Changing the Storyteller in Africa’s Nature Stories

Local producers say opportunities for African filmmakers in the field are few and far between due to factors including limited access to parks and reserves, and the prohibitive cost of equipment, production, and distribution. A number of organizations have in recent years sought to change this. Among them is Nature, Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF), a Durban, South Africa-based nonprofit founded by producers Noel and Pragna-Partosam Kok to build the capacity of African nature filmmakers. In 2022, it launched a collaborative program with the science and media nonprofit National Geographic Society to boost budding nature filmmakers across the continent. The initiative dubbed Africa Refocused offers filmmakers access to parks, equipment and specialized storytelling labs, such as a dive center to learn underwater filmmaking.

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