Frequently Asked Questions
What is FilmAid?
FilmAid International is a nonprofit organization that uses the power of film to change lives. By screening films to hundreds of thousands of forcibly displaced people each year, FilmAid promotes health, strengthens communities and enriches the lives of the world's vulnerable and uprooted. In 2005, FilmAid audiences in East Africa totaled over one million.
FilmAid was founded during the Kosovar refugee crisis in 1999 by Caroline Baron, filmmaker and award winning producer of " Capote", after she learned the most prevalent problem for the hundreds of thousands of Kosovar refugees was psychological trauma and hopelessness.
FilmAid is a global partner of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and works closely with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), UNICEF, CARE, World Food Program and Church World Service, among others.
Who does FilmAid serve?
FilmAid reaches men, women and children who have been forced from their homes by conflict, famine or natural disaster. While other humanitarian agencies help meet immediate physical needs, refugees often remain isolated in contained settlements whith little connection to the outside world for years on end- the average stay in a refugee camps is now 17 years. FilmAid brings hope and information to fill the void.
Where does FilmAid work?
Over the past six years, FilmAid has brought films for inspiration and information to refugees and displaced people and thier host communities in Kenya, Tanzania, Macedonia, Afghanistan and Louisiana.
How does FilmAid work?
FilmAid's open air screenings reach audiences of tens of thousands at once. Feature films are preceded by cartoons, a public service announcement, and an educational short.
In addition to psychological relief FilmAid provides information on critical topics such as conflict prevention, human rights, HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence. Screenings are also held in community centers, schools, hospitals and infant feeding centers on such topics as teenage pregnancy, reproductive health, and education for girls.
Disntinct from other humanitarian organizations, FilmAid uses the power of film to bring these issues to life through cinematic story telling, transcending language and literacy barriers.
Working in consultation with advisory committees of refugees FilmAid brings a sense of hope and a vision for the the future to people who have suffered unimaginable trauma.
FilmAid also helps youth tell their own stories with our Participatory Video Project
How can you help?
FilmAid is changing lives. There are 33 million forcibly displaced people in the world, 80% of them women and children - you can help make a difference.
Contribute online at www.filmaid.org
or mail your donation to:
FilmAid International
24 West 23rd Street, Fourth Floor
New York, NY 10010
For more information: info@filmaid.org
or call: 212.529.1088
Your generosity will make a difference in thousands of lives every day!
