Arts and Culture Sierra Leone Project #17778

WeOwnTV: Idriss Kpange Filmmaker Fellowship

by Mirabel Pictures / WeOwnTV

WeOwnTV: Idriss Kpange Filmmaker Fellowship

Project Report | Feb 12, 2016
The WeOwnTV Story Challenge

By Banker White | WeOwnTV Executive Director

Thank you so much for your continued support of the filmmakers at the WeOwnTV, Freetown Media Center. Over the past six years we have grown as an organization to be able to support improving the media literacy, civic engagement and digital production skills that facilitate meaningful workforce development in Sierra Leone. Since the Spring of 2014, our philosophy that no one is more qualified to help Sierra Leoneans than Sierra Leoneans themselves took on new resonance as we continued our work in the context of the Ebola crisis.

In June of 2014 we turned our full attention to the unfolding Ebola epidemic. Filmmakers at the WeOwnTV, Freetown Media Center and local media makers from across the sub-region (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) all played a major role in creating life saving educational material and in reporting on the crisis as events unfolded. Through this period our capacity as a media organization has also grown and we are absolutely thrilled to announce the WeOwnTV Story Challenge a new program we recently launched that aims to broaden the reach of our programs and continue building on this recent growth.

"We have been in this together, we have struggled together and we will WRITE OUR HISTORY together." WeOwnTV Manager Arthur Pratt.

Arthur Pratt watching news coverage of the WeOwnTV Story Challenge press conference.

The WeOwnTV Story Challenge is a regional film fund supporting the production of independent documentaries directed by Guinean, Sierra Leonean and Liberian filmmakers. The goal of the challenge is to help amplify and support important voices within the West African indigenous media sector. We are looking to award a diverse group of filmmakers and encouraging applications female directors, and filmmakers from both rural and urban settings.

CAMPAIGN MISSION

The WeOwnTV Story Challenge award will provide selected filmmakers with cash assistance, professional mentoring and distribution opportunities, while also promoting important ideas and perspectives that support the political right to free speech, and reinforce a culture of creativity and intellectual freedom.

Isata Kabia in production in Kenema, Sierra Leone.

Here are a few things you can do to help support this new initiative.

Help us reach our fundraising goal by sharing our GlobalGiving campaign with others and by considering an additional donation using the link 'GIVE NOW" link provided below.

SHARE this opportunity with your network to help spread the word.

You can use our photos, radio ads and videos to share this contest with your network! Download everything you need from our media kit here.

Suggested tweet: Calling all filmmakers from #Guinea #SierraLeone #Liberia Apply here to get your film idea funded! weowntv.org/contest

With Gratitude,

Banker White

Links:

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Dec 1, 2015
#GivingTuesday: Celebrating new beginnings at the WeOwnTV Freetown Media Center

By Banker White | Executive Director

Today is the Day: #GivingTuesday

Thank you so much for your continued support of the filmmakers at the WeOwnTV, Freetown Media Center. Because of your support they have proven the value of quality indigenous media production during the ebola outbreak. During the Ebola outbreak the team created a lifesaving series of PSA’s about the disease. Michael Khargbo, head of Sierra Leones national television station (SLBC) called their educational films, “by far the most effective material he has seen.”

Now the team is creating documentary media to tell the story of the outbreak from a local perspective as well as keeping the world engaged in the post Ebola reality of West Africa. Your donation will help build a healthy culture of independent media by providing a safe space and access to professional equipment to a broad network of hardworking West African journalists and filmmakers.

TODAY, #GivingTuesday, we are helping them build a brighter future. Our goal this #GivingTuesday is to raise enough funds to outfit their new center. Funds will go towards two new editing suites, a new 5k Honda generator with proper line conditioners and connecting them to newly available high-speed Internet.

We have raised over $20,000 of our $35,000 goal. Our project has also been selected by Global Giving to receive 100% matching up to $1000 per donor!!! Help us close the gap TODAY and make their dream for the new media center a reality.

I WANT TO GIVE

All donations are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE and we are now set up to receive STOCK DONATIONS. For stock donations please contact Emily emily@weowntv.org.

Please help spread the word. We put together a selection of Facebook posts and tweets for you to share HERE.

A message from the WeOwnTV, Freetown Media Center manager, Arthur Pratt. Watch here: https://vimeo.com/147422609

Thank you for your time and compassion.

With Gratitude,
Banker, Anna, Arthur, Barmmy & The entire WeOwnTV Family

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Nov 25, 2015
New beginnings at the WeOwnTV Freetown Media Center & #GivingTuesday

By Banker White | Executive Director

Arthur and Barmmy at the new Freetown Media Center

Healthcare worker and Ebola survivor Unisa Kargbo celebrates with colleagues after being released from the hospital, Ebola free and healthy.

We Have Alot to Be Thankful For: On Saturday, November 7th 2015, Sierra Leone was declared Ebola free. After 42 days with no new cases, the epidemic is finally under control! But there’s still critical work to do to help families, communities and the country rebuild.

Join us on #GivingTuesday, December 1st: As many of you know, our non-profit WeOwnTV, founded a media center in Freetown Sierra Leone in 2009 and has been supporting a talented collective of Sierra Leonean filmmakers ever since. Thanks to generous support we’ve recently received, we’ve signed a two-year lease on an amazing new space for the WeOwnTV, Freetown Media Center. Our non-profit is putting all of our fundraising efforts on GivingTuesday towards turning that space into the best equipped locally-owned-and-run production facility in the country.

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving, dedicated to supporting amazing causes. Next Tuesday, WeOwnTV will join charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity. Our goal by December 1st is to raise enough funds to outfit two new editing suites at the Media Center, add a new 5k Honda generator with proper line conditioners and connect us to a newly available high-speed Internet. We have already raised $20,000 of our $35,000 goal and are looking to raise our funding gap of $15,000. AND our project has been selected to receive matching funds up to $1000 per donor!!!

I WANT TO GIVE

Why support the Media Center?
The WeOwnTV Freetown Media center did an outstanding job creating grassroots media to spread lifesaving information during the Ebola crisis.

Additionally, the team worked tirelessly as journalists, capturing the unfolding events around them and adding a much-needed African perspective to how history is being written, recorded and understood.

http://survivorsfilm.com/survivors-teaser/

With Gratitude,

Banker White, Anna Fitch, Arthur Pratt, Lansana 'Barmmy Boy' Mansaray
& The entire WeOwnTV Family

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