Author Guidelines

Submission

Originality and exclusivity: articles submitted to the journal must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration by any other publication at the time of submission.

Each issue of Cinergie may include up to 10 contributions in the SPECIAL section and up to 4 contributions in the MISCELLANEA section.

The journal welcomes submissions in either Italian or English.

Articles should be between 5,000 and 8,000 words in length, including the abstract, footnotes, and references.

To ensure a double-blind peer-review process, manuscripts must be fully anonymized. Authors’ names and any identifying information should be removed from the text, footnotes, references, and file metadata.

Required metadata

Title: for contributions written in Italian, the title must be provided in both Italian and English. For contributions written in English, the title must be provided only in English.

Abstract: authors must provide an abstract in English of 150-200 words, self-contained and understandable on its own. It may consist of multiple paragraphs and include italics where appropriate, but it should not be divided into sections or contain footnotes or external links.

5 Keywords: must be entered individually in the OJS platform using the Enter key. No punctuation, quotation marks, hyphens, or formatting (e.g. italics). Uncommon acronyms should preferably be spelt out in full. Capital letters should be used only for proper nouns and acronyms.

A biographical note in English of 50-100 words is required.

Final version of the manuscript

The final version of the contribution must be free of typos, complete in its bibliographic references (with DOI or URL when available + date of last access), and without internal comments or tracked revisions.

After acceptance, no substantial modifications to the text are allowed.

Review

Reviews must adhere to the same editorial guidelines required for essays.

The length of the contributions should be between 12,000 and 15,000 characters (including spaces).

To ensure independence and freedom of judgment, the journal selects and contacts reviewers directly.

The full bibliographic reference can be included in the title.

Submission process and peer review

Submissions must be made exclusively through the journal’s online platform and involve the following steps:

1. Register for or log in to the platform and accept the journal’s editorial policies.
2. Upload the anonymised manuscript in .docx format.
3. Complete the required metadata fields.
4. Upload any supplementary materials (images, figures, or compressed attachments in .zip or .rar format).
5. Confirm the submission.

Timeline

1. Peer-review process: within two months of submission.
2. Author review: within two months of receiving the revision request.
3. Publication: within twelve months of acceptance of the final version of the manuscript.

File format

Manuscripts must be submitted in .docx (Microsoft Word) format. The text should be formatted in Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced, with 2.5 cm margins. Paragraphs should be indented using tab stops.

Typeface and text formatting

Italics:

•  For emphasis
•  For technical or specialized terms that fall outside ordinary usage (e.g., found footage), generally accompanied by a definition at first occurrence where necessary
• For non-naturalised foreign-language terms (e.g., deus ex machina, fin de siècle, mise en abyme). Terms that have entered common usage should appear in roman type (e.g., splatter, slapstick)

For titles of works:

• Bold should be avoided whenever possible (it may be used in interviews to identify speakers).
• Underlining should never be used, as it may create accessibility issues.
• Latin expressions and commonly used abbreviations (cfr., e.g., et al., ibid., etc.) should appear in roman type.

Titles and headings

Titles: should be hierarchically numbered (e.g., 1 / 1.1), set in roman type, and should not end with punctuation.

Capitalization:

• Italian: titles of contributions written in Italian, as well as section headings, should follow sentence case, with only the first word and proper nouns capitalized. Example: Merchandising e identità personale nei festival cinematografici.
• English: titles of contributions written in English should follow title case, with principal words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns) capitalized, while articles, conjunctions, and short prepositions remain lowercase unless they appear at the beginning of the title. Example: Film Festival Ephemera: Promotional Objects as Tools for Brand Identity and Self-Image.

NB: this rule does not apply to section headings, which should follow standard sentence case, with only the first word and proper nouns capitalized. Example: 1. Film festivals as cultural ecosystems.

Quotation marks

Double quotation marks (“ ”) should be used for short quotations (fewer than 40 words) present in the main text.

Quotations within another quotation should be enclosed in single quotation marks (‘ ’). Example: “The cinematic apparatus functions as a ‘desiring machine’”.

Quotation marks may also be used when referring to a word or expression as such (e.g., the term “control” is frequently used to describe...) or for emphasis (italics are preferable). 

They may also be used to indicate a term or expression employed in a particular, ironic, or specialized sense.

For technical terms, specialized concepts, or non-naturalized foreign-language expressions, italics are generally preferable, as indicated in the section on typeface and text formatting.

Concerning punctuation and question marks:

• In text written in Italian, punctuation should be placed outside quotation marks unless it forms part of the quoted material (Example: “The cinematic apparatus functions as a ‘desiring machine’”.)
• In text written in English, American English conventions should be followed, whereby punctuation marks are placed inside quotation marks (Example: “The cinematic apparatus functions as a ‘desiring machine’.”)

For further guidance and examples, see:  https://www.thepunctuationguide.com/quotation-marks.html

Short and long quotations

Short quotations (fewer than 40 words) should be incorporated into the main text, set in roman type, and enclosed in double quotation marks (“ ”). Quotations within quotations should be enclosed in single quotation marks (‘ ’), even when the original text uses double quotation marks. Example: “The cinematic apparatus functions as a ‘desiring machine’.”

Long quotations (more than 40 words) should be presented in roman type, in a smaller font size (Times New Roman, 11 pt), without quotation marks. They should be separated from the main text by a blank line before and after the quotation and formatted as a block quotation with a minimum indentation of 1 cm on both sides.

Example:

[…] Upon launching TeleAltoMilanese, Villa described its mission in deliberately non-political terms, a position that would, at least apparently, come to define Antenna 3 as well:

The purpose of TeleAltoMilanese is primarily commercial, which is why we steer clear of any political affiliation. This is a business and should be run as such. We do not peddle social messages [...]; this is an investment, and we are looking for the best ways to balance budgets. We’re not trying to create culture or counterculture: we simply want to give viewers the chance to pick up the phone and add their voice to the broadcast. (Bruno 1977: 29)

Following an expedition to Australia to study the functioning of commercial networks and their schedules, tensions between Villa and his partners came to a head. […]

Quotations from dramatic works exceeding 40 words should follow the same formatting rules as long quotations. Character names should appear in capital letters and should not be followed by a full stop. Dialogue lines should be indented. Internal stage directions should appear in italics within parentheses, whereas standalone stage directions should appear in italics without parentheses.
Example:

HAMLET: To be, or not to be: that is the question.

(He draws his sword.)

OPHELIA: My lord, I have remembrances of yours.

Epigraphs: should be right-aligned, set in roman type, and enclosed in double quotation marks. On a separate line below the quotation, provide the author’s name and, where applicable, the title of the work and year of publication in roman type, without parentheses and preceded by an en dash (–)

Ellipses

• The use of ellipses in the main text body should be avoided but used sparingly and primarily within quotations.
• In the original source:

If present within the original quotation, they should be reproduced exactly as they appear in the source.
Example: “Rosebud... just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle.”

• Author omissions:

If the author decides to omit part of a quotation, the editorial intervention should be indicated by three dots enclosed in square brackets ([…]. In this way, it distinguishes editorial omissions from original ellipses that already appear in the original text. Example: A critic observed that Citizen Kane is “a film about memory [...] and the impossibility of truly recovering the past.”

• Quotation beginning after an omission:

When a quotation begins after an initial omission, bracketed ellipses may precede the quoted passage.
Example: “[...] He refused to classify La Dolce Vita as a mere scandal.”

• Capitalizing in case of omission: When you omit the beginning of an original sentence, any resulting capitalized (or lowercased) letter introduced to maintain the grammar of your own sentence must be enclosed in square brackets.

Example:
-Original source: "After a long and bitter winter that froze the lakes, the spring finally arrived bringing life back to the valley and changing the landscape forever."
-Target text: "[T]he spring finally arrived bringing life back to the valley," wrote the poet in his memoirs.

Dashes and hyphens

In both Italian- and English-language contributions:

• En dash (–), preceded and followed by a space, should be used to introduce a parenthetical element (example: The festival – established in the post-war period – quickly gained international prominence)
• Hyphens (-), without spaces, should be used to join proper names or compound names (e.g., Jean-Luc Godard, Trentino-Alto Adige); to indicate relationships or connection (e.g., parent-child, company-client); to form compound adjectives (e.g., technical-scientific, Anglo-American)

Bulleted and numbered list

When creating bulleted or numbered lists, always use the dedicated list function provided by the word-processing software. Lists should not be created manually using hyphens or other keyboard characters.

Institutions (academic and otherwise)

The full official name of an institution should always be used at first mention.

Abbreviations

The abbreviations used for references (e.g., p., pp., cap., e.g., cfr., et al.) are allowed only where appropriate and in roman type.

The use of Latinisms and Anglicisms is generally discouraged in the main text and should be limited to footnotes, where necessary, and set in roman type. Accordingly, authors are encouraged to write out expressions in full whenever possible (e.g., for example instead of e.g.; that is instead of i.e.).

References such as ibid., op. cit., loc. cit., and supra/infra are not permitted.

Acronyms and initialisms

Acronyms and initialisms should be written without full stops (ONU, USA, RAI). When an acronym or initialism is not widely recognized, the full name should be provided at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. For institutions or organizations with lengthy names, authors are encouraged to use the full designation at first mention and the acronym alone thereafter. In film and media studies, for example, the first occurrence should appear as: Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), subsequently referred to as TIFF; American Film Institute (AFI), subsequently referred to as AFI.

Brackets
Round parentheses are used for parenthetical remarks, clarifications, acronyms, and bibliographic references. Example: This was reviewed favourably (Johnson 2006: 817).

Square brackets are used for editorial additions, omissions, corrections, or interpolations within quotations. Examples: He added that “Mrs. Jervis had suffered great misfortunes.” à when supplemented editorially: He added that “the lady there [Mrs. Jervis] had suffered great misfortunes.” or: “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth [sic].”

Dates, numbers and currency

Dates and time periods

• Dates in English-language contributions should be formatted according to American English usage (e.g., March 12, 1975), while dates in Italian-language contributions should follow Italian conventions (e.g., 12 marzo 1975
• Time spans may be expressed in full (e.g., from 1826 to 1850, from January to March 1970)
• Historical eras should be indicated using standard abbreviations (e.g., 54 BCE, 622 CE)
• Centuries may be written either in words (e.g., sixteenth century) or using ordinal numerals (e.g., 16th century)
• Decades should be expressed in full (e.g., the Twenties; the decade 1920-1929)
• Approximate dates should be indicated using the abbreviation “ca.” (e.g., ca. 1972)

Numbers

• Numbers from one to one hundred should generally be written out in words
• Arabic numerals may be used for years, dates, quantitative data, tables, page numbers, and section numbers
• A number occurring at the beginning of a sentence should always be written out in words. Example: Two hundred spectators attended the first screening
• Birth and death dates should be given in numerals (e.g., 1913-1991)
• Numerical ranges should be indicated using a hyphens (e.g., pp. 44-48)
• While in Italian-language contributions, a full stop should be used as the thousands separator (e.g., 2.589), in English-language contribution, a comma should be used as the thousands separator (e.g., 2,456)

Roman numerals

• Roman numerals should be used for monarchs, popes, chapters, and acts (e.g., Leo XIV, Chapter III)
• For volumes, theatrical acts, or books, Roman numerals may appear in lowercase or small capitals (e.g., vol. iii; act iv)
• In critical introductions, uppercase Roman numerals should be used (e.g., pp. XXIV-XXVIII)

Currency

• In discursive prose, monetary amounts should preferably be written out in words (e.g., three hundred lire)
• In economic, statistical, or technical contexts, symbols and numerals should be used (e.g., $250) 

Footnotes

The journal accepts exclusively footnotes inserted using the word processor’s footnote function. Numbering should be automatic and use Arabic numerals.

Superscript footnote numbers should be placed after punctuation marks (commas, full stops, and semicolons).

Footnotes should be used only for brief comments, clarification, or contextual information. They should not be used to provide full bibliographic references, which must instead appear in the main text following the author-date system and in complete form within the final References section.

When a work is mentioned in a footnote for further readings (including simple cross-references such as cf., see, or see also), the author-date citation system should still be used, also with page numbers where appropriate (author date: p./pp.). The cited work must also appear in full form in the final References section.

Example: 

³For a concise overview of X, see Cognome (anno). 

→ full reference in the References section.

External links should be included within footnotes and not in the main text. URLs should not appear as standalone links but must be accompanied by a short introduction and a date of access.

Example:

³For data collection practices on online and auction platforms, see Solomon (2008). Regarding the description of ephemera, the FIAF has recently published guidelines for the cataloguing of film-related materials, including dolls and toys; see https://fiaf.github.io/film-related-materials/objects/ (last accessed 19-07-2024).

Any online resource cited in a footnote must also be included in the final References section with a complete bibliographic entry.

Example: 

Herrera, Susana (2005). “Situación del ombudsman en el mundo”. Revista de Comunicación 4: 17-37. http://www.saladeprensa.org/art586.htm (last accessed 28-05-2017).

Footnotes may include italics and, where necessary, multiple paragraphs. Long quotations should, however, be used sparingly.

Authors are encouraged to avoid footnotes within tables. Footnotes are not permitted within figures, charts, diagrams, or formulas. Any additional information should instead be provided in the caption.

External links (URLs)

External links must be provided in full (with the complete visible address) both in footnotes and in the final References section, but not in the main body of the text. Authors should ensure that the hyperlink corresponds exactly to the visible URL.

URLs should not be presented as standalone links but should always be accompanied.

Example:

 ³For data collection practices on online and auction platforms, see Solomon (2008). Regarding the description of ephemera, the FIAF has recently published guidelines for the cataloguing of film-related materials, including dolls and toys; see https://fiaf.github.io/film-related-materials/objects/ (last accessed 19-07-2024).

Whenever possible, bibliographic references should include DOI links, which must be provided in their full form using the prefix “https://doi.org/”. In case of missing DOIs, the use of Crossref’s Simple Text Query: https://apps.crossref.org/SimpleTextQuery.

The use of URL shorteners (e.g., bit.ly, tinyurl) should be avoided.

Before submission, authors should verify that all web links are accurate and functional, and that the cited content is accessible without registration requirements or institutional proxy access.

Authors are encouraged to use a web archiving service to preserve online sources, such as Internet Archive’s “Save Page Now” (https://web.archive.org/save).

Illustrations, figures and tables

Each article may include a maximum of 6 images.

All images must be embedded in the manuscript at the point of first mention, preferably at the end of the nearest paragraph. Images may not be placed alongside the main text.

Images must also be uploaded to the journal platform as supplementary files (Step 2 of the submission process), collected in a single compressed archive (.zip or. rar) and named using two-digit numbering according to their order of appearance (e.g., 01.jpg, 02.png, 03.jpg, 04.tiff).

Technical requirements: images must be supplied in TIFF (preferred) or JPEG format. Charts, graphs, and diagrams should be provided in PNG format. Images must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi and a minimum width of 1750 px.

Captions

• All images must be accompanied by a caption containing the essential information.
• Captions should follow the order in which images are cited in the text and should be numbered using Arabic numerals corresponding to the file names (e.g., Fig. 3).
• Each caption should identify both the subject depicted and the source.
• References to images within text should be indicated using the abbreviation Fig. followed by the figure number in parentheses.

In-text example: 

Gassman is shown holding a brand-new Mattatore and Toro, proudly displaying them to Ferrero and a press photographer (Fig. 3).

Caption example: 

Fig. 3. Vittorio Gassman and Anna Maria Ferrero visiting the Lenci factory; Archivio Storico della Città di Torino, Lenci Spa, D909.

NB: Images may not be placed side by side unless they are supplied as a single pre-composed file. In such cases, only one caption should be provided for the entire image group. 

The final placement of images in the PDF version depends on layout requirements and space availability. In contributions containing numerous illustrations, some images may be positioned on separate pages or slightly removed from their point of reference in order to ensure visual balance and an optimal page layout. 

References

In-text references

Cinergie adopts the author-date citation system, in which references should appear in the main text according to the following models: Brown (2001); (Brown 2001); Brown (2001: 63-64); (Brown 2001: 63-64); Brown and Smith (2000, 2003); (Brown and Smith 2000, 2003); (Smith 2000, Brown 2003).
In case of works with more than two authors: (Brown et al. 2004).

NB: et al. set in roman type.

In case of publications by the same author published in the same year, use lowercase letters: (Brown 2000a, 2000b).  

Important: no comma between author and date. Example: (Brown 2001), not  (Brown, 2001)  Instead, when citing multiple works within the same brackets, references must be separated by semicolons. Example: (Brown 2001, 2003; de Valck 2007; Monani 2013a, 2013b).

Audiovisual works

International title, followed by the original title in italics, the director’s surname and the year of release. Ex.: Breathless (À bout de souffle, Jean-Luc Godard 1960).

Tv series: title in italics, followed by the year of broadcast in round brackets. Ex.: The Sopranos (1999-2007). Episodes: in double quotation marks + season/episode in round brackets. Ex.: “Meadowlands" (S1E4). Where relevant, the actor’s name may also be indicated.
Example of a complete reference: Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) appears for the first time in “Meadowlands” (S1E4) in The Sopranos (1999-2007).

Videogame: title in italics + year of release in round brackets. Ex.: In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998), the player encounters the “Forest Temple” level for the first time.

NB: at the first occurrence, the bibliographical references should be set in full form in footnotes. à title in italics, followed by [video game], the developer or production company, the edition (where relevant), the year of publication, and the platform. For more punctual references, the level, chapter or episode may also be indicated. Examples:
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time [video game], Nintendo EAD/Nintendo, original edition 1998, Nintendo 64.
Resident Evil 2 [video game], Capcom, remake edition 2019, PlayStation 4, “Police Station” level.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves [video game], Naughty Dog, 2nd edition 2009, PlayStation 5, “Nepal Streets” level.

Other media (web series, podcasts, radio programmes, etc.)

Within the main text, references to non-traditional media formats should follow the author-date system. At first mention, authors should provide:

• Title in italics
• Surname of author, editor, or host (where know)
• Year of release/broadcast
• At the second mention, only the italicized title

Example:
The web series High Maintenance (Vimeo/HBO 2012-2020) belongs to a tradition of experimental urban storytelling.

In the podcast Indagini (Nazzi 2025), the “Arce” case is reconstructed through a narrative approach.

The episode “Arce – June 1, 2001 – Part one” in Indagini (Nazzi 2025) shows an innovative use of suspense.

Musical works
Albums: artist + title in italics + year. Ex.: Franco Battiato’s album La voce del padrone (1981) marked a turning point in Italian popular music.
Singles: artist + song title in italics + year.

Ex.: The Beatles’ single Hey Jude (1968) remains one of the most iconic songs in their catalogue.

Works of art
Format: Title of the Work (Author year). Subsequent references should include only the italicized title. Example: Guernica (Picasso 1937) has become a political icon. | In Guernica, the representation of collective suffering...

Archival materials

• Textual sources

Within the main text, archival documents should be cited using the author-date system, indicating the sender's or author's surname and the year. Where multiple documents from the same year are cited, lowercase letters should be added (a, b, c, etc.)
Example:

Renzi’s letter (1953d) reveals the familiar nature of the discussions.

A handwritten report by Renzi (1953b) confirms the difficulty of the project.

In the bibliography, the full reference should include the document title or description, date, and archival location.

• Visual and non-textual sources

Photographs, posters, sketches, drawings, and other visual materials should be cited in the text using the author and year. Example:

Il manifesto del film X (Bianchi 1960) shows an innovative use of colour.

Rossi’s photograph (1972a) documents the original exhibition design.

The complete description (italicised title or description, medium, and archival location) should be provided in the bibliography.

Social media

Content published on social media platforms should be cited using the author-date system (or, where no real name is available, the handle-date system).
Example:

• An announcement by the Locarno Film Festival (2025) highlighted Ibermedia’s complete support.
• A post published by @filmfestlocarno (2025) promoted the screening of a new project.

The full reference (author/handle, title or opening words of the post, platform, date, URL, and access date) should be included in the bibliography.

NB: at first mention, the complete bibliographic reference should also be provided in a footnote, following this order:

• Author or handle (real name preferred where available; otherwise, the username)
• Year (and, where relevant, the full publication date)
• Title, opening words, or brief description of the content, enclosed in single quotation marks
• Platform name in italics (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, ecc.)
• Full URL and date of access

General format: Author (year). “Title/opening words of the post”. Platform, date. URL (last accessed DD-MM-YYYY).

Example:
Locarno Film Festival [@filmfestlocarno] (2025). “Thanks to Ibermedia’s support, our Industry Academy (by Locarno Pro) will host several editions in Latin America in 2025…”. Instagram, September 5. https://www.instagram.com/p/DON4Dl4iHVq/ (last accessed 22-09-2025).

Final references

All bibliographic references must be listed alphabetically by author’s surname and must include the year of publication and complete publication details.

• DOIs should always be included as active links.
• URLS must be provided in full and in working form, together with an access date using the following format: (last accessed 28-05-2017).

NB: Do not use a colon after last accessed.

• Online articles without page numbers should be cited using Followed by the paragraph number.
• For e-books and database resources, both the original publication details and the platform consulted should be provided.
• Works of art, posters, and illustrations should be cited with the author, italicized title, date, medium, dimensions, and location.
• Blog posts, social media content, and emails should include the author/handle, date, and URL.

Examples:

Journal article

Murdock, Graham (2004). “Past the Posts: Rethinking Change, Retrieving Critique”. European Journal of Communication 19(1): 19-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323104040692.
Barra, Luca e Massimo Scaglioni (2015). “Saints, Cops and Camorristi. Editorial Policies and Production Models of Italian TV Fiction”. SERIES – International Journal of TV Serial Narratives 1(1): 65–75. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2421-454X/5115.

Books

Castells, Manuel (2009). Communication Power. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Todorov, Tzvetan (2000 [1970]). La letteratura fantastica. Milano: Garzanti.

à [1970] here stands for the original edition.

Chapters in edited volumes

Dahlgren, Peter (1997). “Cultural Studies and Media Research”. In An International Handbook of Media Research, edited by John Corner, Philip Schlesinger, and Roger Silverstone, 48-64. London: Routledge.

Online resources

Herrera, Susana (2005). “Situación del ombudsman en el mundo”. Revista de Comunicación 4: 17-37. http://www.saladeprensa.org/art586.htm (last accessed 28-05-2017).

Unpublished works

Morgan, Allan (1998). Retrieving Formal Values. Ph.D. dissertation. London: University of London.

Other media (web series, podcast, radio programmes etc.)

For non-traditional media formats, references should include:

• The name of the author (where known)
• The title of the programme in italics
• The episode title (in quotation marks), or the format designation in square brackets (ex. [web series], [podcast], [radio programme], etc.)
• Platform or broadcaster
• The date of publication, broadcast, or upload
• The URL, where applicable

Examples:

Web series: High Maintenance, [web series], Vimeo/HBO, 2012–2020.

Podcast: Stefano Nazzi, Indagini, “Arce – 1° giugno 2001 – Prima parte”, [podcast], Il Post, September 1, 2025, https://www.ilpost.it/podcasts/indagini/arce-1-giugno-2001-prima-parte/  

Archival materials

• Textual sources

Textual archival sources should be cited according to the following order (with an identifying letter where necessary, e.g., 1953a, 1953b, 1953c); title or description of the document (ex. “Letter from X to Y”); full date, where available; archival location in square brackets: archive, collection, file, box, etc.

General format:
Surname, First name (year[letter]). Title/description of the document, date. [Archive, Collection, File].
Example:
Truffaut, François (1954a). Letter from François Truffaut to André Bazin, March 12. [Bibliothèque du Film (BiFi), Fonds André Bazin, Correspondence File 12].

References within the main text should always follow the author-date system.

• Visual and non-textual sources

Photographs, posters, sketches, drawings and other non-textual archival materials should include: author or artist (where kwnown); year (with identifying letter where necessary); title or short description in italics (es. Manifesto del film X, Fotografia di Y); medium (photograph, lithograph, sketch, etc.); archival location in square brackets (archive, collection, file, box, etc.).

General format: Surname, First Name (year[+letter]). title/description of the item. Medium. [Archive, Collection, File].

Example: Bianchi, Laura (1987). Manifesto della 44ª Mostra Internazionale d’Arte Cinematografica di Venezia. Serigrafia. [Archivio Storico della Biennale di Venezia, Fondo Manifesti, Fascicolo 44/1987].