Registration for the free-to-attend CINECommunity workshops will open on December 25, 2025.
Advanced Media Trading has announced the return of CINECommunity, set to take place from January 15 to 17, 2026, marking the next edition of its biannual digital cinema gathering. The event is being organised in collaboration with Courtyard Art & Community Centre and in partnership with Analog The Room, aligning with the UAE Year of Community and celebrating the region’s growing and diverse creative ecosystem.
Designed as a platform to highlight collaboration across every stage of film production, CINECommunity emphasises the collective roles and shared responsibilities behind cinematic storytelling. The three-day open-house event will be hosted at Advanced Media’s UAE headquarters in Dubai and will feature nine digital cinema workshops addressing topics ranging from cinematic lighting after dark and digital intermediate workflows to sustainability-focused filmmaking initiatives.
For the first time, half of the workshops will be led by experienced female professionals, including Los Angeles–based cinematographer Sarah Winters, Cairo-based director of photography Zeina Khalil, and Abu Dhabi’s first sustainable production advisor, Nena Ostrogovic. The programme will also see the return of previous instructors Fouad Aoun and Nikita Petsa, alongside new contributors such as the team from Magic Lab, a Prague-headquartered picture post-production and VFX studio.
As part of this edition, Advanced Media is paying tribute to the Courtyard Art & Community Centre, a long-standing cultural landmark in Dubai’s Al Quoz district. Conceived and built between 1992 and 1998 by designer, architect and photographer Dariush Zandi, the Courtyard has long served as a hub for art, culture and community engagement. Zandi will lead a seminar on the importance of community in the creative process on January 16, with Advanced Media’s premises transformed to echo the Courtyard’s distinctive landscape. In addition, a breakfast and broadcast session showcasing the Red Cine-Broadcast module, featuring the RED V-RAPTOR XL, will be held at the Courtyard Playhouse on January 15, ahead of CINECommunity’s official opening.
The partnership with Analog The Room adds an additional layer to the event by bridging analog and digital practices. Known for preserving the craftsmanship and aesthetic of film photography, the lab will host a workshop titled “Journey Through Camera Evolution and Hands On with All Formats,” led by photographer, engineer and founder Mohammed Kamal, giving participants a practical exploration of camera formats across generations.
Kaveh Farnam, co-founder and Chairperson, Advanced Media Trading, said: “Cinema, or any other creative production, is inherently collaborative. We wanted to emphasise the importance of community and teamwork. It has always been a mission of Advanced Media to position ourselves as facilitators and supporters. CINECommunity is yet another step towards that.”
Dariush Zandi, Designer, Architect, Photographer and Founder of Courtyard, added: “We do things because we need to achieve something, and sometimes you realise that it is not only your need but also the need of many people, the need of a community. I am so glad that Courtyard is becoming a part of CINECommunity because we are all about community.”
Advanced Media will be opening registration for CINECommunity workshops on December 25, 2025. The free-to-attend workshops are 90 minutes each and conducted in Advanced Media’s showroom and training space. The showroom remains open to the general public from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm every day and expected to receive 300 and 500 visitors. While the event is brand agnostic, there will be representation from well-known brands such as Sony, DJI, RED, Zeiss, Atomos and exceptional products would be highlighted.
