Buffering Online and Off
Researching film and media art festivals in the digital age.
This blog is dedicated to the publications and presentations resulting from the multi-year SSHRC Insight Development Grant “Buffering Online and Off” (2020-22, extended to 2024 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) under the supervision of Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Ger Zielinski and Collaborator Dr. Greg Elmer, based at Toronto Metropolitan University.
The research project studies how a wide range of film and media art festivals are experimenting with and exploiting digital streaming platforms in different ways, from the early online film festivals of the late-1990s to legacy film festivals. It investigates (1) how networked digital communication technologies and related participatory digital cultures are playing increasingly important roles in the design and operation of film festivals, and (2) acknowledges the question of environmental impact with respect to what and how materials are used in the lifecycle of any festival. The multidisciplinary research area of environmental media studies provides a possible theoretical framework for thinking through such concerns. As a “development” grant, we are looking forward to bringing the study to the next level in a future project.
In January 2022, in collaboration with Dr. Marijke de Valck (University of Utrecht), we organized the international roundtable ‘On Greening Film Festivals: The Environmental Impact of Film Festivals and Their Future Design and Operation,’ with participants Dr. Rachel Dodds, Dr. Laura U. Marks, Fabienne Merlet and Amaia Serrulla, hosted by The Creative School Catalyst at TMU.
Other activities may be found in the Publications and Presentations sections of this research blog, which provide links to open-access articles or recordings wherever possible. The Useful Links section compiles selected links to websites of related research interest, including scholarly organizations, practical agencies with a focus on greening festivals, and academic journals in environmental media studies. Should you wish to contact us on the research project or offer further links to add to the blog, please submit your questions or comments via the Contact form above. We look forward to future discussions and collaborations, as this project continues.
For those based in the metropolitan region of Toronto, feel free to attend gatherings of the Toronto Film Festival Research Network; founded in 2015 it is an informal group of graduate students, scholars, and festival organizers, with occasional meetings where current research and publications are shared. One annual meeting takes place at TIFF in September. From time to time we host visiting scholars. For more information, please fill in the Contact form above. We look forward to meeting you and learning more about your research project or work!