Dear SIG members,
The SIG leadership team is proposing a name change from “Classical Hollywood” to “Classical Cinemas,” along with a corresponding change to our mission statement. In light of recent events and SCMS’s increasingly active push towards antiracism and inclusion, we feel it is urgent to address the biases inherent within the traditional framing of our field. We believe it is time to redraw its boundaries to incorporate filmmaking practices outside of the dominant US industry, which occurred both within US borders and internationally. In addition, scholarship on other (non-Hollywood) classical cinemas currently has no SIG home, and we are a natural fit to provide this.
We are inviting comments on these proposed changes from our members. From now through Monday, October 12, members can check their email for the link to a google doc where they can review the revised name + mission statement, add their thoughts/feedback, and read what others have written.
After the comment period has ended, we will consider all feedback and any proposed revisions to our draft mission statement. We will then put it up to a no-protest vote by our general membership, to be open October 12-19. If the vote passes, it will go to the SCMS board for final approval.
best,
Anna, Peter, and Erica
SCMS Classical Hollywood SIG 