Laura Horak wins Domitor Student Essay Award

Congratulations to Laura Horak who has been chosen as the winner of
the 2011 Domitor student essay award for her outstanding essay,
"Landscape, Vitality, and Desire."   DOMITOR is an international
association for people interested in early cinema, from its
beginnings to 1915.  We quote from a report from the Secretary
to all members of Domitor:

According to Matthew Solomon (University of Michigan - Chair, Domitor
Student Essay Award Committee - Matthew.Solomon@csi.cuny.edu):
"In the essay, Horak provides a clear, compelling, and extremely
well-documented argument about constructions of gender and race
during the transitional period, drawing upon close readings of
archival films, attention to relevant intertexts, careful analysis
of extrafilmic documentation, and a mastery of the secondary
literature of early cinema studies.  Congratulations to Laura!"

The committee accepted some twenty submissions this year, including
five written in French, on a wide range of topics. A number of
submissions were distinguished by superb research and good writing,
so the committee's decision was made particularly difficult given
the unprecedented strength and merit of the entire field and,
because of the high number of quality submissions, it was impossible
to reach consensus on an honorable mention this year. But we
congratulate all those who participated in the competition!