South-Indian cinema, from its inception, has exhibited unique yet subtle moves in technology, production, distribution, consumption, spectatorship, aesthetics, and representation. In a span of more than hundred years, South-Indian cinema has exceptionally formulated its own niche within the larger contours of World cinema and the Indian film industry and has evolved as a significant cultural expression which deserves meticulous critical attention. Any contemporary approach to South-Indian cinema includes the enormous systems of stardom, fan-dom, image-nation, spectacle-spectator, economy of film production, technology, cultural politics of film production and viewership. C PRACSIS international conference on South Indian Cinema on 13 & 14 October, 2012 at the Centre for Media Studies, College Road, Thrissur, Kerala, India. This conference approached South-Indian cinema in its manifold aspects and attempts to generate meaningful deliberations on various topics associated to it by elaborating on the following issues:

Formative years
Silent movies/black and white/sangeetha natakam (musical theatre), sabha natakam (Professional theatre) and the emergence of film/evolution of film spectatorship/influence of Hindi and Tamil movies/ Madras based film industry.
Regional Cinemas
Emergence of regional film industries in India apropos of Bombay based film industry/ Cinema as popular expression in South India/ cinema and the formation of subnational identities/ subsidies and financial support by state governments.
Technology
Sound track, color, 3D, Editing, dubbing, graphics, special effects, digital film, multiplex, film projection.
Regions in Cinema
Dreamscapes: West, Middle East and other Indian cities/ nation/ Urban/ruralscapes/ City space/ tourist spaces/ etc.
Women and Representation
Women’s body/Stardom and Woman body/Gaze and Bodily features, Character types.
Cinema and Sexuality
Repression/Queer/Transgendered/ Masculine/ feminine/bi-sexual/cross-dressing           
Comedy
Alternative masculinities and femininities/Countercultures and slang/Mimicry.
Stardom
Emergence of stardom/dominant masculinities/heroines and stardom/the dying subject of stardom/physio-dynamics of stardom, the Macho
Class and ‘Caste’ing in Cinema
Religion, Caste /socio-political issues/privileged selves and others.
Film and Family
Social evolution of Nuclear Family and Spectatorship/Kids/Crisis in Cinema Family/Mythologizing the family/Woman’s entry into Cinema
Film Genres
Soft Porn/Art-house/Commercial/Documentary/Political Cinema/Campus/ Children’s Film
Music
Songs and Song sequences, lyrics, background score
Writings on Cinema
Popular/Academic
Cinema in Television and Internet
Film Societies and Festivals 
Film Promotions
Notices/Trailer/Poster/Promotional Events/Advertisements/TV Promo
Film as Industry
Banking, Distribution, Infrastructure, Technicians, Extra Artists, Stunt Artists, Trainers
Film Censorship
Movie Theatres
Technology/architecture/crisis in viewership
Adaptation
Literature/Remaking/Dubbing/Sub-titles