Conservation

Great Apes Film Initiative

(Click here for the Great Apes Film Initiative website)

Wildlife documentaries are by their very subject matter, made around the world and many of them involve animals and habitats which are becoming increasingly rare. It has been one of the most frustrating aspects of programme making for many wildlife documentary producers that we can make programmes about these endangered animals but they are rarely seen by the very people who need to see them - the decision makers in those countries and the locals who live in those environments. The Great Apes Film Initiative, (GAFI) created by Madelaine Westwood in collaboration with Filmmakers For Conservation and GRASP, has entailed the donating of award winning films by BBC Worldwide and Granada International to be given to African, Malaysian and Indonesian countries who cannot afford to pay for them and are struggling to keep great apes alive for future generations.

It is a sad fact that estimates for the survival of primates in the world is approximately 15 years, can you imagine a world without gorillas, orangutans, chimps and bonobos. It is unthinkable but it will definitely happen unless we take action now. Over the last ten years Nutshell has provided the services of Madelaine to create , direct and run the Great Apes Film Initiative, enrolling broadcasters to donate films, liaising with African broadcasters and ministers to have the films broadcast nationally, linking to Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and their educational outreach work, and establishing the legal and logistical framework for 'GAFI'. It has been a huge task, but the results are growing. Since 2005 over 300 million people in 15 countries have seen conservation and wildlife films for the very first time. The screening programmes reach our audiences by riverboat, road treks … and the worlds first field pedal powered cinema. All of the screening results are monitored and local projects supported whether the audience is a President, Minister in Government, member of the army or rangers, farmers association, local villagers or school children. GAFI school twinning programme is well established between UK schools and Ugandan schools and is expanding rapidly due to demand. There is a chance to see the GAFI field projects in Uganda and help with the pedal powered cinema and local projects by joining the GAFI Gorilla Tour:

Gorillas and Chimpanzees in Uganda - The Great Ape Adventure (A Wildeye / GAFI Project)
Trek to see/film wild mountian gorillas and chimpanzees in the forests of Uganda, whilst learning about conservation projects to protect our close relatives.

Photos from the Pedal Powered Cinema Project in Uganda

Click here for the Great Apes Film Initiative website

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