Preempting Dissent (2010-2014)

Researchers

Prof. Greg Elmer, Principal Investigator
Andy Opel, Research Collaborator
Alessandra Renzi, Postdoctoral Fellow
Boaz Beeri, PhD Researcher
Steven James May, PhD Researcher 

Funding

SSHRC Research Creation Grant, Ryerson University Postdoctoral program

About

Utilizing a novel set of collaborative methodologies, our researchers explored contemporary forms of preemptive law enforcement and governance that emerged in the post 9/11 world. A number of scholarly publications and an experimental ‘open-source’ documentary focused on the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto were produced.

Publications

Renzi, Alessandra & Greg Elmer. (2012). Infrastructure Critical: Sacrifice at the Toronto G20 Summit, Winnipeg: ARP Press.

Elmer, Greg. (2012). “Collaboration-led research”, Canadian Journal of Communication. Vol 31 (1), pp. 189-192.

Renzi, Alesandra and Greg Elmer. (2013). “The Biopolitics of Sacrifice: Securing Infrastructure at the G20 Summit”, Theory, Culture and Society, Vol 30, #5, pp. 45-69.

Elmer, Greg & Andy Opel. (2013), “Preemption, Premediation, Prediction: Betting on the Future”, in K. Gates Ed. Media studies futures, New York: Blackwell

Film

Preempting Dissent: A Creative Commons Documentary (2014): Creative Commons, Collaborative Documentary Film that investigates the history of policing protocols at international economic summits. Credits: Co-Director, producer and writer (w/Andy Opel). 47 mins. 

Winner: Best Social Commentary Documentary, 2014 Action on Film Festival
Nominated: Best Social Justice Documentary, 2014 Action on Film Festival

Screenings (*official jury or committee selection):

  • Union of Democratic Communication conference, November 1, 2013 (Rough Cut)*
    SALT, Istanbul, Turkey, November 28, 2013 (Rough Cut)
  • Department of Sociology & Communication Studies, Concordia Unversity, Dec. 5, 2013 (Rough Cut)
  • Department of Art & Media, Northeastern University, Boston, Feb. 28, 2014
  • Florida State University, Theory, Practice & Community Conference, March 1, 2014*
  • Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge U.K., March 17, 2014
  • Cardiff University, U.K. March 18, 2014
  • University of Salford, U.K., March 19, 2014
  • Goldsmiths College, University of London, U.K., March 20, 2014
  • Dalhousie University, April 3, 2014
  • University of Washington, USA, May 21, 2014
  • Centre for Social Innovation,Toronto, July 10, 2014
  • Action on Film Festival, Los Angeles, CA, August 2014*
  • Mayfair Cinema, Ottawa, September 8, 2014
  • Interactive Narratives Conference, U. of Toronto, October, 2014*
  • Human Rights Film Festival, Utica, N.Y. October 3, 2014*
  • Social Justice Film Festival, Seattle Washington October 20, 2014*
  • Media Democracy Days Festival, Vancouver B.C. November 7, 2014
  • Centennial College, November 13, 2014, Toronto
  • Transmediale Digital Media Festival, Berlin, January 30, 2015*
  • ALEX TV Broadcast, Berlin, February 13, 2015 (w/German subtitles)
  • Belleville International Documentary Festival, February 27, 2015*
  • Saltspring Documentary Festival, March 7, 2015*
  • University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario, March 2015
  • Hot Docs Bloor Cinema (Cinema Politica Series), Toronto, June 2, 2015
  • Goldsmiths College, University of London, December 5, 2015
  • Annenberg School of Communication, UPenn, April 8, 2016
  • University of Bremen, October 14, 2016