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AI/VR Motion Picture Guild Launches In San Francisco With International Advisory Board And First Creator Programs
Neutral global nonprofit debuts CinéLibre™ and CineSage 50+™, an International Advisory Board, and its first ethical standards resources
SAN FRANCISCO , CA, UNITED STATES, August 31, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The AI/VR Motion Picture Guild™ (AIVR MPG™) has launched as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional association dedicated to advancing the future of storytelling through artificial intelligence, virtual reality and immersive media technologies. Alongside the launch, the Guild named its founding leadership and unveiled its first two creator programs.
Founded in April 2025 and headquartered in San Francisco, the Guild is a neutral global platform for filmmakers, technologists, studios and institutions working across AI, VR and immersive cinema. It is not a labor union. It is a professional guild built to help emerging and established creators thrive as the technology reshapes the business.
A core part of its mandate is education and guidance on the ethical and fair use of AI-generated content, with the aim of preventing misuse and safeguarding creative integrity as generative tools move into mainstream production. The Guild recognizes and celebrates excellence in AI-driven narratives, virtual production, generative video and synthetic performance through workshops, memberships, professional certifications and festivals.
Leadership
Esha Bargate serves as Founder & President. An AI media entrepreneur and CEO of Esha Bargate Productions, she has pioneered AI-driven media production through global partnerships and serves as a Telly Awards judge.
Manisha Chulani serves as Treasurer. A licensed therapist and school psychologist, she guides emotionally authentic storytelling across film with a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive approach.
Jay Patel serves as Secretary. A UK-trained sustainable electrical power systems engineer with more than 10 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 develops the guidance that underpins its position on responsible AI use in production. Gary D. Rhodes, Ph.D. serves as Senior Researcher and Priya Parikh serves as Researcher.
Under the Council, AIVR MPG is launching two reng practice materials for AI-assisted productions, and the Architectural AI/VR Filmmaking Guide, which sets out 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.
The Guild’s AI Meets Cinema is a Global Interview series is 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.
The Guild has also launched an International Advisory Board, structured around five regions — North America, Africa, South Asia, Latin America and East Asia — to keep governance and program design grounded in the realities of each market rather than in a single national perspective.
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 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
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