CinemataCMS 2.0.1 - Enhanced Security & Accelerated Delivery for Filmmakers


August 15, 2025

Just one month after launching CinemataCMS 2.0, we're excited to announce version 2.0.1 – a focused update that strengthens security and improves video streaming performance, especially for our Southeast Asian community.

Faster, More Secure Video Delivery

We've implemented a significant infrastructure upgrade that makes your videos load faster and stream more smoothly across the Asia-Pacific region. More importantly, this security enhancement means that if someone attempts to access direct links to your Private or Restricted videos through unauthorised methods or tries to bypass our security systems, they won't be able to stream them in their browser unless they have proper permission based on your publishing options.

This new feature is especially crucial for filmmakers working on sensitive advocacy content – your private videos now have an additional layer of technical protection beyond previous access controls.

Improved File and Media Management

We've also added URL versioning, which means when you replace video files or update images on your films, viewers will see the changes much faster than before. No more waiting for old versions to clear from caches – your updates appear immediately.

Subtitles Now Work Better

We've completely improved how subtitles work on the platform. We are aware that the previous release experienced issues with subtitle display and formatting. We have addressed these issues and revised our approach to serve subtitles more reliably. Your accessibility features should now work consistently across all videos.

A Quick Note About Video Privacy Settings

We've noticed many filmmakers are setting their videos to "Unlisted" when they actually want them to be completely private. Here's the difference:

  • Unlisted - Anyone with the direct link can watch your video (like an unlisted YouTube video)
  • Private - Only you and individuals you specifically grant access to can view this content.  
  • Restricted -This content is protected by a password you set, making it ideal for sharing with specific groups.  

For maximum privacy of sensitive content, choose "Private" or "Restricted" instead of "Unlisted." This is particularly important for advocacy work involving sensitive topics or vulnerable communities.

Two Small Issues We're Working On

We want to be transparent about two minor issues we're currently addressing:

  • Playlist Management - If you need to remove a video from a playlist, it's currently easier to move it to the bottom of the playlist first, then delete it, and reorder the remaining videos. We're working on a smoother process.
  • Email Notifications - Our system emails don't currently display the site name in the message body – we'll address this issue in the coming weeks.

These don't affect your core distribution and sharing experience, but we're working on it.

What's Coming Next: Community Features!

Here's what we're most excited about: Milestone 1 is complete! This means we've built a solid, secure foundation for the platform. Now we're moving to Milestone 2, which focuses entirely on bringing filmmakers together.

Coming in the next 6 months:

  • Enhanced community interaction tools – better ways to connect with other filmmakers
  • Collaborative features – work together on projects and share feedback
  • Enhanced content discovery – discover films and filmmakers that match your interests.  
  • Co-viewing experiences – watch and discuss films together, even when apart.  
  • Filmmaker donation system – We're integrating Xendit payment processing to enable viewers to directly support filmmakers through popular Southeast Asian payment methods, including GCash, PayMaya, and others. This feature will enable direct peer-to-peer donations across Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Every improvement we make is designed with one goal: empowering filmmakers and advocates across Southeast Asia to tell important stories safely and effectively. Whether you're documenting human rights issues, environmental challenges, or social movements, you deserve a platform that protects your work while helping it reach the right audiences.

The security enhancements in version 2.0.1 provide you with more control and protection over your content, while the performance improvements ensure that your films can be viewed clearly and quickly, regardless of your viewers' location.

Ready to Upgrade?

If you're running your own CinemataCMS installation, follow our upgrade guide to get these improvements. If you're using Cinemata.org, these changes are already live – you don't need to do anything.

Questions? Found a bug? Have ideas for new features? Reach out to our community forums or check our GitHub documentation for technical details. 

CinemataCMS continues to evolve as the platform built by and for the Asia-Pacific advocacy film community. Thank you for being part of this journey.