PRESS RELEASE

Release Date:

Immediate

Contacts:

John Kidane or Kathryn Wilson (909) 752-9767

ERITREAN FILMMAKER WINS FILM GRANT TO

PRODUCE DOCUMENTARY FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION

(PHILADELPHIA, PA – August 2, 2002) Local filmmaker Filmon Mebrahtu is the winner of a $70,000 Public Television LInCS (Local Independents Collaborating with Stations) grant, through Independent Television Service ITVS, to produce and direct a one-hour documentary, “THE SURVIVORS”. This project is a joint collaboration with Philadelphia Public Television Station WYBE, which will provide matching in-kind contribution.

“THE SURVIVORS” tells the story of some of America’s most recent arrivals: Sudanese refugee orphans who would have never dreamt a few years ago that they’d be living in America. Over the course of one year, the film follows the lives of five Sudanese refugees who resettle in the Philadelphia area and adjust to the new American culture and way of life. The heart of the story is the self-chronicle of these young men’s individual experiences of everyday life in Philadelphia, captured by their very own digital video cameras.

“THE SURVIVORS” holds a special interest for the more than 55,000 African immigrants residing in the greater Philadelphia area. These communities, many of them new to the U.S., are currently underserved by existing media. Rarely do they see their stories reflected in the media and when they do, it is often in the form of negative stories about their homelands viewed through the lenses of western stereotypes and myths about Africa. This project represents a unique opportunity for these communities to see one of their own stories, told from an indigenous African point of view.

While most representations of refugees are invariably told through the voice and point of view of others - reporters and relief workers, for instance – “THE SURVIVORS” is a unique attempt to represent the experiences of refugees in their own voices and from their own perspectives. This approach counters existing objectified images of refugees as nameless, voiceless victims, or powerless recipients of aid, emphasizing the human face of refugees as fully realized subjects: resilient, self-determined, and creative survivors.

“This is a great opportunity to create work for Public Television and equally significant that Reel Voices will provide production and post-production services for this documentary” said Mebrahtu, referring to the newly founded non-profit organization whose mission is to document indigenous African Immigrant experiences in Philadelphia. “It is an even a greater opportunity to seek out and collaborate with Eritrean artists for this and future productions and it is incumbent on all of us to create ways to facilitate such collaborations. As an invited panelist to the Eritrean Festival Conference on Artists symposium in Oakland on Saturday August 17, 2002 I invite all artists to participate, dialogue and discuss the creation of such an association”, said Mebrahtu.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Filmon Mebrahtu hails from the East African country of Eritrea and produces documentaries with one goal in mind: to capture the stories of immigrant communities and document their diverse cultural experiences. Too often, stories of these communities are told and retold by outsiders and their depiction is at the mercy of the content producers, whose goals and ambitions may be divergent from the immigrant communities themselves. The impact of their stories becomes more powerful if these communities participate in the creation of media, which is Mebrahtu's approach. “STOP KILLING TAXI DRIVERS” has been acquired by a Philadelphia Public TV Station WYBE for its Philadelphia Stories II series and is featured in an interactive exhibit at the Balch Institute of Ethnic Studies, “Extended Lives: The African Immigrant Experience in Philadelphia,” along with Mebrahtu's earlier works on African immigrant experiences in Philadelphia - “eritrea - it's where we're from,” “ana sudani ana,” and “African Worship Services.”

ABOUT REEL VOICES

Reel Voices, Inc., is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and leverage the use of the creative arts to express and document diverse cultural experiences. Reel Voices has produced documentaries on African immigrants in Philadelphia and provides technical assistance to community organizations wishing to use video to express their indigenous experiences. Reel Voices also provides technical support for creating multimedia content, and offers low-cost video production and post-production workshops to community organizations.

For more information on Reel Voices visit: http://www.reelvoices.org

For more information on ITVS visit: http://www.itvs.org

For more information on WYBE visit: http://www.wybe.org

For more information on the Eritrean Western States Festival visit: http://www.erewestfest.org