Please join WeOwnTV in supporting emerging filmmakers in Sierra Leone as they embark on a journey of storytelling that will bring their stories to the world. Your tax deductible donation can be made via our fiscal sponsor BAVC.
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Donate: Make a Difference for Young Filmmakers in Sierra Leone Visualizing their Future
Please join WeOwnTV in supporting emerging filmmakers in Sierra Leone as they embark on a journey of storytelling that will bring their stories to the world. Your tax deductible donation can be made via our fiscal sponsor BAVC. DONATE Today »WeOwnTV: Providing Creative Space for a Future to Be Realized
Thanks to the partners and contributors that have generously supported the efforts of WeOwnTV to continue it’s work in Sierra Leone. A youth-focused workshop that began just three years ago has blossomed into something larger than first imagined-and it’s just the beginning.These efforts were made possible by the generous contributions and support from private donations, Spring 2012 Kickstarter Campaign, The Bertha Foundation, Creative Capital, Freedom to Create; Media Maker Award and partnership forged with The Bay Area Video Coalition/BAVC (in-kind support and fiscal sponsorship).
January 2009: With the support of Creative Capital, WeOwnTV is established and a group of North American filmmakers travels on a scouting trip to Sierra Leone; 50 young men and women are interviewed and in-country partners come on board.
Fall 2009: WeOwnTV debuts its first filmmaking workshop for youth in Sierra Leone. The month-long workshop trains 18 young men and women.
- As a result of the workshop collaboration and continued engagement of its graduates many compelling short films and media projects have been created.
- The collaborative short-film productions Youth, Family and Charity, written and produced by WeOwnTV youth filmmakers, have garnered interest from broadcasters and exhibitors. The films have screened at numerous film festivals and are currently featured in a multi-media exhibit at the Intersection of the Arts in San Francisco.
Spring 2010: Engaged top Web-design firm, Zaudhaus, to expand www.weowntv.org and rebrand the organization’s identity with a focus on developing a digital exhibition platform for ongoing content produced by WeOwnTV.
Summer 2010: Fueled and inspired by the support and encouragement the media education program has received to date, WeOwnTV will opened the doors of a media center for its faculty and young collaborators in Freetown. To learn more about WeOwnTV: Sierra Media Center, click here ».
Winter 2011: In late January WeOwnTV: Sierra Leone filmmakers in Freetown started producing In Focus, an hour-long program for the national television station (SLBC). In Focus is a compelling hour of news, culture and creative media produced from the viewpoint of Sierra Leone’s younger generation.
Spring 2011: During the week of Sierra Leone’s Independence, we ran a film festival in Freetown that highlighted local films. The festival was a huge success. 22 films in total screened over the course of four days of screenings and an awards ceremony was held on the final night hosted by the minister of tourism.
April 2011: In honor of Sierra Leone’s 50th Anniversary, WeOwnTV in partnership with the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars launched a campaign "Picturing Independence: A Positive Revolution" for the development of new projects. We believe that by supporting individuals’ freedom to create independent work we are supporting a new generation in finding and amplifying their voice.
Summer 2011: They Resisted, period piece set in the early days of the slave trade in Sierra Leone, is completed. The film tells the story of an early slave revolt in Africa and explores aspects of West African culture pre-contact. The team worked on this project with local historians at the national museum of Sierra Leone. In a locals screening at the Sierra Leone International Film Festival, it takes top short-film prize in April 2012.
Winter 2011: Six projects are greenlight for development with initial support provided by the #positiverevolution fundraising efforts.
In 2012: leveraging their remarkable and creative gifts, the young filmmakers of WeOwnTV will continue to focus on developing a variety of production projects including documentary and narrative work.
WeOwnTV is committed to audiences discovering the Sierra Leone of today, so this new generation can move forward and not be burdened with the mistakes of the past--join us in making this a reality. Your donations will be put to work immediately in the development of young filmmakers in Sierra Leone. Make a tax-deductible* donation TODAY.
*Tax-deductible donations made possible through the fiscal sponsorship of the Bay Area Video Coalition.
Equipment Donations
In-kind donations of new or gently used equipment are highly valued and needed to outfit and maintain the Media Center in Freetown. Specific needs include:- MacBook Pro and PowerBook G4 laptops to be used as video editing stations
- HD solid state camcorders
- DV Cameras (prosumer 3CCD models)
- Download complete Media Center equipment list needs, here.