Scream@30

An in-person academic conference hosted by The Centre for Film, Television and Screen Studies, Bangor University, UK

16th December 2026

Wes Craven’s Scream (1996) changed the face of horror cinema. It revitalized the slasher genre by blending self-aware satire with genuine terror, creating a meta-horror phenomenon that continues to influence filmmakers and audiences alike.

The film’s postmodern approach—its ironic commentary on horror tropes, its playful engagement with audience expectations—opened new avenues for genre hybridity. Yet, it also raises questions about commodification, nostalgia, and the limits of self-referentiality. Thirty years later, Scream remains a cultural touchstone, inviting fresh analysis of its legacy and relevance.

To critically explore Scream, this conference proposes bringing together scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds to debate its legacy and cultural impact, and to consider its position within visual culture.

We welcome papers that explore Scream and its franchise through diverse critical lenses, including but not limited to:

  • Scream, intertextuality, postmodernism, and genre
  • Scream and aesthetics
  • Sequels and television spin-offs: the Scream franchise
  • Scream, Wes Craven, and authorship
  • Scream and fandom
  • Scream and sexuality/queer theory
  • Scream and race, class, gender, and ethnicity
  • Scream and performance
  • Industry and commerce: Scream’s impact on horror marketing, franchising, and global distribution
  • Scream’s legacy, influence, and imprint on contemporary horror and popular culture
  • Sidney Prescott as feminist icon: gender and the final girl in Scream

We encourage Creative Practice submissions and encourage Early-Career Researchers and PhD students to participate. We are applying for funding to facilitate postgraduate and unwaged participation.

We aim to publish a selection of these contributions in an edited collection resulting from the conference.

Guidance for authors

The deadline to submit abstracts is 1st June 2026.

Your proposal should include: title, up to 5 keywords, abstract (300 words), author name, affiliation, and a short bio (50 words). Please send your proposal to Nathan Abrams (n.abrams@bangor.ac.uk) and Stephanie Steventon (s.steventon@bangor.ac.uk).

The conference is organised by the Centre for Film, Television and Screen Studies at Bangor University in North Wales in collaboration with the Department of Arts, School of Arts, Culture and Language, and Pontio Cinema.

Organising committee: Dr Nathan Abrams and Stephanie Steventon in Collaboration with Dion Hughes and Pontio Cinema.