Shaping Cinemata's Next Chapter: A Look at the Community Convening Programme

Following our announcement of the first Cinemata Community Convening, we’re sharing a closer look at the conversations, screenings, and working sessions that will shape the two-day gathering.

Taking place on June 10–11, 2026 at the University of the Philippines BGC Campus in Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, the convening brings together filmmakers, curators, educators, technologists, and advocates from across the Asia-Pacific to exchange practices, reflect on Cinemata’s evolution, surface what the platform still needs to do better, and shape how Cinemata is governed and sustained going forward.

Day 1 on June 10 focuses on shared exchange, with panels, partner sessions, a film screening, community activities, and the launch of Cinemata 3.0. Day 2 on June 11 is a closed working session where Cinemata’s Curation, Technology, and Sustainability working groups will convene to develop concrete proposals for the platform’s next phase.

This is an invitation-only event. If you would like to attend and have not received an invitation, you may send a request to [email protected]. Invited guests may confirm their attendance through the RSVP form.

Programme

Day 1 — Shared Exchange

June 10, 2026 • 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM • UP BGC, Taguig City, Manila

9:00 – 9:20

Welcome and the Living Map

Participants write their organisation and one phrase — what brought you to Cinemata — on a post-it and place it on a large printed Asia-Pacific map. The map stays on the wall throughout the day.

Jen Tarnate

9:20 – 9:50

Opening Keynote: Why Community-Governed Platforms Matter Now

A keynote address framing the stakes: why open-source, community-governed platforms matter as civic space contracts across the Asia-Pacific, and what Cinemata represents in that landscape.

Arul Prakkash (Malaysia), video advocacy specialist and human rights defender

9:50 – 11:00

Opening Plenary: Cinemata at the Crossroads

A panel conversation grounding everyone in where Cinemata is and where it could go — as regional infrastructure, as a platform in transition, and as a community taking shared responsibility for its governance.

Martin Potter, Cinemata Steering Committee
Ekemini Mark, Kumquat Designs
King Catoy, Cinemata Development Lead
Adryan Eka Vandra, Cinemata Dev Ops (recorded video)
Eunice Helera, Cinemata Curator and Programmer
Facilitator: Jen Tarnate

11:00 – 11:15 • Break

11:15 – 11:50

Where Do Short Films Go? Archiving, value, and what Cinemata still needs

Most short films and activist videos reach their audience in a few key moments, and then quietly recede. This session opens an honest conversation about that gap, what Cinemata already offers filmmakers who archive their work on the platform, what it still lacks, and what would need to change for more filmmakers to see it as the right home for their work.

Aanchal Kapur (India)
Saul Chan Htoo Sang (Myanmar)
Mervine Aquino (Philippines)
Joanne Cesario (Philippines)
Facilitated by Eunice Helera (Philippines)

11:50 – 12:30

Partner Exchange: Curating Across Borders

Regional curators from across the Asia-Pacific share their curation contexts and what they have learned from working with Cinemata, followed by an open exchange on what community-facing curation requires.

Aghniadi (Indonesia)
Nadira Ilana (Malaysia)
Maitreya Penkar (Thailand)
Christ Dustly Go (Philippines)
Farhana Farha (Bangladesh)
Facilitated by Jen Tarnate (Philippines)

12:30 – 1:30 • Lunch

1:30 – 2:00

Cinemata in 90 Seconds — Lightning Round

Eight participants, 90 seconds each. One story, one film, one moment that defines their relationship with Cinemata. No slides, no notes.

Syakirah Ahmad, Freedom Film Network (Malaysia)
Hanzen Jornales, Sigamata, CinemataCMS for Mindanao films (Philippines)
Mayday Multimedia (Philippines)
Chapterhouse.ph (Philippines)
Martin Potter (Australia)
Bea Mariano (Philippines)
Naufal Andriawan (Indonesia)
More TBC
Facilitated by Aghniadi

2:00 – 2:45

Cinemata in Practice: Platforms Are Made by Their Partners

Short perspectives from civil society partners, institutional collaborators, funders, and security auditors on what Cinemata makes possible and where they see it heading.

Dyan Mae Cortez, Open Tech Fund
Minda Casagan, CCP Gawad Alternatibo (Philippines)
Nadira Ilana (Malaysia)
Facilitated by King Catoy (Philippines)

2:45 – 3:20

Film Screening: Dark Zomia + Q&A

Screening of Dark Zomia, a new short film from the Tech Tales Youth collection set along the Myanmar–Thailand border, followed by a Q&A with the Director, Producer, and Digital Rights Adviser.

Director: Saul Chan Htoo Sang
Producer: Bernadette Moon Shine
Tech Tales Youth Myanmar Project Team: Yin Maung and King Catoy

3:20 – 3:35 • Break

3:35 – 4:05

Introducing the Governance Document

A walk-through of the Cinemata Governance Document: what Cinemata is, what it will not do, how working groups function, and how the community participates in platform decision-making. Open for reactions and questions.

King Catoy

4:05 – 4:35

Joining the Rhizome — Community Membership Ceremony

Participants sign a printed community charter and identify which working group they are joining: Curation, Technology, or Sustainability. A formal but open moment of community formation.

Cinemata Community

4:35 – 4:55

Closing Plenary: Synthesis and Signals

Key insights from across the day’s sessions are gathered and synthesised. A preview of what Day 2 working groups will take on and what they are expected to produce.

Jen Tarnate

4:55 – 5:00

Brief close and logistics for Day 2.

Jen Tarnate

Day 2 — Working Groups and Co-Creation

June 11, 2026 • 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM • UP BGC, Taguig City, Manila • Closed session

Day 2 is a closed working session for confirmed Cinemata community members. Three working groups convene simultaneously: the Curation Working Group, focused on editorial practice and community curation at a regional scale; the Technology Working Group, focused on platform development priorities and open-source contribution; and the Sustainability Working Group, focused on governance, fundraising, and long-term organisational models. Working groups report back in a closing plenary, and the Cinemata team commits to a written summary within two weeks.

The Cinemata Community Convening 2026 is part of an ongoing effort to shape Cinemata as a shared, community-driven platform for socially engaged film and civic dialogue across the Asia-Pacific.

More than a standalone event, the convening is intended as a space for reflection, collaboration, and long-term stewardship among the people and communities who continue to shape Cinemata’s future.