CineJourneys is an immersive film experience that is For Cinephiles, By Cinephiles.
CineJourneys presents shared, interactive experiences where we collectively embark on an exploration of all things cinema.
This place is for cinephiles, and was built by cinephiles. We aim to root this platform in the shared love of cinematic experiences, and that informs what we program and discuss. We are motivated by what resonates, and want this to be enjoyable while inspiring creative thought.
The Creators of CineJourneys
Jill Blake and Aaron West created CineJourneys after working together on their podcast Criterion Now, which Aaron founded in 2017 and later invited Jill to co-host in 2021.
We decided to create CineJourneys after seeing changes in the online film community, especially on social media. While we’ve had great interactions on those platforms, the overall experience was unpleasant. There was too much noise, too much negativity, and not enough of what makes the film community special. We wanted more engagement in the form of thoughtful discussion and camaraderie, but realized that what we wanted did not exist.
In 2022, we set forth on building what we wanted to exist — an inclusive community of cinephiles who are respectful of different views and opinions. Our approach is to dig deeper into a topic and try to understand it better. As writers, bloggers, and podcasters, we found it extremely rewarding to consume and discuss specific topics, so we created a platform that facilitates that. Some might think of this as a film club, but we see it as a community of explorers who are interested in the essence of cinema as art.