On 'Sinners': Mini-Conference
On Sinners: Trans-Disciplinarity and Belonging — A Mini-Conference and Film Screening
Day One:
April 9, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:45 p.m.
Fordham University at Lincoln Center | Tiered Lecture Hall 333 (overflow: 334)
140 West 62nd Street | New York, NY 10023
Opening Remarks: Michele Prettyman — Assistant Professor of Film and Media Studies, Fordham University
Roundtable Discussions I & II: Student Reflections on Film, Sound, Religion and the Unmaking of the Horror Genre
Refreshments served 5:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Day Two:
April 10, 2026 | 4:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Fordham University at Rose Hill | Keating First
441 E Fordham Road | Bronx, NY 10458
4:00 – 6:20 p.m.: Film Screening of Sinners — Written and Directed by Ryan Coogler
6:30 – 7:00 p.m.: Refreshments & Intermission
7:00 – 8:00 pm · Roundtable Conversation: Racquel Gates · Kathryn Reklis · Michele Prettyman · Rufus Burnett, Jr.
8:00 – 8:30 pm: Q&A
Reception: Duane Library 1st Floor
About the Mini-Conference
Ryan Coogler's Sinners (2025) has captivated audiences and critics alike, weaving together horror, blues music, Southern U.S. Geographies, and American religion into a singular cinematic vision.
This free mini-conference hosted by Fordham's theology and communications and media studies departments, and sponsored by the CRC, brings together scholars, students, and film enthusiasts to examine what the film reveals about belonging, sound, and the sacred — spanning two campuses over two days.
Day One (6:00-8:45 p.m.) at Lincoln Center opens with student-led roundtable discussions situating Sinners within broader conversations about trans-disciplinarity, inviting perspectives from film studies, religion, media studies, and the humanities at large. Day Two (4:00-8:30 p.m.) at Rose Hill features a full screening followed by a roundtable conversation with Fordham University faculty and special guest Racquel Gates, Associate Professor of Film, Columbia University.