Transnational Cinema: Milestones in a New(ish) Field of Study Seminar

This paper aims to present an overview of some key developments in ways of conceptualising the transnational in film studies. It considers the reasons for the late adoption of the transnational in film studies in relation to the social sciences. 2005 sees the beginning of a transnational momentum in our discipline with the following years seeing a number of conceptual and theoretical essays and edited volumes and the founding of a journal, Transnational Cinemas in 2010. The paper outlines the key areas of focus in what I am identifying as the first phase of transnational cinema studies and considers question of scales of value that have been applied to the transnational. Following this, the paper discusses approaches to transnational film theory through an analysis of a selection of definitional essays. The final section of the paper presents an overview of what I am characterising as the second phase of transnational film studies, and considers the expanded reach of the transnational to the many areas that make up the discipline.