WEOWNTV
Since 2009 WeOwnTV has trained over 324 West African media makers. Their powerful work has received TV broadcasts, screened in galleries and played at films festivals worldwide.
FIMMAKER FELLOWSHIP
Our mentorship program has supported 14 West African documentary filmmakers since 2016, run 6 workshops and distributed direct cash awards totaling $86,000.
GENIUS OF MARIAN /
GENIUS OF CARING
The film was broadcast on PBS' award winning series POV and released internationally. It gained CME (Continuing Medical Education) accreditation and materials have been used at more than 60 universities across the country.
KICK EBOLA OUT
This informational campaign was run by WeOwnTV and the Freetown Media Centre during the 2014/2015 Ebola outbreak. 30+ Life saving public health messages were produced in 7 local languages, aired on TV, radio, online and in communities across the country, reaching over 2 million Sierra Leonean citizens.
Our mission is to create artistically bold projects that explore the critical issues of our time. We believe filmmaking is a social act of deep connection capable of catalyzing positive change.
With all of our projects, we work to cultivate community engagement that inspires, educates, and transforms audiences into socially engaged citizens.
“With unflinching intimacy, Survivors places us in the midst of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone. Chronicling the unfolding bravery, bureaucratic blunder and deep humanity of an African community under siege, these Sierra Leonean filmmakers see their world with the clarity and empathy possessed only by extraordinary storytellers. It is a remarkable film.”
“Survivors is a breakthrough piece of filmmaking in its realization of a deeply felt and closely documented experience of health care workers in Sierra Leone during the Ebola epidemic. Sierra Leoneans emerge as reflective commentators on their experience of this terrible disease, displaying a quiet heroism and love not often noted in myriad representations of Africa. Survivors also stands out also because of its very production process and values. Sierra Leonean director, Arthur Pratt, made the film in Freetown working in collaboration with partners in the US. Survivors makes one proud to be human and grateful for the chance to meet Mohamed and Margaret who stepped up and saved their world.”
“The Genius of Marian is by far the most meaningful representation of a family’s experience with this disease that I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a few). Its value as a conversation starter for families and caregivers cannot be overstated.”
“The Genius of Caring website is more than educational information, it is a testament to what makes us human.”
“This is the most profound teaching exercise in which I have participated in my teaching career. I hope we can make this an annual event.”
“These videos from WeOwnTV are actually making a difference. They are changing the way people are educated and this changes how they respond towards Ebola. Attitudes are changing. People are not denying it anymore and behaviors are changing towards the issues.”