First Forum is the annual graduate student-run conference hosted by the Division of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. One of our leading goals for the conference is to bring together graduate students and faculty from around the world to share exciting, upcoming scholarship relevant to cinema and media studies and its adjacent fields. We aim to give graduate student scholars at USC and elsewhere an opportunity to present and receive feedback on their work in a friendly and welcoming community of their peers and mentors. We hope that you will help us achieve these goals by asking thoughtful questions, offering constructive critique and discussion, and being respectful of the contributions, experiences, and dignity of all participants.
This year's First Forum conference is co-sponsored by the Center for Feminist Research, the Levan Institute for the Humanities, and the Media As SocioTechnical Systems initiative.