FFP2026 Seminar

Reconsidering the Cinematic Hero
Faith, Film, Philosophy 2026

Thursday, October 15 - Saturday, October 17, 2026

Film treatment of the traditional hero is at a crossroads. The harsh naturalism of recent decades has punctured idealizing portrayals of the heroic. Revisionist treatments of the hero have emphasized human limitations, mixed motivations, fallenness, and vicious degradation. At the same time, a relentless postmodern drive to find hints of the heroic at the margins has functioned as an implicit critique of traditional ideas of heroism especially in its masculine form, in effect offering a deconstructive genealogy of the “heroic” that exposes its deep flaws and uneven record in promoting human flourishing.

In recent years, however, hints have appeared of a rethinking of the idea of the heroic, such as the quiet and sacrificial family leader of A Quiet Place (Krasinski 2018), the stolid anti-Nazi conscientious objector of A Hidden Life (Malick 2019), a vulnerable and unironic Superman (Gunn 2025), the physically imposing but humble-hearted Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Harris & Smith 2026), and the reluctant and self-effacing astronaut of this year’s Project Hail Mary (Lord & Miller 2026).

What are the continuing prospects for cinematic depictions of the hero and the heroic? Is the traditional hero dead? Can revisions and reboots of the heroic continue to refresh it in new and meaningful ways? In what ways can cinematic heroes challenge and inspire people today?

You are invited to take part in an engaging interactive conversation on “Reconsidering the Cinematic Hero” with a group of 12-15 film scholars and fans over the weekend from Thursday evening, October 15, to Saturday evening, October 17, 2025 on the campus of Gonzaga University, in Spokane, WA. The Seminar employs a unique approach in which scholars read one another's work prior to the seminar and then discuss that work in a collegial setting over a weekend. Participants of the Seminar have in past years found the conversations that take place very helpful for polishing work in progress to move it closer to publication.

Key Highlights

• Unique seminar format: accepted papers will be distributed to participants prior to the seminar; seminar focus is on interactive conversation
• 12-15 proposals will be accepted for participation in the seminar
• Each participant will have approximately ten minutes for a summary presentation and thirty-five minutes for questions, discussion, and feedback directly focused on his or her paper
• Proposal limit of 500 words; final paper target length 3000-3500 words
• No registration fee; all meals Friday and Saturday provided by the Gonzaga Faith & Reason Institute; participants responsible for travel and lodging
• Travel stipends available for selected participants traveling to Spokane from a distance greater than 500 miles

Call for Proposals

Proposals are due via email to faithandreason@gonzaga.edu (.doc, .docx, or .pdf format) by midnight Monday, August 17, 2026

Get details about the seminar topic and instructions regarding proposal submission.

Submission / acceptance schedule:

Related Events

The Faith, Film, and Philosophy Seminar is part of a week of film-related events on the Gonzaga University campus, the 2026 Faith, Film, and Philosophy Series, which include a series of lectures, a film screening and panel discussion, and a student panel, all related to the seminar theme of “Reconsidering the Cinematic Hero.” Members of the seminar are welcome to attend any of these events.

The Seminar will begin with a public lecture  on Thursday night, October 15. A second public lecture will be delivered on Friday night, October 16. Both featured speakers will will participate in the seminar discussion.

Featured Speakers TBA

Contact

If you have any questions or encounter any problems with submitting your proposal, please contact David H. Calhoun, Gonzaga Faith & Reason Institute, at faithandreason@gonzaga.edu.