International conference hosted by the Metropolitan University in Prague and the School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon/ULICES

6-7 March, 2026 | Online

This online conference will focus on the representation of violence in contemporary audiovisual production, specifically in television series. The 21st century is marked by profound transformations in social relations, in human interactions with an increasingly precarious environment, and in the nature of politically motivated violence – from macropolitical conflicts to micropolitical forms of resistance. These convergent shifts demand new analytical frameworks and interdisciplinary approaches.

Contemporary television offers a privileged lens through which to analyze these sociocultural transformations. After all, isn’t the purpose of filmmaking to uncover and reveal the repressed and traumatic, to draw attention to the threats, violence, and injustices that are taking place and “knocking on the door”? Essentially, “everything” is at stake, especially the survival of humanity, which must take on different forms than it has until now. Art must shape the micro-politics of resistance and outline visions of the future. Every work offers a diagnosis of contemporary crises, articulating a particular sensitivity to the violence (explicit and structural) that circulates through social life. Our primary focus is on English-speaking series, though other approaches are equally welcome.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of suggested areas for the submission of abstracts:

  • Ecological and environmental violence (Humans, non-humans, landscape, and violence);
  • Feral violence and post-apocalyptic world (post-apocalyptic dystopian environments, the use of technology, and human destruction);
  • Gender-based violence (Representations of gender-based and minority-targeted violence in audiovisual media);
  • Adaptation and Violence (Adaptation of well-known works that explore the idea of violence);
  • Technology, Hybrid Bodies and Violence (The body and digital technologies);
  • Micropolitics and Violence (Resistance against the ideological status quo);
  • New Forms of Violence (Memory, rewriting of the past, forgetting, erasure);
  • Violence and Genre (Westerns, Noir, Gangster, Crime series, among others);
  • Other.

Keynotes: TBA

Submission details:

  • Abstract submission: 31st of December 2025
  • Notification of acceptance: 16th of January 2026

We welcome proposals for individual submissions, round-table discussions, or thematically aligned panels of speakers, including practice-oriented submissions (15-minute presentations). Please note that, due to the limited slots available, we will only accept the first 50 proposals, of which we will select roughly half. To submit your proposal, please send a 300-word abstract and a 100-word bio-note by using this link and following the guidelines: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf4xsvJ3V6aJPjIyTJN-quni0NNixd4VzIxlst3SAg2rB53Rg/viewform

Any additional inquiries should be made via email to: tvviolenceconf@gmail.com

Conference fee: 60 Euro regular, 40 Euro PhD students

Organizing Committee:

  • André Francisco (School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon/ULICES)
  • José Duarte (School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon/ULICES)
  • Martin Charvát (Metropolitan University in Prague)
  • Michaela Fikejzová (Metropolitan University in Prague)

Scientific Committee

  • Ana Rita Martins (School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon/ULICES & U. Aberta)
  • Anna Marta Marini (Freie Universität Berlin)
  • Cecilia Beecher Martins (School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon/ULICES)
  • Dragoş Manea (Bucharest University)
  • Ljubica Matek (University of Osijek)
  • Mariana Liz (School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon/CeComp)
  • Mário Avelar (School of Arts and Humanities, University of Lisbon/ULICES)
  • Mihaela Preccup (Bucharest University)