Mapping the Future of In(ter)dependent Cinema

Show notes

The research of cultural workers Abhishek Nilamber (curator, filmmaker) and Laura Kloeckner (curator, film producer) of United Screens has been cited in the Distribution Advocates podcast, and spotlighted at the International Documentary Association’s Getting Real conference. In this conversation, listeners can hear how Laura and Abhishek’s experiences of thinking with and collaborating with cinephile spaces and cinema practitioners across the Global South have led them to identify the core challenges faced by filmmakers today. Out of this research and a series of gatherings called Think Wells, a network of networks called Meshdia emerged with aim of designing specific protocols for an alternative cinema circulation infrastructure. Hear them share their philosophy regarding a new way forward, a path that prioritizes shared learnings, leans into our interconnectedness and interdependence, and proposes collaborations across the film ecosystem in order to maximise access to cinema. Facilitated by Firelight Media’s Documentary Lab Director, Lucy Mukerjee.

Length: 46:04 Recorded: 30 October, 2025

Host and Curator: Lucy Mukerjee Speaker: Laura Kloeckner, Abhishek Nilamber Music Composer: Marcus Lori Sound Design: Philipp Rumsch Editor and Producer: Anne Rethfeldt

The DOK Industry Podcast 2025 is realised in partnership with POC2 Programmers of Colour Collective, What’s Up With Docs Podcast and Talking Shorts, and supported by film.macht.kritisch - Der Podcast über das andere Kino.

You can find out more about our collaborators here.