The Urban Audio-visual Festival – UAF emerges as a place for discussion and dialogue between professionals who work on urban life. This scientific meeting aims to promote the production of quality and the dissemination of the audio-visual work carried out by researchers and filmmakers in the field of urban studies, as well as other related disciplines. The UAF is a collaborative initiative between CICS.NOVA, CIES-IUL and IS-UP and for the 1st Edition the cameras are directed towards the exploration of the concept of “conflict”, framed in the urban context.
First, we call attention to those works that focus on the city as a product and therefore in the tensions that arise as a result of the debate on the good or bad management of public space. Along these lines, such approaches as gentrification, touristification or real estate speculation are easily recognizable, concentrating – in some way – on housing problems and the right to the city. On the other hand, we could see a second line, more focused on problems related to transportation and communication routes, urban density and the processes of deterritorialization (urban-rural-urban), commercial equipment, etc.
Thinking about the actors that take place in the city, we invite productions that manifest their interest on those social movements that were born from conflictual relations. These groups tend to place issues on the public agenda and through their militancy -normally- gain political power, question the system of government, power structures and public institutions themselves. Works on the difficulties related to the use and appropriation of urban space, protection of urban and social heritage, local coexistence and absorption of new citizens, food, military enforcement, police and people etc. will be welcome.
But conflict is not always a hostile situation, sometimes it can represent an unequivocal situation of social progress,success and opportunity. We invite the participation of works in these lines, in which they interpret the conflict as a reinvigorating factor of the urban life and that underline the benefits of these nonconformities.
Finally, the concept of conflict is opened, inviting works that portray the “conflict in the city” rather than “urban conflict”, and which outlines a more personal and human reflection.
In case you need further information, please, contact the organization.
More information: https://uafestival.wordpress.com/uaf/