Network’s preliminary findings presented at 14th Inter-Asia Cultural Studies conference, Ahmedabad University
Ahmedabad, 27-29 July 2023
Network members organised a day-long panel on VOD in South and East Asia. Themes explored: hyperlocal platforms, representation of women, and censorship. External respondent included Abhishek Jain, founder of Gujarati independent streaming platform OHO and Pritha Jha, founder of Peace and Equality Cell.
3rd VOD in South Asia network meeting
online, 24 March 2023
Network members gave an update of VOD developments in their country, drawing attention to the proliferation of hyperlocal streaming platforms offering content in regional languages.
2nd VOD in South Asia network meeting
London, 16-18 September 2022
Network members met at University of East London campus over 3 days. The issues emerged at the 1st meeting were taken up again and discussed further. The meeting resolved to focus on the presence and operation of local, language-specific VOD platforms (rather than on global, corporate ones), and to map the VOD connections between different countries within South Asia. This to pursue the network’s main research question: can VOD technology enable dialogue within South Asia and among diverse identities of the South Asian diaspora?
Opening VOD in South Asia network meeting
online, 15 May 2022
First, introductory meeting, online. Network members described the presence, operation and audience access of streaming platforms in their respective country, VODs relation to the state, and discussed shared issues and differences across the region. A transcript of the discussion was circulated to all members in preparation of the network’s 2nd meeting, in-person in London in September 2022.
Grabbing the World by the Lapels
Stratford Picture House, 14 May 2022
Public free screening of short and medium length films by independent women filmmakers from across South Asia. Part of Tongues on Fire: UK Asian Film Festival. Followed by Q&A with the filmmakers and network members.