industry Innovations The Rise of the Intimacy Coordinator: The modern role of ensuring consent and safety during sex scenes. Porn Studies: The academic study of the adult film industry as a parallel to mainstream cinema. Body Doubles: The ethics and aesthetics of replacing actors for nude or erotic sequences. 3. Genre-Specific Eroticism Eroticism functions differently depending on the "rules" of the film's genre. The Erotic Thriller: Power play, betrayal, and "Femme Fatales" (e.g., Basic Instinct). Body Horror: The intersection of "The Abject" and eroticism; sex as a site of mutation or fear (e.g., the films of David Cronenberg). Coming-of-Age Cinema: Themes of sexual awakening, puberty, and the discovery of identity. Art-House & Auteur Eroticism: Explicit "unsimulated" sex used as a philosophical or aesthetic statement (e.g., Catherine Breillat, Gaspar Noé). The Musical: Sexuality expressed through choreography, costume, and rhythmic "tension and release." 4. Interrelated Socio-Cultural Themes These topics explore how sexuality in film is never "just about sex" but is tied to broader social hierarchies. Intersectionality Race & Hypersexualization: The historical stereotyping of Black, Latino, and Asian bodies in Western cinema. Class & Eroticism: The "forbidden" romance between different social strata (the "Lady and the Stable Boy" trope). Power & Consent The "Me Too" Era Impact: How modern films re-evaluate historical "romantic" scenes as coercive. BDSM & Kink in Cinema: The representation of sub-cultures and the "negotiation" of pain and pleasure. Technology & The Future Techno-Eroticism: Sexual relationships between humans and AI or robots (e.g., Her, Ex Machina). Digital Nudity: The use of CGI to create erotic images and the ethical concerns of "Deepfakes."
