Film festivals create spaces akin to ‘agoras’, where people gather not only to watch films but also to engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, collaborate, unlearn, and celebrate together. These spaces, centered around film and discourse, serve both local and international communities, fostering access, discussion, education, and alternative approaches to organization. However, navigating the intersections between communities, audiences, industry, and politics can often present significant challenges.

This panel brings together representatives from emerging film festivals in Central Asia and community-driven initiatives from the Asian diaspora to explore how their work contributes to building discursive and convivial spaces around film, art, and their respective communities. How do these initiatives cultivate connections between Central Asia and its diaspora? In what ways do discourses on (queer-)feminism, anti-racism, and Asianness influence their practices and actions?