Film & Multimedia submissions
We are pleased to announce that the Analytical Approaches to World Musics (AAWM) Journal – together with its IFTAWM sister platforms, AAWM Music and Nature, Analytical Approaches to African Music (AAAM) and Analytical Approaches to Music of South Asia (AAMSA) – is now accepting submissions involving documentary films, audiovisual essays, and other multimedia works as part of its regular publication series.
We invite submissions that explore analytical, theoretical, and cultural dimensions of music and sound worlds across the globe, centering the moving image as a creative medium for critical reflection.
Types of Film Submissions may include:
- Documentary films
- Visual analyses of musical or choreutic performances
- Interview-based works
- Music videos or audiovisual installations
- Animated representations of sonic and musical data
- Experimental or essayistic shorts
Guidelines for authors
- Films must be original and unpublished;
- All films must include English subtitles and/or other subtitling to support the submission’s accessibility;
- While works of all lengths will be considered, we strongly encourage short and medium-length productions. Longer submissions (>1 hour) may also be accepted, provided that they may be split and published in successive issues.
- Submissions should feature robust analytical inquiries, theoretical questions, historical consideration and/or be accompanied by a short reflective text discussing the film’s conceptual or methodological contributions, along with a relevant bibliography.
- Filmmakers retain full copyright. Films will be published on online, open-access, peer-reviewed journals, whose audiovisual section is committed to scholarly accessibility.
Submission process
This is an open and ongoing call. To submit a proposal, please send the following materials to the Film & Multimedia Editor (nicola.renzi6@unibo.it) and to the managing editor of the IFTAWM sister platform where you wish your film to be published, namely:
A submission proposal must feature the following materials:
- A link to an online preview of the film (e.g., Vimeo, YouTube, G-Drive; unlisted or password-protected)
- A synopsis in English (approx. 500 words)
- A short bio of the author(s) (max. 300 words), clearly outlining the ethnographic research behind the project
- A list of references relevant to the research documented in the submission (Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide)
- A sheet with the submission’s basic technical information: main language(s), format, resolution, production equipment and timeline, and full film credits
- A self-declaration of originality and ethical compliance (e.g., Free, Prior, and Informed Consent from participants, or other ethical guidelines followed)
Editorial Workflow
All proposals will be reviewed by the AAWM Film Editorial Board based on the following criteria:
- Relevance to the scope and mission of IFTAWM
- Analytical depth and scholarly engagement
- Technical quality and formal coherence
- Effective use of audiovisual language in a scholarly context of research communication
While the process does not follow conventional peer review, authors will receive detailed feedback from the Editorial Board, including suggestions for revision and adaptations intended to maximize the audiovisual publication’s potential. We strongly encourage a close and collaborative dialogue between the Editorial Board and the authors throughout the editorial process, in order to ensure that each film receives the most meaningful spotlight possible, while maintaining the thematic and curatorial coherence of the scientific journal.
Final approval will be granted by the Editor-in-Chief of the Film & Multimedia submission and the Editor-in-Chief of the IFTAWM sister platform where the film is intended to be published.
If the proposal is approved, you will be asked to provide:
- The highest-resolution screening copy of the film/multimedia submission (accepted file formats: MP4, MOV, WMV)
- A short teaser (max. 1 minute) and two still images from the project (for promotional purposes)
- An updated synopsis and author bio
- A reflective essay (up to 2,500 words) detailing the film’s analytical goals or production process
- Manuscripts must be in English and should observe United States conventions of usage, spelling, and punctuation as outlined in The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. The AAWM journal maintains the principles of gender-neutral discourse and the editors thus request authors and reviewers to adhere to these practices. AAWM has adopted a set of guidelines developed by the Society for Music Theory (SMT), which may be found at http://www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/nsl.html.
- Manuscripts must be submitted as MS Word (.doc or .docx) files. All text should be double-spaced. The main body of the text should be typed in a 12-point font. Please leave 1″ margins on all sides, with only the left-hand margin justified. Authors should employ footnotes rather than endnotes.
- All citations should employ the author-date system as set forth in Chapter 15 of The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. For examples of the correct formatting of citations and bibliography entries, please refer to the “Author-Date” section of the Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide and to recent issues of AAWM.
Once approved, the film will be published in a dedicated section of the selected online journal and featured within curated thematic series or special issues.
For inquiries about film and multimedia submissions, please contact nicola.renzi6@unibo.it