Just a quick one, but some great news in last week, to say we were awarded 'Best World Cinema Short' at the Phoenix Film Festival - awesome!
http://phoenixfilmfestival.org/pages/story-view.php?id=418
From May 15-21st it's the Jacksonville Film Festival, where We Are All Rwandans is listed in 3 programmes: 'the Short of It', 'Black Cinema' and 'World of Docs' - if you're in or around the area, please come down! (www.jacksonvillefilmfestival.com)
Also from May 14th-26th, the film is registered at the Short Film Corner in Cannes - a first foray into the mayhem, so will be interesting to see how that goes! (www.shortfilmcorner.com)
Debs and Ayuub also put together another tiny film (with Footprint's help and blessing!) during the March/April research trip in Rwanda. It's currently online at the Doorpost Film Project site - so if you'd like to check it out (and vote!), please do. It's a very short version of an amazing true story - filmed in a day (which rained a lot) with a fully Rwandan cast and crew apart from Debs. Miikka (who edited We Are All Rwandans) cut it in a day, and Bernie scored it in around 90 mins, so there wasn't much time for polishing. That said, check it out!
http://videos.thedoorpost.com/?film=2796a211a13b79703749f8941cfc4b56
A final note of good news - by means of exploring the partnership, Footprint produced with around half the original We Are All Rwandans London team (Debs, Miikka, Bernie - no Tim, Mairi, Sara or Sven sadly, due to geography and/or other commitments) - a ten minute short 'Home', for the 168 festival, an LA-based competition held each year in the spring. We were pleased and surprised to receive 12 nominations for this - for our actors and pretty much all the crew too - and to pick up 2 awards: best supporting actress and best director. Better than a poke in the eye for sure! If it's online at any point we'll let you know.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Hillywood & Feature Development
Greetings from the Rwanda Film Festival - 1 week of rural screenings (Hillywood) and 1 week of slightly more glamorous screenings and events in the country's capital Kigali.
Director/co-writer Debs and Footprint Film producers Mark Blaney and Jackie Sheppard (with features casting director Jeremy Zimmermann) joined the Hillywood crew to see We Are All Rwandans and 5 other films in the kinyarwandan language play on an inflatable screen in 6 towns around Rwanda (pictured above in Kibuye). It was an unforgettable experience to see crowds gather in the town stadiums and the 80ft screen inflate ready for the light to fade and movies begin.
Prior to Hillywood, we were also thrilled to be able to attend a screening of the film on a similar screen in Nyange school itself - on March 18th, the anniversary of the attack 11 years ago. We were also able to attend a memorial service the next day, which was really special.
Many of the attack survivors were in attendance
Laying flowers at Chantal's grave
Amazing dancers
The school drummers
Our film was played at the top of the opening night program, and got possibly the best response I've ever seen - with a round of applause as Helene makes her last stand. It was being hailed as an important moment in Rwandan cinema, which was very exciting... especially as we now begin work on the development of a feature script - which is the main purpose of this trip.
It's a pleasure and a joy to be working again with the wonderful Ayuub (above - in work mode!)- but slightly overwhelming as we listen to people's stories to realise both how many stories there are, and how much sadness there is amongst the inspiration and hope. The task for the next couple of weeks here, and then whatever follows, will be to find a path between truth and hurt and hope - as we try and create a representation of this beautiful and inspiring country and people in film...
Saying hello again to the Nyange kids
With Mark and Jackie - all of us shattered after a long flight and driving straight to the school! (But still smiling)
Completely exquisitely beautiful... We'll keep you posted on future developments - unless we see you here first!
Many of the attack survivors were in attendance
Laying flowers at Chantal's grave
Amazing dancers
The school drummersThe Rwanda International Film Festival then kicked off with a bang a week ago, with a dignitary-attended opening ceremony in the plush Serena hotel.
Our film was played at the top of the opening night program, and got possibly the best response I've ever seen - with a round of applause as Helene makes her last stand. It was being hailed as an important moment in Rwandan cinema, which was very exciting... especially as we now begin work on the development of a feature script - which is the main purpose of this trip.
It's a pleasure and a joy to be working again with the wonderful Ayuub (above - in work mode!)- but slightly overwhelming as we listen to people's stories to realise both how many stories there are, and how much sadness there is amongst the inspiration and hope. The task for the next couple of weeks here, and then whatever follows, will be to find a path between truth and hurt and hope - as we try and create a representation of this beautiful and inspiring country and people in film...
Saying hello again to the Nyange kids
With Mark and Jackie - all of us shattered after a long flight and driving straight to the school! (But still smiling)
Completely exquisitely beautiful... We'll keep you posted on future developments - unless we see you here first!Monday, February 18, 2008
Honourable Mention at PAFF!
Totally to our surprise we were finalists for the Best Narrative Short Film award at the Pan African Film festival (Los Angeles), and received an honourable mention at the Awards Brunch this morning - we are all dead proud! Check out the festival for an amazing diversity of programming from all over Africa and the diaspora. (Thanks also to Film London for sponsoring Debs' plane ticket to attend :-)
http://paff.org/home/press-release0218082
The screenings in College Station over the weekend were also really cool. It was really exciting to see the film used as a discussion starter tool - amazing to hear what issues were raised, and how it really gets under people's skin! The film has also been played to quite a young class of kids in a north London school to similar effect (thanks Wendy!) - it's really exciting to see these developments alongside the festival screenings.
Next stop is Hillywood - the Rwanda Film Festival - mid-March 2008. Will certainly post pictures and comments from there!
http://paff.org/home/press-release0218082
The screenings in College Station over the weekend were also really cool. It was really exciting to see the film used as a discussion starter tool - amazing to hear what issues were raised, and how it really gets under people's skin! The film has also been played to quite a young class of kids in a north London school to similar effect (thanks Wendy!) - it's really exciting to see these developments alongside the festival screenings.
Next stop is Hillywood - the Rwanda Film Festival - mid-March 2008. Will certainly post pictures and comments from there!
Monday, February 4, 2008
PAFF Screening Times, Phoenix Film Fest, Development Money & College Station!
For any in the LA area this week, our Pan African Film Festival screening times are:
Sat 9th Feb at 6.20pm and Mon 11th Feb at 6.20pm at the
AMC Magic Johnson Crenshaw 15
4020 Marlton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Details at: http://paff.org/home/films/we-are-all-rwandans
It would be wicked to see you there!
Phoenix Film Fest
For those Arizona-inclined early April, we just heard yesterday that we got into the Phoenix Film Festival - details to follow as we get them.
Development Money
Extremely excitingly it seems that a UK-based production company has secured first phase funding to start on development of a feature version of the Nyange story. I can't say much more than that at present - but we hope to be able to go back to Rwanda mid-March (to coincide with the short playing at the Rwanda Film Festival) to start on pre-production and research for a full length script. Crazy and very exciting!
College Station, Texas
In addition to our LA screenings this month, it looks like there will also be one in College Station, Texas sometime between Feb 14th and 17th (tbc). If you're in the area, let us know!
That's the update for now - lots of love xxx
Sat 9th Feb at 6.20pm and Mon 11th Feb at 6.20pm at the
AMC Magic Johnson Crenshaw 15
4020 Marlton Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Details at: http://paff.org/home/films/we-are-all-rwandans
It would be wicked to see you there!
Phoenix Film Fest
For those Arizona-inclined early April, we just heard yesterday that we got into the Phoenix Film Festival - details to follow as we get them.
Development Money
Extremely excitingly it seems that a UK-based production company has secured first phase funding to start on development of a feature version of the Nyange story. I can't say much more than that at present - but we hope to be able to go back to Rwanda mid-March (to coincide with the short playing at the Rwanda Film Festival) to start on pre-production and research for a full length script. Crazy and very exciting!
College Station, Texas
In addition to our LA screenings this month, it looks like there will also be one in College Station, Texas sometime between Feb 14th and 17th (tbc). If you're in the area, let us know!
That's the update for now - lots of love xxx
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Pan African Film Festival and Hillywood trailer
It looks possible that more exciting news will follow, but for now, just a couple of bits:
1. We were selected for the Pan African Film Festival which is happening LA during February - I'll post the link once it's up - which is quite exciting, and even more brilliantly, is taking place the same week as a great friend of Debs and Bernie gets married (also in LA!), so they're able to go. We're thrilled to be in the festival, and really looking forward to seeing how the film goes down in an audience full of strangers! Debs and Bernie will be in LA from Jan 31st to mid-Feb.
2. I just received this LINK which is an online trailer for a doc being shot this year about the Hillywood rural film festival, where our film will play in Rwanda in March. It's a totally brilliant initiative, which takes an 80ft inflatable movie screen to villages around Rwanda, and plays locally made films. It's had coverage on the Beeb and all over the place - and we're thrilled to be part of it. Look out for Ayuub (our co-writer and co-producer) - who also co-ordinates Hillywood - in the trailer. He's such a dude.
3. The new website is NEARLY ready - and will have more detailed information, publicity pics, bits from the soundtrack and HOPEFULLY a trailer - I'll post here when that's up.
4. Finally - we have raised something like £700 through album sales so far, which is amazing. Thanks so much for that, and I'll try and post up details and updates of the two organisations over the next month or two if any are interested in supporting them further. (Please read the last post for more details about the organisation).
Lots of love - as mentioned at the beginning of this post, I hope there will be more exciting news to follow soon...! xxx
1. We were selected for the Pan African Film Festival which is happening LA during February - I'll post the link once it's up - which is quite exciting, and even more brilliantly, is taking place the same week as a great friend of Debs and Bernie gets married (also in LA!), so they're able to go. We're thrilled to be in the festival, and really looking forward to seeing how the film goes down in an audience full of strangers! Debs and Bernie will be in LA from Jan 31st to mid-Feb.
2. I just received this LINK which is an online trailer for a doc being shot this year about the Hillywood rural film festival, where our film will play in Rwanda in March. It's a totally brilliant initiative, which takes an 80ft inflatable movie screen to villages around Rwanda, and plays locally made films. It's had coverage on the Beeb and all over the place - and we're thrilled to be part of it. Look out for Ayuub (our co-writer and co-producer) - who also co-ordinates Hillywood - in the trailer. He's such a dude.
3. The new website is NEARLY ready - and will have more detailed information, publicity pics, bits from the soundtrack and HOPEFULLY a trailer - I'll post here when that's up.
4. Finally - we have raised something like £700 through album sales so far, which is amazing. Thanks so much for that, and I'll try and post up details and updates of the two organisations over the next month or two if any are interested in supporting them further. (Please read the last post for more details about the organisation).
Lots of love - as mentioned at the beginning of this post, I hope there will be more exciting news to follow soon...! xxx
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Get Involved
Along with our first proper screening tonight, we are making the rather wonderful original soundtrack to the film available as a CD, in the hope of raising some support for two organisations in particular.
The first organisation we would love to be able to send support to is Rev Meg Guillebaud's school sponsorship work, which is a part of Friends of Byumba
Meg was born in Burundi and now lives in Northern Rwanda, working with the Diocese of Byumba - an area which was badly hit by the genocide and now has a huge population of war widows and orphans. Meg is extremely involved with the local community, organising training, medical funding and school sponsorship among many other things. It costs around £150 a year to support a child through school, and Meg's ability to facilitate orphans and the children of sick parents getting to school is restricted only by the amount she has to spend. Aloys, one of the main actors in the film, actually realised half way through the shoot that his own brother had been educated because of Meg's help with the fees. We would love to be able to contribute towards more school fees in this critical way.
The second organisation is the KOMEZUBUTWARI assocation, which is headed up by Emmanual Ulimubenshi - survivor of the class 6 attack. Emmanuel has been a crucial part of the process of making the film - he helped us with script research, with organising permission to film in the school, and during the actual shoot, was with the production team for the duration, helping us to reconstruct what happened in the most accurate way possible. (He is pictured below with Fabrice who played Emmanuel in the film).
The KOMEZUBUTWARI organisation is incredibly exciting - it was established by the survivors of the Nyange massacre, and their activities include the following:
- Organising training and debates around issues of reconciliation and peace
- Facilitating post-trauma care for attack victims
- Fundraising for the ongoing healthcare for those injured in the attacks, some of whom have still not received the medical attention they need after 10 years
- Fundraising to support attack victims through higher education after many missed getting the crucial government note which provides support through university
We are beginning to explore ways to support these wonderful guys in their work - if you have any questions or ideas, please don't hesitate to be in touch
Details about these initiatives and the soundtrack will follow shortly on the film's official website (currently work in progress):
www.WeAreAllRwandans.com
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Completion!
Well, it's pretty much done, and it looks like we have the opportunity to have a guest-list only screening of our film at BAFTA, but obviously this is only worth doing if you all can make it! They've been lovely in helping us set this up, but the date is only 10 days away - please check your diaries and let us know whether this is any good asap... (contact Debs at debs49 'at' gmail.com for details)To refresh your memory if you don't want to read the archives: 'We Are All Rwandans' is mid-length (30 min) drama about childhood heroism in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. Based on a true story, and filmed in the actual locations where the events took place, this is a collaboration between UK and Rwandan film-makers to retell an amazing Rwandan story.
We are currently looking at two 'friends & family' screening dates - both to be confirmed asap: November 22nd at BAFTA, and Nov 30th at the RSA just off the Strand.
Details of booking/guest-listing will follow - we really hope you'll be able to join, to watch, and help us celebrate this whole thing actually coming together!
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