Feminist film studies took shape in the 1970s, alongside the emergence of the first women’s film festivals and the consolidation of feminist theory within film criticism. However, in many contexts, the development of this field has been uneven and marked by significant gaps, from the limited visibility of women and gender-diverse filmmakers to the persistent marginalization of feminist perspectives in academic and institutional spaces. These absences reveal ongoing challenges in establishing sustained critical engagement with questions of gender, power, and representation in cinema and audiovisual, as well as in building archives, methodologies, and frameworks that reflect the diversity of film and audiovisual practices and voices.
This special issue of the International Journal of Film and Media Arts results from a collaboration with the first edition of Cine-Bárbaras – International Conference on Cinema and Audiovisual, held at Lusófona University in Porto on October 23–24, 2025. The event created a vital forum for reflection and debate on gender studies and feminist theories in cinema and audiovisual. Building on these discussions, this issue invites contributions from researchers, filmmakers, and artists to reflect on the ways in which feminist and intersectional perspectives have redefined our understanding of cinematic history, aesthetics, and practice. By foregrounding the contributions of women and non-binary people, we aim to illuminate both the visible and invisible structures that shape film production, exhibition, and reception across time and geography. We particularly welcome papers, interviews, and video essays that challenge dominant narratives, foreground underrepresented voices, and propose new frameworks for rethinking gender, diversity, and creative authorship in the audiovisual field. Topics include, but are not limited to:
- History of feminist theories and new approaches in cinema and audiovisual studies;
- Underrepresented and invisible Cinema and Filmmakers;
- Women and Non-Binary People in Film Production and Exhibition;
- Exploration of intersectionality in cinema and audiovisual production, representation, and reception;
- Decolonial feminist aesthetics in Cinema and Audiovisual;
- Feminist Artivism in Cinema and Audiovisual;
- Feminine perspectives and the feminist gaze in counter-narratives and strategies of resistance in cinema and audiovisual;
- Representations of the female body and aesthetics of power and violence in cinema and audiovisual;
- Feminist Methodologies in Audiovisual Production, ethical frameworks and creative processes.
Guest Editors: Ana Sofia Pereira; Carla Cerqueira, Patrícia Nogueira; Vanessa Ribeiro-Rodrigues
Keywords: Feminist film theory, gender and representation, intersectionality, women and non-binary practitioners, reception studies, feminist artivism, decolonial feminist aesthetics.
Full papers to be submitted by 1st April 2026.
Provide two Word documents (.doc) with:
1. Full Paper (Abstract, Keywords, Article and References).
The manuscript should not have any reference to the authors or the institution they belong to. The authors must ensure that their manuscripts are prepared in such a way that they do not reveal their identities to reviewers, either directly or indirectly.
2. BIO, no longer than 50/70 words. Name, Email address and institutional affiliation.
Please submit to:
https://revistas.ulusofona.pt/index.php/ijfma/about/submissions
When submitting full papers, authors must include a comment indicating the specific open call they are responding to. Please note that submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.
Schedule for publication:
Submission of full paper: 1 April 2026
Feedback on full papers: 30 April 2026
Final revisions: May 2026
Publication date: June 2026
Submissions must be made anonymously. All submissions will undergo a blind peer review process and will be evaluated by at least two independent reviewers.
No fees are requested for submission or processing.