A neutral worldwide nonprofit introduces CinéLibre™ and CineSage 50+™, an International Advisory Board, and its initial ethical standards materials
SAN FRANCISCO , CA, UNITED STATES, August 31, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The AI/VR Motion Picture Guild™ (AIVR MPG™) has officially launched as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional association focused on advancing storytelling through artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and immersive media. Alongside its debut, the Guild announced its founding leadership and rolled out its first two creator programs.
Established in April 2025 and based in San Francisco, the Guild operates as a neutral worldwide platform for filmmakers, technologists, studios, and institutions working across AI, VR, and immersive cinema. It is not a labor union. Instead, it is a professional guild designed to help both emerging and seasoned creators thrive as technology reshapes the industry.
A core part of its mission involves education and guidance around the ethical and fair use of AI-generated content, aiming to prevent misuse and protect creative integrity as generative tools enter mainstream production. Through workshops, memberships, professional certifications, and festivals, the Guild recognizes and celebrates excellence in AI-driven narratives, virtual production, generative video, and synthetic performance.
Leadership
Esha Bargate serves as Founder & President. An AI media entrepreneur and CEO of Esha Bargate Productions, she has driven AI-based media production through global partnerships and currently serves as a Telly Awards judge.
Manisha Chulani serves as Treasurer. A licensed therapist and school psychologist, she guides emotionally authentic storytelling in film using a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive methodology.
Jay Patel serves as Secretary. A UK-trained sustainable electrical power systems engineer with over ten years of experience, he is also an actor with credits in film, television, and theater.
Christopher A. Greer serves as Head of Strategic Partnerships, leading the Guild’s studio, festival, and institutional alliances.
Ethical Standards Council
The Guild’s Ethical Standards Council creates the guidance that shapes its stance on responsible AI use in production. Gary D. Rhodes, Ph.D., holds the position of Senior Researcher, and Priya Parikh serves as Researcher.
Under the Council, AIVR MPG is releasing two resources: the AIVR MPG Resource Materials, a working library of practice materials for AI-assisted productions, and the Architectural AI/VR Filmmaking Guide, which details how to structure an immersive production from concept through delivery. Both will be available to members and free to download.
“Ethics must be the foundation of all filmmaking, now more than ever,” said Gary D. Rhodes, Ph.D., Senior Researcher on the Ethical Standards Council.
Programs
CinéLibre™ — Freedom To Create, Freedom To Tell. CinéLibre empowers filmmakers with disabilities through AI tools, training, mentorship, and opportunities to create, collaborate, and inspire. Built around three stages — Create, Produce and Showcase — the program removes physical and financial barriers that have long kept disabled artists out of production pipelines. Inclusive. Creative. Limitless. An inaugural workshop is coming soon; date and location TBD.
CineSage 50+™ — You Are A True Asset. CineSage 50+ supports senior filmmakers 50 and over through AI tools, training, and mentorship, helping them create, collaborate, and inspire without losing the value of their experience. It offers hands-on AI filmmaking tools training, desktop-based production that lets members create and deliver AI commercials from home, workforce re-entry support, and mentorship alongside the next generation. Membership is free. An introductory webinar is coming soon; date and location TBD.
AI Meets Cinema
The Guild’s AI Meets Cinema is a Global Interview series hosted by Pablo Ignacio, Bo Roche, and Jacqui Winsor, with post production led by video editors Samuel Anderson, Jeromey Martínez, and Cameron Whitaker. Jamie Hanson, former producer of the series, oversaw production, coordinated guests, and set editorial direction.
International Advisory Board
The Guild has also launched an International Advisory Board, structured around five regions — North America, Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and East Asia — to ensure governance and program design reflect each market’s distinct realities rather than a single national viewpoint.
Dr Queen Blessing Ebigieson of the Association of Movie Producers, Nigeria, is the first member to join, taking the Africa seat. Remaining regional appointments will be announced on a rolling basis.
In its first year, the Guild has built a network reaching North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia, with coalition partners including the Association of Movie Producers (AMP) Nigeria, the SHAIKE Film Festival in La Ciotat, France, Epic ACG Fest in the U.S., and Studiovity in India. Latin America is next.
“Filmmakers over 50 carry decades of instinct you cannot download, and the industry needs them for future creations with the help of AI. We can’t left them out,” said Esha Bargate, Founder & President of the AI/VR Motion Picture Guild. “That is why CineSage 50+ says it plainly: you are a true asset. We are teaching these tools so our senior members can come back quickly and work shoulder to shoulder with the next generation.”
“CinéLibre is about access,” Bargate added. “With AI tools running on an ordinary desktop, a filmmaker with a disability can learn, produce and showcase real work without the physical demands a traditional set requires, and stand out in the market on the strength of the story. This technology is moving fast. We would rather bring these communities along with it than watch them be left behind.”
That philosophy extends to the Guild’s partnership strategy. Christopher A. Greer, Head of Strategic Partnerships, is building alliances with studios, festivals, and training institutions designed to give members a direct path from workshop to production credit. “With AI becoming more and more a part of our lives, we must embrace the new technologies and blend it with our own passions,” Greer said.
“Generative AI and spatial computing shouldn’t be walled gardens,” said Samuel Anderson, Senior UX Motion Designer at the AI/VR Motion Picture Guild. “CineSage 50+ bridges the gap, giving veteran storytellers the practical workflows they need to command modern AI pipelines without losing the discipline of traditional filmmaking.”
Membership And Community
Membership in the Guild is free. Alongside the launch, AIVR MPG has opened a global online community on Discord and WhatsApp, giving members in every region a single place to share work, find collaborators, and get help with the tools between workshops and festivals.
Membership and program details are available at https://aivrmotionpicture.org/
Media Contact
Esha Bargate | Founder & President
hello@aivrmotionpicture.org
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Esha Bargate | Founder & President
AI/VR Motion Picture Guild
hello@aivrmotionpicture.org
