WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW? - Freetown Film Lab 2021
The Freetown Film Lab is a British Council Funded program that aims to empower young people engaged in filmmaking. The project seeks to support emerging filmmakers with the required skills and competency in producing short-form documentary films, TV Commercials and network with other filmmakers to produce videos that will be of high quality, create job opportunities and enable them to compete internationally and counterparts in the sub-region.
The Freetown Film Lab is the main educational initiative we have been engaged with since mid-year 2020. the program is comprised of five main components:
SCRIPTWRITING & STORYTELLING
AUDIOVISUAL PRODUCTION
DIRECTING
All FEMALE – AUDIO VISUAL
SHOOTING AND EDITING
Each of these workshops runs for five days. It is designed for beneficiaries between the ages 18 to 35 years residing in Freetown. The basic principle of the labs was that participants would receive a brief to work in groups to produce a 90-second promotional tourism or documentary film that showed ‘another side’ of Freetown with a clear and well-structured timetable that worked well for everyone.
The first workshop was held on March 16th to 20th, was based on scriptwriting and storytelling, the second held 21st to 25th September focused on Audio-Visual production skills, the third held 7th to 11th, December, on Directing. Participants are also educated on how to navigate and take advantage of professional opportunities in the market, and how to establish and manage their businesses. Beneficiaries of these film labs are placed in a strong position to compete in the market and the program will eventually bring prosperity and considerable improvements in terms of film making in Sierra Leone in the long term.
