Zeltzyn Rubi Sanchez Lozoya (Assistant Professor of Instruction in Hindi, Department of Asian Studies, University of Texas at Austin) will give a talk titled "Female Lead: India’s Female Filmmakers in the Age of Netflix" as part of the Fall 2023 South Asia Seminar Series. The seminar theme is "Streaming South Asia:Media Platforms and Digital Cultures", convened by Shanti Kumar (Radio-Television-Film). All seminars take place on Thursdays in the Meyerson Conference Room (WCH 4.118) from 3:30 to 5:00 pm Central Time, with a reception beginning at 3pm.

This event is free and open to the UT and general public.

Abstract

Less than a quarter of total characters in Indian films are female and only 14% of all people working in the industry are women. Films that deviate from the mainstream, such as those with a female lead or about female sexuality, have historically had limited circulation. With the advent of streaming platforms in India, there was hope that underrepresented filmmakers, including women, could find a new space to thrive. This presentation provides a comprehensive examination of the effects of streaming platforms on the creation and distribution of Hindi films made by women and about women. It draws on semi-structured interviews with women and men working in the Mumbai film industry, as well as observations of industry events, film festivals, and film shoots, including a Netflix Original and two films later acquired by the platform.  The presentation uncovers the history of exclusion and erasure of women's work within the Mumbai film industry. While streaming platforms were expected to provide a new space for underrepresented filmmakers, this presentation suggests that they still perpetuate pre-existing systems of exclusion. Bulk acquisition and mediated content suggestions replicate and reinforce gendered and patriarchal norms. 

About Speaker

Zeltzyn Rubi Sanchez Lozoya is Assistant Professor of Instruction in Hindi in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.  She received her PhD in Asian Languages and Cultures from the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in Indian cinema and film cultures, transnational feminisms, and streaming platforms. Dr. Lozoya has presented on these subjects at different national conferences in addition to several invited talks. Her book project, Cinemas of Andheri focuses on the effects that streaming platforms, like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, have on the creation and distribution of independent Hindi films made by women and about women.

Sponsored by: South Asia Institute,Moody College of Communication, Dept. of Radio-Television-Film,Global Media Industries Speaker Series,Center for Entertainment & Media Industries,Initiative for Digital Humanities

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