Pilot-project “Our Lives, Our Stories, Our Countries” produced by Wicked Wales Film and International Youth Media Summit brings together a group of young filmmakers getting to know how similar they are, no matter where they’re from.
Eight filmmakers aged 18 to 26 from Wales, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka are working together on creating short films centered around their own vision of their countries. These 7 films will promote their homelands and offer innovative insights into their rich cultures, languages and heritage.
Throughout their research, collaboration and discovery, the participants will be constantly looking for commonalities and differences, building bridges across cultures. By bringing emerging young creatives together to focus on stories of their national identity, WW and IYMS are aiming to inspire youth worldwide to continue cooperating internationally.
Wicked Wales Film and International Youth Media Summit are both globally connected organizations working to nurture and showcase young talent from around the world. Both are active members of the Youth Cinema Network through which this collaboration was born.
“As we see with both in-person and online collaborations, young people quickly realize how similar they are, no matter where they’re from. At the same time, they develop curiosity, understanding and appreciation for the unique aspects of the cultures of others. Their working partnerships often lead to life-long friendships that know no borders.”, said Evelyn Seubert, President of IYMS.
This joint effort was inspired by IYMS’s most recent web series, SANATIONE: A Time For Healing. More than 50 filmmakers from 22 countries are participating in its creation by capturing and sharing first-person stories filmed in real-time as the pandemic unfolds.
Thus far the Welsh and IYMS’s filmmakers have completed the pre-production stage and are boldly moving on to filming while simultaneously supporting one another’s filmmaking process in collaborative meetings. During these meetups, they discuss their creative ideas, learn from each other, share references for inspiration, reinforce their story outlines and finalize their plans.
The premiere will take place as part of IYMS’s main online event in Croatia on July 31, 2021. This event will be streamed on YouTube. The films will also be screened at the Wicked Wales Festival in September 2021.
Rhiannon Wyn Hughes, Wicked Festival Director shared her aspirations for the future: “It is hoped that longer-term we can develop this work and include more international partners, telling stories and celebrating their different cultures, languages and heritage through the eyes and experiences of young people. We can then continue to record the stories through a series of webisodes, creating a global catalogue of stories about life and society as they experience it.”
“Our Lives, Our Stories, Our Countries” project was made possible with financial support from Wales Arts International part of the Arts Council for Wales and Wicked Wales Film. “SANATIONE: A Time For Healing” project was made possible with financial support from UNESCO.
