What are Gatherings?

Gatherings are low-key, self-organized screening and discussion groups that bring the spirit of the Flaherty Seminar to communities around the world. They're designed to be flexible and responsive to local contexts and resources — featuring at least one of the five ONWARD! Programs followed by a thoughtful discussion with other local participants.

Gatherings in 2025 were hosted by generous and ingenious Flaherty community members around the globe who volunteer not only their spaces—whether living rooms or cultural centers—but also their time and energy to organize and facilitate these community events.

2025 Public Gathering Locations

United States

Atlanta, Georgia
Detroit, Michigan
Humboldt, California
Johnson City, Tennessee
Kansas City, Missouri
Miami, Florida
Minneapolis or St. Paul, Minnesota
Saint Louis, Missouri
Saratoga Springs, New York

International

Buenos Aires, Argentina
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Istanbul, Turkey
Kazuno City, Akita - Japan
La Paz, Bolivia
Lima, Perú
Melbourne, Australia
Mexico City - WAITLIST
Montevideo, Uruguay
San Sebastián, Spain
Trinidad and Tobago
Vienna, Austria
Vilnius, Lithuania

  • Between June 26th and July 31st, our community members hosted free (or by-donation) screenings across various locations. To participate, participants were asked to browse the list below to find a Gathering near them, then complete an RSVP form. The local host reached out with all the details needed, including exact dates and location. Since these intimate events had limited capacity, we encouraged early sign-up as space was not guaranteed.

  • While more informal than our official Pods, Gatherings are a vital part of the Flaherty's decentralized vision.

    While both supported our community-centered approach to film programming, Gatherings and Pods have important distinctions:

    Gatherings:

    • Feature at least one ONWARD! Program (not necessarily all five)

    • Consist of shorter, more flexible screening experiences

    • Self-organized by community members between June 26 and July 31 (not necessarily during the Seminar)

    • Held in informal spaces like living rooms or community centers

    • Free or by donation

    Pods:

    • Include all five ONWARD! Programs, offering the complete Flaherty experience

    • Synchronous with the NYC Seminar, June 26-29th.

    • Feature structured, hour-long discussions for each program

    • Facilitated by local artists, scholars, thinkers, and community members

    • Follow a more robust format with consistent participation

    • Established through an official partnership and ongoing collaboration with the Flaherty

    • Pod registrations include Online Experience.

    Interested in joining a Pod? From June 26 to 29, people in Salaya, New Delhi, Warsaw, Porto, Lisbon, Bogotá, Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles will gather daily to watch Seminar programs and participate in discussions with local participants. Find your Pod!

    Both approaches are vital expressions of our decentralized vision, offering different yet complementary ways to engage with our programming.

  • We invited Gathering attendees to register for the Online Experience for access to the complete programs, complimentary readings and materials, as well as online-only discussion and connection opportunities. We offered a discounted Online Experience registration rate to all Gathering attendees, especially those with low income, and to those who provided an in-kind contribution to their group (for example: snacks or beverages for the group).

rsvp for a gathering

Find a Gathering near you:

Participants were invited to find a community hosting a Gathering near them in the list below. If they found a Gathering they were interested in joining, they could fill out our RSVP Form to receive more information from the host. In June, the local host contacted participants with more details, including dates, location(s), and any additional information needed.

 

Want to host a Gathering in the future?

Read our Gathering Host info sheet and, if it sounds like something you are willing to take on, send us an email with the subject line ‘ FUTURE GATHERING HOST INTEREST’ at info@theflaherty.org for more information.