Behind the scenes with the Uganda film team

Christened ‘Dream Factory 2’, the Uganda film team office may resemble a cool, dark cave with its blacked-out windows for easier editing and the AC always on to keep the computers from overheating. But the dream team behind the videos is anything but cold and lifeless.
Jay Salbert of Fairfax, Virginia and Tony Bazilo of Atiak, Uganda, the current film team, are pretty much the coolest guys in town. Jay worked as a film editor with Invisible Children for about a year in the San Diego office before flying off to Uganda. There he joined Tony, a student in the Legacy Scholarship Program and the first film intern in the Gulu office. They spend their days out in the field filming and photographing Invisible Children Uganda (ICU) programs, or in the office logging photos, organizing assets, editing photos and uploading the finished products.
Jay has adjusted quickly to working in a new environment.
“It’s just really cool to see the impact of our programs so that we can communicate that through images.”
While Jay trains Tony on how to use the cameras and lights, Tony brings his own expertise to the team.
“It’s always difficult working in a place that isn’t home,” Jay says. “When you go out to the villages people speak a different language, so it’s great to have Tony around so he can translate.”
So Tony, what’s it like working with Jay?
“We’re always cracking jokes around here and we can laugh,” Tony says. “He’s been like a role model to me.”
And the mutual admiration doesn’t end there.
“Tony has such a good attitude all the time, even if we’re super stressed he’s always got a smile on,” Jay gushes. “Tony’s the best at that.”

Jay and Tony set up lights for the interviews in the new IC film

One of Tony’s favorite skills learned so far is lighting

Tony gets experience in the field, filming interviews to be aired on Ugandan television for International Peace Day

Jay gets out in the field, filming everything from Village Savings and Loan group leaders, to cute puppies

A typical morning for the film team will start with checking e-mails and taking tea with mandazi – kind of like a donut. Work continues up until 1pm, when the team heads to lunch. Usually to the pork joint, but sometimes to an Ethiopian or local restaurant.
If the paparazzi want to know where to catch this duo, they need look no further than some of the most popular cafes in town. Tony hangs out at Coffee Hut, for the wireless internet, while Jay can be found at Sankofa on the weekends, enjoying a French press and cinnamon bun. In fact, he’s such a regular the Sankofa staff call him when cinnamon buns are ready.

Jay at his favorite weekend hangout – Sankofa

Look out for the next project these two are tackling: staff photos for the website.




 

invisiblechildren.com

KONY 2012 at Mountainfilm

Every memorial day weekend, the tiny mountain town of Telluride, Colorado hosts a film festival called Mountainfilm. If I remember correctly, it was birthed from a pre-X-games love of action sports films, the kind that are a continuous slow motion montage of snow boarding flips, gnarly surf shredding, mountain biking down an erupting volcano, etc etc. But over the last twenty years, the festival has evolved into something more. The love of action sports necessitated beautiful scenery, and that accented and enflamed within the athletes and filmmakers a love of nature. That love of nature infected the film festival with an activist’s heart, and the films expanded beyond sports and stunts to environmental conservation and human rights. Now, the festival is a majestic collective of creative filmmakers aiming to raise awareness about the most important issues facing our planet. It is my favorite weekend of the year.

$10M authorized by U.S. Congress

Sometimes – when you ask nicely – U.S. Congress makes $10 million available for protecting families at risk of LRA attacks. That’s good money. Thanks to everyone out there who called, tweeted, or met with their Members of Congress. Nice work.
Check out Resolve’s blog post about it. Resolve is our partner in KONY 2012 and they know what’s what in DC.
-Azy
From Resolve:
This week, we received some big news as the committees in Congress that set America’s foreign aid budget released their proposals for 2013. Thanks to the committed activism of young people across the U.S. and support from a few key champions in Congress, we’re now very close to securing $10 million for life-saving programs in communities targeted by LRA violence.

The Debating Spirit

“I like debating because it needs critical analysis which can help unearth solutions to issues in the society,” comments Ben, a debater from Gulu Army School.  He says that debating has helped him overcome stage fright and improved his spoken English, a problem he has been fighting since childhood.
You could see how engaged the students were in the debate organized by the Legacy Scholarship Program. The room was full to capacity, with many students peering through the window bars from outside to get a glimpse of the action. The main hall at Sir Samuel Baker school was as silent as a grave, while all eyes focused on the debaters trying to convince the judges of their case on the topic “true democracy is impracticable in our contemporary society.”

Mend: Laker Lucy

Meet Laker Lucy- a natural leader, Mend seamstress and loving mother. Lucy spent 7 years in captivity before escaping.

Uganda captures LRA senior commander

A senior commander in the rebel Lord's Resistance Army has been captured by the Ugandan army, a spokesman has said.

Caesar Achellam was seized on Saturday following a struggle between Ugandan soldiers and a group of 30 rebels.
The commander, whom Ugandan officials say is a top rebel military strategist, was captured in the Central African Republic, one of several nations where the Ugandan-led LRA operates.
The most notorious wanted LRA leader is war crimes suspect Joseph Kony.
Following his arrest, Achellam told reporters: "The general of the division, Caesar Achellam, who has fought in the jungle since 1984, is from now on in the hands of the Ugandan Army."
"My coming out will have a big impact for the people still in the bush to come out and end this war soon," he said.

Saturday inspiration