Take on Film & Impact

Selected Projects

• Billion Dollar Babies

  

  Film Title: Billion Dollar Babies
  Directors: Pierre-Emmanuel Luneau-Daurignac
  Producer: Fabienne Servan Schreiber & Estelle Mauriac
  Production Companies: CINÉTÉVÉ
  Production Status: Late Production
  Expected Release Date: 30-4-2024

  Logline: They’re future gymnasts, athletes or swimmers: their childhood is sacrificed on the altar of elite sports. Stress fractures, eating disorders and non-reversible psychological distress are common in the blind spot of laws failing to protect them.

  Impact Statement: “We aim to advocate for the evolution of mentalities and legislation around children in Elite Sport, by lobbying the decision-makers. Although international law protects minors who work, there are no specific rules in place to protect children training for elite sports. We’ll raise awareness among the ILO and the UN to change their legal status. We would love to be able to reach the IOC, to push back the minimum age of international competitions. We’re also willing to create an NGO awarding a label for respecting children’s rights in sports, used as a reference by parents and young athletes.”

  Partners Attached:

  Main broadcaster: ARTE
  Funding : Procirep-Angoa
  International Sales: Cinétévé Sales
  Confirmed Presales: SVT, Téléquébec, RTVE, Channel 8 – Israël, Asharq-Doc, TG4, Public Sénat

  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”Meeting impact producers and field actors allowing us to develop a real international impact strategy.”

  Participants:

  Having signed numerous investigations for various newsmagazines, Pierre-Emmanuel Luneau-Daurignac was appointed editor-in-chief of a Franco-American press agency. He became an independent filmmaker in 2015. His films have been seen on Grands Formats (LCP), Thema (arte) and Spécial Investigation (Canal Plus). In 2008, he was one of the first journalists in the world to sound the alarm about an epidemic of sexual abuse in sports during a report that won the Fondation pour l’Enfance’s media prize. His 90’ film shown on ARTE in 2020, “End Game: breaking the silence”, has been shown in 20 different countries.

  Estelle Mauriac, executive producer, is part of CINÉTÉVÉ since 2005, where she has produced more than 80 documentaries for French and International television. She produces features documentaries as well as collections on social and political topics. She’s specialized in current affairs and Human Issues. Her productions are often recognized by the public and the press, frequently awarded in Festivals. Her documentary “Iraq’s Lost Generation”, an unprecedented investigation by Anne Poiret into the future of ISIS children and young victims of the war against the Islamic State in Iraq, won the International Emmy Award for “Best Documentary” in 2022.

  Contact: Pierre-Emmanuel Luneau-Daurignac

• GUAÑUNA

  

  Film Title: GUAÑUNA
  Director: David Lasso
  Producer: Estefanía Luna
  Production Companies: Rayuela Tinta Visual
  Production Status: Released
  Expected Release Date: 01-05-2024

  Logline: Paul was 16 years old when he was detained by the police for drawing graffiti. The next day, his lifeless body was found in the town’s ravine. His father led an intense social uprising to seek justice, to hold the police officers accountable.

  Impact Statement: “We seek to provide a “legal first aid kit” to young people from low-income sectors, who are considered suspicious due to the way they dress, the color of their skin, for being political actors who participate in social mobilizations, and those who have been repressed by police and military forces. So this kit will help them exercise their civil and political rights. We want to make workshops to debate with young people who aspire to be police officers regarding power abuse. So that these young people develop cultural expressions to present in a festival in memory of Paúl Guañuna.”

  Partners Attached:

  Prefectura de Pichincha
  Municipio de Quito
  Productora Rayuela Tinta Visual

  Budget: € 90 865 
  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”We seek to improve the objectives and strategies of our impact campaign, which are becoming increasingly necessary due to the rise of violence in our country. In order to get the most appropriate support and the financial help needed, we need to network with various other groups such as philanthropists, NGOs, and producers. We believe it is a good space to get to know other projects, other campaigns, and the realities from the international community to grow as filmmakers and as activists for human rights. This networking event will allow us to more effectively distribute our film, GUAÑUNA, and the impact campaign we are developing.” 

  Participants:

  David Lasso: I am passionate about mother nature and the cultural relationships we have with her. My work has to do with ancestral knowledge of indigenous and afro-descendant cultures. I have developed sustainability projects where film and permaculture come together. And as a cultural promoter I have directed community audiovisual projects such as: Rodando en Corto – historias juveniles and Cine Mochila. My main films are: Sospechosos, Soluca la más tuca es muca, and my first feature film: GUAÑUNA.

  Estefanía Luna: I am a Social Multimedia Communicator with a master’s degree in Transmedia Communication. I have had the opportunity to work in cultural projects with women who practice traditional plant-based medicine, migrating people, children with disabilities. I also practice permaculture, weaving and pottery. I directed the documentary, I am a Gualoto, a portrait of an indigenous Ecuadorian scientist who researches how to regenerate the contaminated water from the Papallacta lagoon. With this film, I participated in the First Congress of Scientific Dissemination in Ecuador. Currently, I am the impact producer for the distribution of the film GUAÑUNA.

  Contact: David Lasso

• Hawa

  

  Film Title: Hawa
  Director: Najiba Noori & Ali Rasul Noori
  Producer: Christian Popp
  Production Companies: Tag Film, Een van de jongens, Doha Film Institute
  Production Status: Post-Production
  Expected Release Date: 1-5-2024

  Logline: Fourty years after her arranged marriage as a child, Hawa is eager to finally begin an independent life and to be literate. However, with the Taliban’s return to power her dreams, and those of her daughter and granddaughter, are shattered.

  Impact Statement: “Just when the chances of Afghan women were expanding, the takeover of the Taliban in 2021 put a stop to this. The Taliban replaced the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, which issued restrictive and abusive decrees on women’s rights. The implementation of the Sharia further limits legal protection for females, resulting in increased reports of domestic violence and forced marriages. For women in Afghanistan today there is no perspective. In Hawa we see three generation of women suffering from this, but also fighting it.”

  Partners Attached:

  Een van de jongens, First Hand Films (Sales Agent), Women Make Movies (Fiscal sponsor)

  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”During the MtM Impact Take on Film & Impact we hope to work on our impact strategy and pitch for our film Hawa, and sharpen our goals for the impact campaign under guidance of inspirational impact producers and strategists. We hope to get inspired by other impact makers, and gain insights from professionals in the field and especially hear their views on our project. Besides we would like to expand our network by getting in touch with NGOs focussing on women’s rights that can help us with our strategy and build up the campaign together.”

  Participants:

  Afsaneh Salari is an Iranian film director, producer and editor. She’s the co-founder of Docmaniacs Collective in Iran and the Executive producer of Docmaniacs Production in Paris. She’s holds a BA in Film Editing from Art University of Tehran, a Master degree in Creative Directing and Cinematography from Paris 8 University in France & a Master degree in Documentary Directing from Docnomads Joint Masters. She’s a grantee of Sundance Institute, Doha Film Institute, IDFA Bertha Fund and is the alumni of Berlinale Talents, La Femis Summer School, IDFA Academy and Asian Film Academy. She is the editor of Hawa.

  Deniece Hilberink is a junior impact producer with Indonesian roots from the Netherlands. She has a particular interest in working on documentaries that address social issues and have the potential to make a positive change. She holds a BA in Media and Culture (University of Utrecht) with specialisation in Social and Political Science (UGM, Yogyakarta) and a Master’s degree in Research & Development for Documentary and Fiction film (University of Amsterdam). As being part of the production company Een van de jongens in Amsterdam, she has contributed to the impact production for Klassen (2020), Mijn vader, Nour en ik (2023), and most recently Hawa (2024). She is the impact line producer of Hawa.

  Contact: Deniece Hilberink

• Hot Spot

  

  Film Title: Hot Spot
  Director: Karin Kainer
  Producer: Osnat Saraga, Karin Kainer
  Production Companies: Ananey Studios
  Production Status: In Production
  Expected Release Date: 2-12-2025

  Logline: An intimate five-year coming-of-age journey featuring a remarkable group of international students, some from enemy nations, starts at a controversial boarding school for peace and change in the conflict-ridden Israel, amidst a global pandemic. There, they deal with love, war, loss, and national conflict. What will happen to their friendships after they graduate into an uncertain and complicated future?

  Impact Statement: “Hot Spot aims to spark compassionate conversation, fostering peaceful political solutions for future Z-generation leaders. Watching the documentary can help people move away from polarized, one-dimensional thinking towards a more complex perspective. This applies not only to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but to conflicts in general. It is important to recognize the need to find a peaceful solution to conflicts rather than taking extreme positions. The film aims to encourage the development of a discourse that revolves around empathy and understanding the challenges faced by both sides. Additionally, the film will promote its ideas by giving its heroes ‘free movement’ (both physically and legally) to express themselves and their ideas, we trust the, to become our future leaders. Ultimately, the conversation will focus on shared interests and values, despite the painful history both sides have experienced.Like Gili Roman, EMIS headmaster, whose sister Jordan was kidnapped by Hamas, said at graduation 2021: “The future calls for a new story. A story of global cooperation. A story of mutual responsibility and trust. A story that will enable us to re-open our borders and expand our communities. A story of caring.””

  Partners Attached:
  nfct – the new fund for cinema and tv, Gevahim venture capital

  Budget: € 566 000  
  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”We are currently seeking out strategic NGO partners and funding opportunities in various areas of utmost importance. These include leadership development, with a specific focus on nurturing the potential of young leaders. Additionally, we are interested in collaborations with NGOs that specialize in activism, education, youth empowerment, and driving social change. Moreover, we are actively searching for partners to support our campaign financing endeavors.”

  Participants:

  Award-winning documentary filmmaker and producer Karin Kainer creates riveting documentaries that have garnered worldwide critical acclaim. Screened internationally in theaters and on television (BBC, Amazon Prime, FRANCE1, AL Jazeera, ARTE), her range of titles include The series ‘Tiberias under the Red Line’ which aired in August 2023 on kan 11-The public broadcaster received rave reviews and was also one of the most watched series in the last year and is nominated now for the documentary series award in the Documentary Forum Awards competition. ‘Kosher Beach’ (Israeli Oscar 2020, won Krakow FF 2020 and BEIJIN FF, World premiere DOC-NYC 2019, Docaviv 2019), ‘Rinascita’ (winner of Haifa FF 2011), ‘Das iz der valt’ (winner short Docaviv 2010), ‘SKATE OF MIND’ (Sundance 2011, winner LAMA FF Los Angeles), ‘South Wind on Hilton Beach’ (Haifa FF 2006, Hotdocs 2007). These days she is working on 2 new documentaries – ‘HOT SPOT’ & ‘Kfar Gaza is home’ a war story about Uri Epstein, leader of Kibbutz Kfar Gaza, who goes on a private war against the Israeli right wing government in order to reclaim his private and national home. This decision comes after he tragically lost five members of his family on the attack on October 7, 2023. Kainer holds a M.F.A in scriptwriting from The Steve Tisch School of Film and Television in T.A University, And is a senior lecturer in Films in Visual Communications at the Holon Institute of Technology [HIT]. She is a member on the boards of The Israeli Film Academy and The Israeli Documentary Forum. Kainer is a mother of 2. She live in TLV.

  Einat Halevy-Levin is a former Israeli diplomat specializing in sustainable development and project budgeting for aid in developing countries. Currently, Einat is engaged in developing projects with social impact around the globe and serves as an impact producer for Hot Spot. Throughout her career, Einat has worked with the UN Population Fund, Vietnam’s National Television (VTV), Israel’s Ministry of Economy, The American Centers in Asia (an initiative led by US Embassies in the region), UNICEF, The German University in Southern Vietnam and more. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and psychology and an MA in conflict resolution and cross cultural mitigation. She graduated with honors from the screenwriting major at the Sam Spiegel Film School and was a co-producer, researcher, and fundraiser in many social film projects.

  Omri Kronland is the content editor of the documentary division at Ananey Studio, a subsidiary of Paramount Company. With a solid foundation as a journalist, Kronland has made significant contributions to the esteemed “Ulpan Shishi” program on News 12. Renowned for his expertise as a creator and developer of captivating films and documentary series for the local and global market. In addition, Kronland is the author of the novel “The Place Where the Sun Begins,” published by Gvanim Publishing House. Currently, Kronland is pursuing a doctoral degree in law at Reichman University. He reside in Tel Aviv, alongside his partner Nadav.

  Contact: Gila Rozales

• I Am the River, the River Is Me

  

  Film Title: I Am the River, the River Is Me
  Director: Petr Lom
  Producer: Main producer:Corinne van Egeraat, coproducers: the Whanganui River, Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas
  Production Companies: ZINDOC, Ten Thousand Images
  Production Status: Post-Production
  Expected Release Date: 3-15-2024

  Logline: A canoe trip down the Whanganui River in New Zealand, led by a Maori elder, awakens spiritual belief and practice, and becomes a call to action to draw closer to nature and fight climate change through a fundamental value shift.

  Impact Statement: “For the sake of future human and non-human generations, it is time for a new nature inclusive democracy, a new narrative in which non-human life forms are effectively represented. We believe the film I Am The River, The River is Me can help pass eco laws and validate the work of nature rights activists, policymakers, politicians, and NGOs: to help create unity, a change in values and contribute to the understanding of the significance of indigenous and local knowledge for a sustainable relationship with aquatic ecosystems. Of the importance of our dependency on healthy water, of a healthy relationship with water – of guardianship versus ownership, and ultimately of ourselves being water in all that is life.”

  Partners Attached:

  Think Film (Global), Cinema Delicatessen (NL), Ambassade van de Noordzee (NL)

  Budget: € 424 000 
  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”Our goal is to find impact partners, stakeholders and funders.”

  Participants:

  Corinne van Egeraat is a Dutch documentary filmmaker and producer, specialising in creative documentary films for the cinema. Her company ZINDOC is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She works together with her husband, Czech/Canadian filmmaker Petr Lom. Their award-winning films have premiered at international A-film festivals like the Berlinale, IDFA, Sundance and Venice, screened at over 400 festivals around the world and have been broadcast in 20+ countries. In 2022 she produced the hybrid film Myanmar Diaries with the anonymous Myanmar Film Collective – that won the prestigious Berlinale Documentary Award. She is an AMPAS member.

  Christiane Bosman (ENS) studied art history, heritage studies and communication management. Her expertise is on the dynamics of art, public programme and campaigning in relation to social issues, with a strong focus on ecology and human – non human relations. Previously she worked at the Dahesh Museum New York, SKOR | Foundation for Art and Public Domain and TAAK on public programming, education and communications. She combines her position as director of communications and public programme at the Embassy of the North Sea (since 2019) with freelance commissions for various clients in the cultural field among which: the Ministry of the Future, Het Nieuwe Instituut (La Biennale di Venezia and Triennale di Milano), Public Art Amsterdam, as well as publishers like Phaidon Press London and Walburg Pers.

  Contact: Corinne van Egeraat

• KIX

  

  Film Title: KIX
  Director: Bálint Révész, Dávid Mikulán
  Producer: Viki Réka Kiss, Muhi András Pires, Bálint Révész, Victor Ede
  Production Companies: Bulb cinema (Hu), Cinephage Productions (Fr), Eclectica (Cr)
  Production Status: Post-Production
  Expected Release Date: 17-3-2024

  Logline: KIX captures 10 years of the visceral street life of a Hungarian child as he grows from rowdy kid to public enemy. Through a lens both personal and political, we witness an anarchic portrait of an impoverished working class in Budapest.

  Impact Statement: “‘If everybody had their own Sanyi, our world would be a better place’. The state institutions are failing to fulfill their core responsibilities, the NGOs lack funding and operate in a hostile environment. So we address the citizens: we need to be mobilized to reach change. ‘They way we treat each other is our home itself.’ The topics such as poverty, housing crisis are very much tangible in bigger cities across Europe but aren’t properly addressed. Citizens are tool-less and escape into emotional numbness. Social workers are exhausted and frustrated. Both an attitude and a structural change is needed.”

  Partners Attached:

  Head of PR: Freddy Neuman – Neumann Strategy & Communications. PR consultant: Suzanne Nodale – Cinephage Productions. Partners in the development of the educational methodology programme through Erasmus+ KA2: Elte University (H), Babeș-Bolyai University (RO), FAMU (CZ), European University Cyprus (CY). Educational and distribution partners: Kulturlink Foundation (HU), Tranzit Foundation (RO). Partner to develop our supporting materials for classroom screenings: Pócsik Andrea (founder of Romakép Műhely, curator, aesthete). Partner to create a programme around classroom screenings and screenings for the selected children groups (e.g. in foster homes): Sociodrama Association (with Pados Eszter / Horváth Kata) (HU).

  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”We would like to meet NGOs working on the related fields who we could collaborate with. We also intend to look for possible funders.”

  Participants:

  Bálint Révész is a director/producer from Hungary. His debut feature documentary, Granny Project received the MDR prize at Dok Leipzig, Next Generation Award at Taiwan IDFF, Doc Alliance nomination and was featured at Hot Docs, CPH:Dox amongst others. His second feature KIX, was produced in co-production with ARTE France, CNC and HBO Max. His current project Voice/Over is supported by Creative Media. He is a regular at major European co-production forums such as DOKLeipzig Co-Pro Market, CPH:FORUM, Sarajevo FF, East Doc Platform etc.

  Krisztina Meggyes is a Hungarian director, producer, impact producer. She received her Master’s Degree in Documentary Directing from the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest. She is studying in the Doctorate program researching social impact and ethics in documentary films. Her company, Little Bus Production is based in Budapest, they work mostly with young talents. They produce several feature-length documentaries at the moment, mainly international co-productions, for instance ‘Under the Dance Floor’ that is supported by the Sundance Institute’s Development Grant and CNC or ‘Den Tabte Notesbog’ that is funded by DFI. She lives in Vienna, Austria.

  Contact: Bálint Révész

• El silencio de la tierra

  Film Title: El silencio de la tierra (The Silence of the Earth)
  Director: Eulogio Romero
  Producer: Mar Medir
  Production Companies: Diagonal, Crescendo Films, Agent Double
  Production Status: In Production
  Expected Release Date: –

  Logline: If we don’t protect the defenders of the land, who will protect the Earth?

  Impact Statement: “The Silence of the Earth delves into the harrowing stories of Berta Cáceres, Raimundo dos Santos, and Aldo Zamora—fearless environmental activists who paid the ultimate price for defending our planet. In the heart of Latin America, they faced brutal murders at the hands of those protecting the interests of multinational corporations. This documentary unveils the dark forces orchestrating these heinous crimes, challenging viewers to question the near-impunity of the perpetrators. Beyond the surface, it explores the profound impact on our planet and humanity, exposing the intricate web connecting environmental activism, corporate greed, and human rights struggles. The film sparks a collective responsibility, urging viewers to challenge the systems allowing such injustices and become advocates for a more sustainable and just world. The Silence of the Earth transcends the boundaries of documentary, serving as a poignant testament to the resilience of those who stood in defense of our Earth, inspiring a heartfelt call to action for a better, more compassionate world.”

  Partners Attached:
  RTVE, Arte, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Global Witness, Entrepueblos

  Budget: € 618 000  
  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”Meeting impact producers, learning other impact campaigns and possibilities that could be adapted to our film, distribution possibilities etc.”

  Participants:

  Mar Medir, EAVE graduate, has worked since 2005 in the production field in companies such as Oberon, El Kinograf and Inicia Films and has participated in projects such as Luisa no está en casa, de Celia Rico (Biennale di Venezia 2012), La teta asustada, by Claudia Llosa (Golden Bear, Berlinale 2009), La Plaga, by Neus Ballús (Berlinale 2013) o Summer 1993, by Carla. She was manager of the association of documentary producers Pro-Docs and coordinator of Catalan Films. She is currently working at Diagonal.

  Eulogio Romero. Director, Screenwriter and Executive producer of documentaries and fiction. Over the last years he has created and directed projects with some of the most important production companies and TV networks in Spain and Latin America such as HBO, TVE, Movistar+, Rakuten TV, The Mediapro Studio, Secuoya Studios, Diagonal, amongst others.

  With HBO he has directed and produced 4 documentary series, the latest being “Destino Rusia 2018”. His latest work is the documentary series “Matar al presidente” for Movistar +.

  Contact: Mar Medir

• State of Silence

  

  Film Title: State of Silence
  Director: Santiago Maza Stern
  Producer: Abril Lopez Carillo, Diego Luna
  Production Companies: La Corriente del Golfo
  Production Status: Post-Production
  Expected Release Date: 1-3-2024

  Logline: State of Silence follows four local Mexican journalists as they risk their life pursuing their calling to seek truth and veracity in a country where corruption and impunity still reign after two decades of the so-called war against drugs.

  Impact Statement: “State of Silence aims to amplify the importance of independent journalism and freedom of expression in Mexico. The film is a collective call on society to raise global awareness of the daily life threatening threats and risks that journalists confront in order to tell true local stories. Through strategic planning the campaign of the film demands security, better conditions for the fearless journalists and a call to upcoming political candidates for the Mexican elections in June 2024.”

  Partners Attached:

  Michelle Plascencia & Merle Iliná, Impacta Cine, impact producers. La Corriente del Golfo podcast team who will investigate further into the issue. Organizations who advocate for journalists and press freedom such as Article 19, Periodistas de a Pie, Committee for the Protection of Journalists in Mexico, Journalists Without Borders. Independent journalists in Mexico: John Gibler, Diego Enrique Osorno, Daniela Pastrana, Rodolfo Montes, Marcela Turati, Balbina Flores, Alma Rosa Rojo Medina, Patricia Mayorga, Victoria Razo, Ernesto Alfredo Martínez “El Pepis”, Miguel Ángel Vega, Humberto Armendariz. Journalist networks such as Voces del Sur and the Mexican Network of displaced journalists. Established communicators such as Gabriela Warkentin, Carmen Aristegui and her channel. Documentary film organizations such as Ambulante, Doc Society, Picture Motion. Relevant allies who could help us to gain visibility such as Diego Luna (executive producer of the film), Gael García Bernal (ally), Beak> (music band who recorded the soundtrack).

  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”We hope to broaden our international networks of partners and allies who can join our campaign in collaborative efforts so we can continue to amplify the messages of the film and the urgency of this consistent injustice that has become unfortunately normalized in Mexico. It is necessary to continue to build a strong international network of partners and allies so we can seek collective ways to protect freedom of expression, journalists and our society’s right to honest, local press. We hope to connect with foundations, academics, journalists, other similar impactful films and filmmakers and film industry individuals who can support this valuable film.”

  Participants:

  Santiago Maza Stern studied documentary filmmaking at the National Film & Television School and an MA in screenwriting at the London Film School. Both in fiction and documentary, his work has led him to appear at festivals in America, Europe and Africa. He is currently the director of the documentary department at La Corriente del Golfo.

  Contact: Santiago Maza Stern

• To An Ending Unwritten

  

  Film Title: To An Ending Unwritten
  Director: Manuel Alberto Maia
  Producer: Aghniadi; Crispianus Sebleku
  Production Companies: Asia Justice and Rights; Komunitas Film Kupang (Kupang Film Community)
  Production Status: Late Production
  Expected Release Date: 17-08-2024

  Logline: Decades after atrocities, descendants of the survivors in Indonesia break the chains of silence. Hearing Yogyakarta’s whispers to Timor’s cries, they have to reckon with familial and historical wounds a year before a nation-defining election.

  Impact Statement: “In Yogyakarta, Kupang and beyond, survivors and their families narrate their shared woundedness and history through this film. From the villages and cities to government halls, voices young and old rise to advocate lives, rewriting the ending, not with scars, but with hope.”

  Partners Attached:

  Asia Justice and Rights (Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Production Company/Impact Partner); Komunitas Film Kupang (Indonesia, Co-­production & Impact Partner); FOPPERHAM (Indonesia, Impact Partner).

  Budget: € 87 076 
  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”We’re eager to find best practices in distribution and connect with partners who resonate with our message and story, we invite fellow changemakers to share their expertise and help us realise the full impact of our documentary.”

  Participants:

  Aghniadi currently works as the Regional Communications Coordinator at Asia Justice and Rights. He has experience working in media and non­governmental organizations including United Nations and Amnesty International, producing stories in written and various audiovisual mediums. His debut documentary project, “Words, Wisdom, and Writing Papers,” was selected in Docs By The Sea’s Storytelling Lab 2021. He has written animated documentary pair about human rights survivors in Indonesia and Timor-Leste titled Konta-sai/8:45, which received recognition as the Best Film and Best Animation at the ReelOzlnd! Australia Indonesia Short Film Competition 2021. Until now, he still actively assisting various human rights-related campaigns.

  Manuel Alberto Maia was born in Balibo, Timor-Leste (then East Timor) in 1989. His filmmaking journey started with the Kupang Film Community in 2012, participated in the Beginner Documentary Film Workshop (Kickstart-ln-Docs) and created his first documentary, Kaos Kupang. In 2016, he released a feature-length documentary titled Nokas, which was screened at various festivals, including the Singapore International Film Festival 2016 (Silver Screen Awards), Official Selection in Eurasia International Film Festival 2016, Best Feature-Documentary in Freedom Film Festival 2017, Malaysia, World Competition in Duhok International Film Festival 2017, Iraq, and Official Selection in Yamagata International Film Festival 2017, Japan.

  Contact: Aghniadi

• Water on Fire

  

  Film Title: Water on Fire
  Director: Rehad Desai
  Producer: Anita Khanna, Jacqueline van Meygaarden
  Production Companies: Uhuru Productions
  Production Status: In Production
  Expected Release Date: 30-5-2025

  Logline: Hit by recurring cyclones, droughts and floods, Madagascar is the first country to experience climate induced famine. A filmmaker sets out to show the rest of the world what is coming if we don’t act on climate. But instead of finding despair, he finds hope in the young activists, from some of the country’s most remote villages.

  Impact Statement: “Our vision is to produce films that include call to action impact campaigns, containing inspiring stories of climate activists, to profile hope and solutions while not shying away from the harsh reality. We understand that local stories, beautifully crafted, can have significant global appeal, particularly those that raise the key issues of our time, such as climate change. Madagascar is a heavily impacted island nation, where international fishing trawlers extract thousands of tons of fish from south-west coast, there is massive deforestation across the island, and the mining for rare earth minerals is hardly going to benefit rural communities.”

  Partners Attached:

  Laurence Uberfseld, LuFilms (France) – co-producer
  CRAAD-OI (Madagascar) – Impact partner
  Doc Society – funding / impact partner
  Brot fur die Welt – funding partner
  Rosa Luxemburg Foundation – funding partner
  Climate Emergency Collab Group – funding partner
  WOMIN – Impact partner

  Budget: € 250 000  
  Goal at Take on Film & Impact: ”Meeting co-producers, distributors, impact producers, NGO and social organisations that can support with our film’s impact plan.”

  Participants:

  South African producer and director, Jacqueline van Meygaarden has over 20 years of experience as a storyteller, initially in multimedia feminist visual theatre, then switched to non-fiction filmmaking to reach wider audiences. Jacqueline was awarded the Commonwealth Vision Award (2007) for her short film Free Energy; produced climate justice campaign content for 350.org in Africa; produces factual content for the SABC; and has directed a number of short documentary films. She is currently co-producing and directing on HOTSPOT, a series of documentary feature films about climate justice in Southern African. She co-directed on Temperature Rising (2023), the first film to be released in this series. Jacqueline is the co-chair of a media collaborative, Mycelium Media Colab.

  Contact: Jacqueline van Meygaarden