FilmAid-trained refugee filmmakers pose for a picture at the 9th Annual Film Festival.
FilmAid's 9th Annual Film Festival just finished up this year in Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps, and Nairobi, Kenya. This year, the festival centered on the theme "Home Away From Home", displaying the unique stories of young refugee filmmakers who have taken part in FilmAid's Media Arts Training Program. This festival gives filmmakers from all over the world the opportunity to share stories that express what "home" means to them. FilmAid's trained refugee filmmakers took part in the Film Festival, submitting their films on their theme as their final project.
Bereket Gilay, a refugee filmmaker and creator of the film Adolescent Mind, which was screened at the FilmAid's 9th Annual Film Festival.
The filmmaker we're highlighting this week is Bereket Gilay, a 23-year-old FilmAid-trained refugee filmmaker and the creator of the film Adolescent Mind, which is being screened at this year's Film Festival. Bereket's film is about a South Sudanese who fled from his country due to civil war and settled in a refugee camp where he made new friends, Dan and Ken. Despite the hardships in the camp, the main character wins a scholarship to study in Canada. Explaining why screening his film is beneficial to both him and other refugees Bereket says, " I can tell my real story, the living conditions and hardships, but most importantly [give] hope for refugees. Through film we can change the community positively."
Stay tuned for more updates on the #Meethefilmmaker series on our Stories page and stay updated by following our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
#Meetthefilmmaker is a weekly series by FilmAid International to showcase the refugee filmmakers that have completed the FilmAid Training Program and have created original films that were screened at FilmAid's 9th Annual Film Festival this year. To find out more click here.
If you'd like to support refugees in Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee Camps like Bereket, please donate HERE and help us continue to provide Film Training Programs to refugees in Kenya.
-K.S.