Special Session

Film and Media Studies / Italian

Kevin Bongiorni (Louisiana State University)
kbon@****.com (Log-in to reveal)

Perhaps no other single Italian filmmaker or artist has had, and continues to have, as much global influence on cinema and culture as Federico Fellini. Although Fellini died over 30 years ago, his global legacy, impact, and relevance today are without measure. This panel seeks papers that explore, in the broadest sense, any and all aspects of Fellini, his work, and their breadth of influence, in the hopes of continuing the on-going scholarly discussion of Fellini’s cinematic and cultural contributions, including on various directors and national cinemas.

Perhaps no other single Italian filmmaker or artist has had, and continues to have, as much global influence on cinema and culture as Federico Fellini. The world would not be the same without paparazzi and “la dolce vita.” Today, Fellini’s work remains part of the cinematic and cultural fabric around the world. Most recently, in the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan there was an homage to La dolce vita as paparazzi crowded onto the stage and intrusively snapped photos. The Japanese Olympic ice skater Ami Nakai, dressed as La strada’s Gelsomina, skated her short program to Nino Rota’s score and won an Olympic medal. La dolce vita is repeatedly referenced in the Netflix series Emily in Paris. La dolce vita has also been seen in advertisements for Lavazza coffee, Velveeta cheese, and Desaronno liqueur. This session is designed to continue the on-going scholarly discussion of Fellini’s cinematic and cultural contributions, including on various directors and national cinemas. Reflecting this breadth, the session is open to topics related to Federico Fellini and his cinematic work.