June Guangzhou Gathering
Three hours that ran long: a tea-farming filmmaker from Guiyang, a sci-fi script born in a science class, and a room that didn't want to leave.
The June Gathering ran the way the good ones do. People came for an hour, then forgot to go home.
For anyone who has not been to one yet, here is the shape of a CCC Gathering. It is roughly three hours, and the location moves around the city. The first hour is just people in a room, food and drinks in hand, the easy part. Then we run the program: fifteen to thirty minutes of news from the industry and the collective, introductions for anyone joining us for the first time, and then the floor opens. Members grab the mic and talk about what they are making. After that, back to the part where you actually meet people. The room tends to hold on for a few more hours after we wrap the program, and June was no exception.
The site is live
The big news from the collective: the CCC website is finally up and running. We put it on the screen at the Gathering and walked the room through how it looks and how it is going to work, the place you are reading this right now. It has been a long time coming. If you are on this page, you have already found it. Have a dig around.
Two more moments made the night.
A new face from a long way off
Adriaan made the trip in from Guiyang to introduce himself, which is no small drive. He is a filmmaker and director from South Africa, where he spent over a decade in the commercial industry before relocating to Guiyang with his wife. These days the two of them run a tea business, and they have built a whole world of storytelling around it: an annual magazine, plus a run of genuinely beautiful episodes shot for their brand, Grass People Tree.
Go and watch the work. It is the kind of patient, well-framed filmmaking that reminds you why you picked up a camera in the first place: Grass People Tree on YouTube.
A sci-fi script that started in a science class
When the floor opened, Matt and Truston pitched the room on “The Nobles,” a sci-fi project they are writing together. The concept comes from the noble gases. Matt has admitted the idea arrived while he was supposed to be taking notes in science class, which is the most honest origin story we have heard in a while.
They are aiming to put it on its feet with a table read soon, and they want voices in the room. So this is the open call: if you are an actor, or just curious and want to see a script find its legs, put your hand up. Reach out to us and we will connect you with Matt and Truston. Table reads are how scripts find out what they actually are. Come be part of one.
See you at the next one
That is a Gathering. New people, real projects, and a room that keeps talking long after the official bit is done. If you missed June, do not miss the next one. Watch the WeChat Official Account and Xiaohongshu for the date, and come introduce yourself. The mic is open.