Women and the Silent Screen (WSS) is a biennial international conference sponsored by Women and Film History International in collaboration with host universities, archives, and cultural institutions throughout the world. For over two decades, WSS has brought together researchers focused on women’s pivotal roles in the first decades of motion picture history. The conference has supported the creation of a new view of the film industries that demonstrates the centrality of women in economic and labor history, criticism, aesthetics, narrative development, film culture, and film production in a globalized world.

Interested in hosting a future edition of WSS?

Please read our Information Sheet for Potential Hosts.

We are currently accepting proposals for WSS 2027 as well as other future editions, including WSS 2029 and WSS 2031.

***If you are interested in hosting WSS 2027, please complete submit the application form (below) by November 17, 2025. Please contact the WFHI Steering Committee if this date is difficult for you***

For proposals for future editions, we currently will review proposals as they come in. Please reach out directly to the Steering Committee with any questions at this stage 

To submit a WSS Host Application form, please fill out this Google Form.

To help prepare your responses, you can review the form’s questions in this document.