Film Programmers Lab 2025: Public Talk
Organised by Objectifs x Asian Film Archive
‘No one is an island’: Film Collectives in Southeast Asia
with Anti-Archive (Cambodia) and ELSE (Thailand)
How do film collectives form, and what role do they play in the wider film industry? Hear from Anti-Archive (represented by Davy Chou) and ELSE as they delve into their origins, and how they handle aspects of care, community, and ethics as film collectives. Learn from the members of both collectives as they share about the ways a film community cultivates its audiences, as well as think about audience design and engagement amongst other related topics.
About the Speakers
Anti-Archive is a Cambodian film production company founded in 2014 by Davy CHOU, Steve CHEN, and Kavich NEANG. Daniel MATTES and PARK Sungho later joined as partners.
Anti-Archive produces and co-produces fiction and documentary films by the emerging, new generation of Cambodian filmmakers, as well as films by international, independent directors shooting in Cambodia. Deliberately provocative, the name Anti-Archive invites one to rethink the relationship of films and filmmakers with the past and history. The company recognized the need for a structure of film production in Cambodia to support young independent filmmakers, some of whom have since shown their first works internationally. Anti-Archive also initiates cinema-related programs, including Kampung Film Festival, MARG1N film magazine, Karre Mouy producer lab, Chakto Short Film Scriptwriting Lab, a weekly cine-club, and several other film programs and events.
Else is an ongoing experimental moving image screening series based in Bangkok, Thailand, founded by a group of artists and filmmakers who aspire to enrich and expand critical perspectives on alternative film practices and their ecology in Thailand. ELSE focuses on moving image works that are underrepresented and essentially pertinent to the local art and film community.
How to Join the online event
2. Objectifs will ‘photograph’ (e.g. screenshots) and audio/video record this online discussion for the purposes of documentation. We require participants to enter the Zoom call using the same name they have registered with so we may check against the registration list. You may subsequently change your username and switch off your device’s camera if you would prefer not to be photographed or recorded. We will make an announcement about this before we start any documentation.
3. Objectifs is committed to maintaining a safe and inclusive space for this online discussion. By registering for this session, participants agree to abide by the following guidelines:
– Treat all people with courtesy and respect.
– Harassment/discrimination of sexual, physical, vocal, emotional or any other nature based on gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, ability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, or religion are not appropriate.
about the film programmers lab
The Film Programmers Lab is an initiative presented by Objectifs and the Asian Film Archive. Now in its second consecutive year, the lab is a 6-month developmental platform for emerging film programmers based in Singapore. The programme will consist of a series of blended-approach workshop sessions (theory and practical), closed-door consultations, and a public talk. The programme will also provide four selected participants with mentorship and a valuable support network. Selected participants will work in pairs to eventually curate and publicly present a film programme for either Objectifs’ FreshTake! or AFA’s Singapore Shorts at the end of the workshop.
The Film Programmers Lab will run from 27 March – 31 August 2025.