FILM FESTIVAL: RWANDA is a story, about a new generation of storytellers living and working in the Rwandan film industry, 15 years after the Genocide. Our lead characters are four endearing Rwandan filmmakers Ayuub, Richmond, Rodrigues, and Nicole. We explore their lives, their motivations and inspirations. We visit them on set during a commercial shoot, at their day jobs and at home. We capture the commitment and ingenuity it takes to make a technical craft work in a challenging non-technical environment. Most importantly FILM FESTIVAL: RWANDA follows them with their films into the remote towns and villages where their stories bring people together and give their audiences a new vision of what Rwanda can be.

This is a journey that allows the viewer to see Rwanda in a new light – to visit the country through the eyes of young filmmakers proud of what their Rwandan home has become, and where it is going. From a global perspective, this documentarys relevance is its exploration of hope – how a ravaged society actually can move past devastation left by the actions of extremism. Other themes include: the universal power of storytelling and its ability to teach and heal, both the hidden and blatant tension around reconciliation in a society where former murderers and survivors of their atrocities are now living as neighbors, and the joy of seeing stories – told in a native language and from a native perspective – come to life on a giant inflatable screen.

We just finished principal photography in Rwanda after 3 years of development and production. Currently, we are looking for donations to help us continue editing and get through post production! Please share this project with everyone you know and help us complete this project. We are offering a set of original photo notecards for donations of $100 or more, a handmade Rwandan basket for donations of $500, and people who donate $1000 or more will receive a personal phone call from me to negotiate their “prize”!