Cinemata is a video platform for social issue films about the Asia-Pacific. With over 6,000 user-contributed films from more than 30 countries, Cinemata aims to bring to the forefront critical but often overlooked narratives about pressing issues in the region, such as climate change, conflict, freedom of speech, gender and sexuality, food security, and more.
Filmmakers and contributors are encouraged to open an account on Cinemata and upload their films of any genre at any time, provided they adhere to our Editorial Policy. Cinemata works similarly to modern video platforms, offering a wide array of features that cater to diverse user needs, all for free:
Trusted Users get more features such as a wider array of publishing options, efficient uploads, AI transcription, English translation, and password-protection of content. Learn more below.
With a team of curators, Cinemata promotes collaboration among filmmakers, advocacy groups, human rights defenders, educators, and audiences through various initiatives such as film screenings, archiving, curation, outreach, and promotion.
“Cinemata” comes from the combination of “cine”, which means “motion picture”, and “mata”, which means “eye” in several regional languages:
“Cinemata” represents our focus on highlighting Asia-Pacific perspectives and connecting issues, films, and filmmakers in the region.
The rights to the videos uploaded on Cinemata remain with the creators, preserving their ownership. It is essential to clarify that Cinemata does not claim ownership of the user-contributed films.
Cinemata is also committed to open sharing through Creative Commons licensing, allowing filmmakers to decide whether their content is accessible for non-profit or commercial use. When you upload your content, you can select a Creative Commons license that aligns with your intentions.
While many videos on Cinemata are shared under Creative Commons licensing, some may also be distributed with the "All Rights Reserved'' license. This indicates that the filmmakers retain full copyright and ownership of their content, limiting its usage to what is explicitly permitted by the copyright holder.
These approaches ensure that both open and more regulated licenses are accommodated, catering to a wide range of content creators' preferences.
For viewers, the specific license information for each video is conveniently provided at the bottom of the video page, ensuring transparency and clarity. Learn more about our open content policy and options here.
Cinemata extends beyond the conventional scope of a video platform, driven by a dedicated team of curators committed to cultivating a diverse and engaged community of filmmakers and audiences. The efforts of the Cinemata curatorial team include:
The playlist feature allows users to organize community screenings, create tailored educational experiences within classrooms, and engage audiences in diverse learning environments.
Whether curating their own films or creating a playlist of publicly available videos from other users on the platform, this feature provides the flexibility to build and share customized playlists, enhancing the viewing experience and enabling seamless sharing of content.
Learn how to create playlists on Cinemata with this step-by-step tutorial.
Cinemata's diverse audience encompasses a wide range of individuals and groups who share a common interest in socially impactful content.
This includes filmmakers and video collectives seeking a platform to showcase their work, educators, researchers, looking for thought-provoking material and valuable resources for educational purposes, human rights and environmental advocates and activists dedicated to raising awareness on critical issues, as well as film festivals, film curators, and film initiatives seeking to showcase new content that are relevant to their causes. Additionally, civil society and nonprofit organisations utilise Cinemata to disseminate their messages and promote their causes to a broader audience.
Check out the Cinemata Partners Page to learn more about our growing community.
Trusted Users are not just regular account holders. They play a crucial role in upholding the platform's vision, which revolves around social issue films centred on the Asia-Pacific region. These users deeply understand the platform's core focus and are granted a special privilege - the ability to publish their videos to the public without requiring review.
Trusted User accounts come with unique advantages:
Becoming a Cinemata Trusted User is an excellent opportunity for social issue filmmakers, film programmers, community media outfits, and advocacy groups who wish to publish their works effortlessly.
Trusted User access is free! Contact Cinemata's curatorial team at contact@cinemata.org to become one.
Explore the advantages of the Cinemata Trusted Users accounts here.
Cinemata provides its platform and services for free due to public funding, which allows us to continue our advocacy in highlighting underrepresented voices and narratives, extending the reach and impact of our content to a global audience, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region.
To support Cinemata and contribute to our advocacy, you can visit our Donate page for more information on how to get involved.
Our commitment to open and secure technology ensures that your privacy and security are respected whenever you use our ad-free platform.
Cinemata is developed and managed by EngageMedia, a nonprofit that promotes digital rights, open and secure technology, and and video for change.
Developed by WordGames in partnership with EngageMedia, Cinemata is built on MediaCMS, “a modern, fully-featured open source video and media CMS”.
Cinemata is the result of the redevelopment of EngageMedia’s previous video site, which once hosted the videos in Cinemata today. This previous site was based on Plumi, an open source “video-sharing content management system based on Plone and produced by EngageMedia in collaboration with Unweb.me”.
If you’re interested in Cinemata’s source code, check out MediaCMS on GitHub. You can also read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
As Cinemata continuously evolves to meet the needs of its users, exciting upcoming features are set to enhance the platform's functionality and user experience.
Cinemata welcomes collaboration opportunities with filmmakers, advocacy groups, educational institutions, and film festivals for both online and onsite film screenings. Our commitment extends to collaborating on film curations, creating playlists, and engaging in various video-for-change related activities.
If you share our passion for video for change and wish to collaborate, please reach out to the Cinemata curatorial team at contact@cinemata.org.