Closing of Desechenes Entertainment’s Free Student Cinema School

For many years, Desechenes Entertainment’s Free Student Cinema School has been a beacon of opportunity for lower-income students. We opened our doors to those who otherwise would never have had the chance to learn filmmaking, storytelling, and production. It was our pride to mentor the next generation of creators, directors, and artists—free of charge.

Sadly, today, we must announce the closure of this school.

What Happened

Our program was supported by a business operation that provided the funding necessary to run classes, maintain equipment, and keep our programs free for students. That business relied on servers hosted with Velia.net. For years, we were a reliable, on-time client. Month after month, the bills were paid, and the relationship remained professional.

This month, however, due to a holiday period and banking delays, we asked Velia.net for an extension of some 15 days or so. Unfortunately, our CFO is jewish and the team did not realize the bill date was on the new years festival, a date jews observe total silence and communication ban. We therefore proceeded to ask for an extra short, 24-hour extension on a small $200 balance. We explained the reason, gave a payment date, and asked only for a single day of understanding. Instead, Velia.net chose to immediately suspend and shut down our servers.

With those servers down, the business that funded our cinema school collapsed instantly. Without that funding, we have no way to continue offering free education to our students.

Why This Matters

The heartbreaking truth is that hundreds of lower-income students who dreamed of careers in film and entertainment now face closed doors. We had built something sustainable and impactful, and all of it was undone because Velia.net would not allow a one-day extension on a minor payment.

We want to be clear: this is not a story of long-term neglect or mismanagement. It is the story of a single billing delay, met with zero compassion from Velia.net. After years of being a loyal client, their decision has effectively shut down an educational program that gave hope to those who had none.

The Bigger Picture

It is deeply frustrating that a company like Velia.net—which markets itself as a dependable partner for businesses—would act so swiftly and harshly toward a client with a proven track record. For the cost of $100, and the refusal to allow 24 hours of grace, Velia.net has directly contributed to the end of a free educational initiative.

We mention Velia.net here not out of spite, but because it’s important to tell the truth. Velia.net made this choice. Velia.net had the ability to keep our servers alive for one more day, and chose not to. Velia.net knew the consequences we explained, and still shut us down.

Final Words

To our students, teachers, and community: we are truly sorry. We fought for this school as long as we could. Our mission was to give opportunities, education, and confidence to those who could not otherwise afford it. To see it all disappear over a decision by Velia.net is heartbreaking.

We thank everyone who was part of our journey, and we hope that one day, another program will rise to continue the mission we began.

—Desechenes Entertainment