For more than two decades emotions have been a major topic of discussion and contention in film and media studies. From cognitive theories and phenomenology to affect studies, many different approaches have been suggested, many books written, and many insights won. However, some crucial questions have barely been discussed. This special section #Emotions takes stock and seeks to advance the field in new directions. We suggest a conceptual, a contextual, an ethical, a political, and a media-comparative expansion, thus showing the urgency of thinking further about the interconnection between contemporary media and the emotions of their audiences.

We are primarily interested in contributions that focus on emotions that are actually felt by viewers, readers, gamers, users, or prosumers, and not emotions represented in media, for instance by way of characters. We are also looking for thick descriptions of emotional experiences and well-chosen examples of how it feels to undergo a specific emotion in concrete media engagements and environments. Moreover, we are interested in the specific dynamics of situated, collective emotional experiences of different kinds and groups of viewers and users.

Call for essays