I wish I could set as cozy a scene as Matt did at Thanksgiving, but unfortunately, I’m in the office as I write this, fighting off the glare of giant overhead white lights (I much prefer warmer light, and I’m not sure why that’s not the norm?). 

Still, there’s no better place to take nostalgia-tinted walks down memory lane than when you’re procrastinating. Ironically, in my attempt to procrastinate via daydreaming, I ended up here. 

It’s December, which means my brain is contractually obligated to drift into sentimental territory (it happens often anyway). Something about the colder days, earlier nights, and the general “everyone is slightly exhausted but pretending it’s festive” vibe makes nostalgia inevitable.

And because I’m apparently incapable of daydreaming without turning it into work (a tragedy, I know), I ended up thinking about this time of year and how it’s always framed as a kind of reset. Not in a dramatic "rebirth of the cosmos" way, but maybe in an “okay, we made it through another year, let’s try again” way.

That’s the version of “rebirth” I like, just a little less pressure, a little more value for the time and effort we’ve been putting into our lives the past year. 

And because I end up turning my daydreaming into work, it made me think that’s how this moment at DCP feels. The industry has been in a long season of “figuring itself out,” and finally (finally) there’s this sense of movement again.

DCP+ is at the heart of that. Not the dramatic saviour of cinema (we'll leave that to the think pieces), but a real, practical next step for filmmakers who have been waiting for something to break the cycle. A platform that actually gives creators momentum instead of draining it. It’s literally, in every meaning, what’s next. 

And being part of building that? It’s made me feel that small, hopeful reset too. The kind where you look at the year ahead and think “I have a plan”. There are things worth making. There are people worth building with, and for. 

So, from my over-lit office, squinting into the fluorescent void, I’m entering 2026 with warmth (in spite of the lighting design) grateful, excited, and genuinely honoured to be part of this shift.

Here’s to the return of the light, the long-awaited momentum, and a year that already feels brighter. 🥂✨

Happy Holidays everyone, 

With love, 

Fatima 

I wish I could set as cozy a scene as Matt did at Thanksgiving, but unfortunately, I’m in the office as I write this, fighting off the glare of giant overhead white lights (I much prefer warmer light, and I’m not sure why that’s not the norm?). 

Still, there’s no better place to take nostalgia-tinted walks down memory lane than when you’re procrastinating. Ironically, in my attempt to procrastinate via daydreaming, I ended up here. 

It’s December, which means my brain is contractually obligated to drift into sentimental territory (it happens often anyway). Something about the colder days, earlier nights, and the general “everyone is slightly exhausted but pretending it’s festive” vibe makes nostalgia inevitable.

And because I’m apparently incapable of daydreaming without turning it into work (a tragedy, I know), I ended up thinking about this time of year and how it’s always framed as a kind of reset. Not in a dramatic "rebirth of the cosmos" way, but maybe in an “okay, we made it through another year, let’s try again” way.

That’s the version of “rebirth” I like, just a little less pressure, a little more value for the time and effort we’ve been putting into our lives the past year. 

And because I end up turning my daydreaming into work, it made me think that’s how this moment at DCP feels. The industry has been in a long season of “figuring itself out,” and finally (finally) there’s this sense of movement again.

DCP+ is at the heart of that. Not the dramatic saviour of cinema (we'll leave that to the think pieces), but a real, practical next step for filmmakers who have been waiting for something to break the cycle. A platform that actually gives creators momentum instead of draining it. It’s literally, in every meaning, what’s next. 

And being part of building that? It’s made me feel that small, hopeful reset too. The kind where you look at the year ahead and think “I have a plan”. There are things worth making. There are people worth building with, and for. 

So, from my over-lit office, squinting into the fluorescent void, I’m entering 2026 with warmth (in spite of the lighting design) grateful, excited, and genuinely honoured to be part of this shift.

Here’s to the return of the light, the long-awaited momentum, and a year that already feels brighter. 🥂✨

Happy Holidays everyone, 

With love, 

Fatima