BAFTSS Publication Awards 2023
The awards and mentions were announced during the annual BAFTSS conference, which took place at the University of Lincoln, from the 3rd to the 5th of April 2023. This year, the conference explored the theme Sustainable Futures: Ethics, Responsibility and Care in Film, Television, Screen Studies and Practice. The Honourable Mentions were for the best first monograph and the best essay by a doctoral student awards, respectively. Congratulations to both authors Jenna Ng and Louise Coopez!
Category of best first monograph – Honourable Mention
The Post-Screen through Virtual Reality, Holograms and Light Projections, by Jenna Ng (University of York)
What the judges had to say:
"This is a fascinating exploration of changing relations between image and viewer within the context of contemporary media technologies. As the writer clearly articulates, screens have become a ubiquitous and ever-present part of modern life. However, as Ng astutely notes, the boundaries between screen and non-screen have become increasingly diminished and nuanced. Focusing on three media formats, VR, holograms and light projection, and drawing on examples from across the world, Ng offers a nuanced and rich exploration of new theories of image making and their projections."
Category of best essay by a doctoral student – Honourable Mention
‘Performance and Power: The Letter as an Expression of Masculinity in Game of Thrones,’ by Louise Coopey (University of Birmingham) in T. Higgins & C. Fowler (eds), Epistolary Entanglements in Film, Media and the Visual Arts
What the judges had to say:
"Louise Coopey’s research offers an exploration of letters as epistolary artefacts in Game of Thrones as a key element in the construction of masculinity and the projection of power. Through a close analysis of the HBO series, Coopey convincingly demonstrates how letters are used to reinforce and amplify the hegemonic masculine identity. This new approach to research around the Game of Thrones series was innovative and insightful."