As part of the official launch of Cinemata, EngageMedia on June 30 introduced the platform to an online gathering of attendees from advocacy groups, cultural institutions, civil society organisations, and groups using Video for Change. The event also provided a space to learn how the platform differentiates itself from other proprietary video platforms (most of which are from North America or Europe), with an emphasis on privacy and security.
“What we’re looking to build is a thriving platform for social and environmental issue films, a community of filmmakers and a discourse space where the conversations can happen”, said EngageMedia Executive Director Andrew Lowenthal.
Cinemata currently has almost 5,000 short films from over 30 countries covering issues such as climate change, education, conflict, gender and sexuality, food security, and more.
One of the early adopters of the new platform is the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Mae Urtal Caralde, who heads the Center’s Film, Broadcast and New Media Division, said Cinemata’s involved community of social issue advocates was a big advantage for them. “That’s the primary reason why we got interested”, Caralde said at the launch event, highlighting the importance of reaching the right audiences. “We’ve had a lot of content since 1987. We have an archive of documentary, animation, short feature, and experimental films that remains untapped because of the limited reach when we only do on-site screenings”.
The open forum at the launch event saw an enthusiastic discussion on Cinemata’s future. Work on new features and improvements is already underway. Options on the horizon include co-viewing and livestreaming, and brainstorming for monetisation options for filmmakers.
Lowenthal welcomed those who have already become part of the EngageMedia community, and extended an invitation to those yet to try Cinemata. “We want people to have a sense of ownership over this space, a platform that meets their needs. It’s a platform that we want people to take hold of and make it their own. That is our mission”, he said.
To stay updated on Cinemata’s latest videos, events, and developments, we encourage you to sign up to upload your work, and subscribe to the Cinemata newsletter.
We also invite you to:
- Contact us for potential partnerships and collaborations. Examples of collaborations include hosting and promoting screenings and film festivals on the platform, and targeted outreach for your Cinemata-hosted content to EngageMedia’s various networks. We are definitely open to exploring other kinds of partnerships.
- Follow the official Cinemata accounts on Twitter and Mastodon.
- Join the Cinemata discussions on Discourse, where members can discuss the latest videos on the platform, as well as share each other’s upcoming events and projects.
1 thought on “Cinemata Online Launch: Building a platform for social and environmental issue films”
hopefully Cinemata becomes a big success. Great platform for like-minded videos to come together and for viewers to watch content they want to see without all the commercial caprice.
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