Africa Refocused, Reimagined, and Rising Together at #NEWF2025
Building community, exchanging knowledge, and reaching back for others is a strong show of resistance in an era where many of us are being challenged to be the leaders we need. Or the leaders we wish we were seeing amplified for the change they are advocating for, and pioneering through action - because strong African leaders across many industries do exist.
Often, as ambitious, curious, and compassionate storytellers, academics and artists we get caught between the deep desire and need to step up and be leaders who are naturally confident - and hiding behind our work and values in the name of productivity and hidden education we believe will have us emerge singular in our success having never flinched, fallen or feared.
Confidence and the ability to show up as ourselves in our passion and purpose requires support, and support is really about having a community - or to de-story it; a dynamic, functioning ecosystem where each organism has the food source it needs to play its role - fed and available to feed other organisms.
More than 130 fellows attended this chapter of Summit and Congress!
Africa Refocused is supported by a bold theory of change: If talented, diverse, African storytellers are provided the training, mentorship, connections, and access to advance their skills and careers, then they will become leaders in this field, adding to the diversity of perspectives and experiences within wildlife and natural history storytelling, which is critical to the protection and conservation of African wildlife for present and future generations.
The NEWF Fellows Summit and Congress emerge as a culturally vibrant, supportive and engaging source of community, connection and creative energy. Echoing this, we introduced a new visual branding narrative to the community that features all of Africa’s countries and islands.
A movement and proof of concept born between a system that has succeeded in systemically oppressing entire generations; and continuing to challenge us as a distraction from our power and agency - and the intersectional movements for change across the world led by Black, Asian and Indigenous people and their allies. We are advocating to change the storyteller in an era where equipment access and borders are the most powerful political and divisive tools - so it’s only fitting that we show resistance all year round by bringing people together to have access and break these barriers.
Executive Director and Co-Founder of Nature Environment Wildlife Filmmakers, Noel Kok, opens the floor to kick the #NEWF2025 Fellows Summit off. Photograph by Cliff Mshana for #NEWF2025.
Opening with an inspiring visual feast, all sessions were curated to respond to the evolving needs of fellows, covering everything from storytelling craft and personal development to pitching strategies and collaborative production approaches. Workshops were intimate and intentional, encouraging reflection as much as practical growth.
In these sessions, fellows explored the role of cultural identity and lived experience in storytelling, and how to approach narratives of land, nature, and people with care, clarity, and authenticity - many met with the accountability of finding the confidence to place themselves in their work. Vibrant and collaborative, they immersed themselves in each other's works in progress, celebrated each other’s milestones and exchanged field stories and industry knowledge; strengthening the intentional culture of gate opening, collaboration and peer-to-peer learning that continues to be the heart of the NEWF community.
The official evening welcome by South African storytelling matriarch Dr. Gcina Mhlope - affectionately known as Ma’am Gcina - took the tightly huddled crowd of people surrounding her at Elangeni’s Ocean Breeze restaurant from silent anticipation to roaring ululation. As she built tension in the tale she told, bringing it to life one revelation at a time - the audience travelled across grazing lands and watery passages alongside Bathom.
Ma’am Gcina captivates Africa and the world once again. Photograph by Breno Luckano for #NEWF2025.
We collectively gasped as Bathom got pulled apart and eaten by these thieving, villainous and callous giants - holding our breath.
But the beauty of bringing together people from all ancestry, generations and levels of experience is this: Many in the room still doubted the power of intention, ancestral calling and agency present even in the midst of destruction, discouragement and disappointment. But in the room too, were people with the insight to know this was not the end of the story, but the moment where everything changes for the better.
The oppression of one strong source of goodness is the birth of new resistance. As with all the atoms on earth shaping and reshaping scenes of present lives; our ancestral gifts and power find ways to destroy enemies from within like in the story of Bathom. Flesh and bone healed and made powerful through remembrance.
In conversation with Kamau Sadiki (US), this wisdom manifested as an emotional glance into his ancestors shackled removal from African shores; the heart of his and many Black divers training and work to take custodianship of the incomplete histories of the Slave Trade under the guidance of Diving With a Purpose and Youth Diving With a Purpose. Two storytellers sitting in front of a room full of people exploring how the past contributes to shaping a dignified present and future was not only about the threads connecting their separate explorations of briny identity and memory… It provoked the weaving of new connections and the bubbling up of unknown stories as the session ended and one-on-one conversations continued.
These connections between past and present were a powerful way of connecting conversations through the exploration of works in progress and the interrogation of the ‘Why?’ at the heart of storytelling and visual art.
Last year Peggy Sue Amison (US and Germany) from East Wing Doha visited the #NEWF2024 Congress for an enlightening conversation exploring photography as a tool for social impact, featuring the work of award-winning lens-based visual artists Federico Estol (Uruguay), Mandy Barker (UK) and Rehab Eldalil (Egypt) who were in attendance this year.
Ultimately, these conversations led to the collaborative development of NEWF’s first Reimagining African Narratives Photography Fellowship. Nervous, excited and inspired the cohort presented their project in progress; the energy and ululation speaking loudly to the support of their work.
To engage more intentionally with visual art as a medium for reimagining community-inclusive nature, environment and wildlife storytelling, advocacy and mixed media, they continued their learning alongside 7 other NEWF fellows from science, film and photography backgrounds to deeply engage in an intimate art history come anthropology classroom-style lecture passionately delivered by Claudi Carreras (Spain and South America).
Curator, editor, cultural producer and photography researcher Claudi Carreras immersing fellows in Listening Images. Photograph by Cindy Bernical for #NEWF2025.
An independent curator, editor, cultural producer and photography researcher, he brought his wealth of knowledge to the community and presented Africamericanos in an engaging session to the audience.
Focused on the millions of stories a series of photographs can tell, his masterclass Listening Images: The Power of Building Contemporary Narratives blinked the classroom of thirteen creatives through his impressive career and the research and field work that provide cultural and ethical context for Africamericanos as a case study of an expansive, community-inclusive and impact-driven work.
More than unpacking the concepts of listening to images from a curatorial and artistry perspective, allowing the sensory nature of the work to flow took the form of physically engaging each one of those senses. Each artist took a turn to creatively interrogate and sequence the images of a different artist with no context or research provided. Verbalising and showing the process created a space to challenge the beginning, middle and end of stories - and the endless ways images connect to tell different stories using the same body of work.
So when we consider what it means to be qualified to tell a story - it has a lot to do with accepting that the learning and skill to weave narratives that are authentic have more to do with intention, dedication and developing your unique, internal point of view than a set of rules since there is no formula for the perfect image, medium or exhibition.
Aunty B guiding fellows through one of her transformative Master Dreamers vision boarding sessions. Photograph by Samuel Gichuru for #NEWF2025.
By midweek, these connections and the soulful interrogation of self brought blessings from the Alaskan ancestors, with X’adasteen Connor Meyer as a conduit. And Barbara Lawrence-Strydom (South Africa), in true Aunty B style, ignited the power and vision within us all to dream, to be, and to take action in her unapologetic, barefoot State of the Continent Address. Speaking to being where our feet are and rooting deeply into our collective and ancestral identities, her Master Dreamers took a new approach this year - a session dedicated to Master Dreamer Alumni to build and expand their visions, and a session inviting vision boarders to explore their aspirations and practical toolbox in this way for the first time.
Fuelled by an abundance of passionate wisdom and ancestral support, we explored the current landscape of African and Indigenous environmental storytelling and envisioned new pathways forward.
Battle for Laikipia - screened on the second and final night of the Summit - left the audience moved and shaken. The narrative and complex characters sparked urgent conversations around conservation, conflict, and community. Offering reprieve, a nostalgic visit to the Barnyard Theatre felt like a fitting space for a private premiere of Wild Hope - Rhino Ops. The protagonists and talented crew proudly took the stage to unpack key elements of the Rhino dehorning project, how the film was made and to answer a few questions from the audience.
The Wild Hope - Rhino Ops crew unpacking insights after the screening. Left to right: Geoff Luck (Executive Producer), Ntokozo Mbuli (Assistant Producer), Carlos Noronha (Director of Photography), Nathan Rice (Writer, Director and Editor), Anthony Njugana (Camera Operator), Labdi Ommes (Composer) and Dercio ‘Muha’ Gomate (Composer). Photograph by Breno Luckano for #NEWF2025.
Reintroducing the Live Pitch that sparked NEWF's narrative change journey in 2017, 12 shortlisted Next Chapter candidates had a two-day pitching workshop with mentor Geoff Luck who presented the daily live pitch event showcasing four compelling project ideas over three days that demonstrated innovation and passion for themes such as nature, wildlife, environmental challenges, conservation, and climate resilience - all through the lens of community-inclusive storytelling and protagonists.
The esteemed jury put their experience to task to select the winning projects that will see its creators enter into a year-long fellowship to produce their films. The jury also had the great honour of announcing the winner of the inaugural Takalani Mulaudzi Development Grant, a special grant that aims to celebrate and support the development of a powerful documentary feature film about the ocean.
Further celebrating the ocean, the audience immersed in a showcase of short ocean films, produced by the 15 South x South fellows, as well as a short film, Precious Home, featuring Precious Osariemen (Nigeria) and George Amado (Ghana).
Sparking curiosity, particularly with the scientists in the room, the teaser of Échos des Récifs (Echoes of the Reef) - a film currently in development - features National Geographic Explorer Gerard Zinzindohoué (Benin); a scientist and marine technologist exploring Benin's reef structure with the hopes that he can show that West Africa is not only connected by land but by coral reefs.
Exploring another compelling story around coral reefs, The Reef Keeper featuring George Amado (Ghana) will take the audience along as he and his community explore the reef systems that have made a home on a decommissioned oil rig in Salt Pond in Ghana.
Honouring our origins, and engaging a full audience, Scientist Tell Your Story returned rebranded and reformatted as A Match Made in Science. Moderated by Mariette Van Der Walt (South Africa), it featured South African scientists Amy Chen (Student; University of Witwatersrand), Enele Twala (PhD Candidate; Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of Witwatersrand), Esther Matthew (Senior Specialist Conservation Officer, The Endangered Wildlife Trust), and Matthew Germishuizen (Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pretoria). We came up for air and trekked through the bush following Impala painted in light, through the lens of Carlos Noronha (Mozambique), Shamik Sanyal (Global Fellow, India) and Paushali Saha (Global Fellow, India).
Beyond the screen, interactive classroom highlights during the week included live and one-on-one pitching exercises in session with Juliette Chapalain (France) and Lucia Torres (Spain) from Mongabay offering vital insights on how to explore the production of compelling factual content, global digital platforms and publications, and develop strong elevator pitches.
Complimenting this, a jam-packed room saw Raquel Fereshetian (Social Media Manager, Content and Editorial) and Stephanie Miceli (Senior Manager, Impact Communications) from the National Geographic Society unpack how to present yourself on social media and write the best biography - essential skills in a digital age.
Birds of a feather flocked together: Nomsa Nkomo, Christian Cooper, Christina Lin and Sewela Mutileni. Photograph by Cahali Joao for #NEWF2025.
Other engaging panels brought together more voices from across Africa and around the world, covering a range of topics from Birds of a Feather moderated by Nomsa Nkomo (Zimbabwe), and featuring Christian Cooper (US), Christine Lin (US) and Sewela Mutileni (South Africa) who squeezed an early bird watching excursion into their schedule.
Leading the audience from Field to Frame, Christine Lin (US), Karen Greenfield (SVP, Inclusive Content and Engagement at the National Geographic Society, from the US), Munmun Dhalaria (Director, Producer, Cinematographer and NGS Explorer from India), Rachael Strecher (VP, Storytelling at the National Geographic Society), and Samuel Diaz Fernandez (Director, Filmmaker and NGS Explorer from Columbia) delved into the exploration mental health, field readiness, the role of mentorship for growth and story arcs, and gender equality and inclusivity as a value-system versus DEI policy or strategy.
Bringing more Stories from the Field, cinematographers Erin Ranney (Mentor, US), Sara Matasick (Mentor, US) and Mogamat Shamier Magmoet (NEWF Fellow, South Africa), Filmmakers Gunjan Menon (Global Fellow, India) and Peter Ndung’u (Photographer, NEWF Fellow and Mentor, Kenya) shared their personal experiences and insights prompted by Composer Labdi Ommes (NEWF Fellow, Kenya). Exploring practical considerations like packing, risk assessments to ensure personal safety, feminine health and hygiene, problem-solving in the fields and remaining connected to your home and those you love.
Importantly emphasised in these and other sessions was the undeniable responsibility of adopting ethical practices and overarching values that guide creatives in the field when working with communities who deserve the utmost respect, care and dignity as collaborators and as humans entrusting their space and stories to the storyteller’s lens.
Munmun Dhalaria shares an insightful anecdote with the audience. Photograph by Cliff Mshana for #NEWF2025.
Revered in natural history filmmaking but modest in demeanour, Patrick Morris (UK) accepted an invitation to share his wealth of experience with the next generation of African storytellers. His filmmaking journey is a testament to how far the industry has come—and how far a story can take you. When he started out, wildlife films were shot on Super 16, limited by light and reliant on patience we will likely never again know. Tapes transitioned to digital, exposure range grew and shooting ratios skyrocketed from twenty to one, to 500 to one. Pre-roll allows natural history filmmakers to capture moments that would otherwise be missed, and Cineflex allows the audience to fly with birds and run with wild dogs.
In conversation with Patrick Morris, he demonstrated timeless storytelling techniques using an archive of his work - reminding fellows that every next generation will have people who have not seen wildlife, and that this is an exciting opportunity to build on the techniques and passion that brought storytelling into the future, for further exploration with modern technology and the movement for more equitable, local points of view.
Patrick Morris in conversation on stage with Noel Kok. Photograph by Cliff Mshana for #NEWF2025.
Building on last year’s curated exploration of animation through the lens of Uli and Tata’s African Nursery Rhymes, Manu Akatsa (Kenya) returned to stoke fascinating conversation and light-hearted banter with industry trailblazer, Torbin Bullock (Skydance Animation Studio, US) who spent the formative decades of his career at Pixar Animation Studios, where his career took a new leap with the box-office hit Toy Story.
His contribution to the NEWF Community started by leading a workshop exploring the good, bad and boring of editorial in feature animation. With Ashianam by Damilola Solesi (Nigeria) as one of the live pitch winning concepts that will be developed over the next few months, and Halima Abubakar’s exhibition, Kwalliya featured as the design on this year's tote bag - we look forward to exploring the many ways in which our culture, advocacy and preservation can be expressed using animation, illustration and multimedia techniques.
Strong unifying themes emerged once again: the power of - and need - to preserve, document and ethically amplify our ancestry, memory, and resilience to reimagine and reclaim how African stories are told and why.
NEWF Congress ending on its traditional high note: The beating of hundreds of drums. Photograph by Breno Luckano for #NEWF2025.
What stood out most was the depth of the relationships we witnessed and engaged in — a network built not only on common goals but on shared values that transcend more languages, cultures and countries (49 countries!) than the community has ever seen before. In every room, we saw the potential of collective effort: stories that honour memory, narratives that build empathy, and storytellers who are not waiting for permission but walking boldly into the future as they advocate, conserve and celebrate our wild spaces, indigenous knowledge and community custodians.
The 8th NEWF Fellows Summit and Congress was another chapter of an ongoing movement — proof that with the right support, African and Indigenous multimedia storytellers will continue to refine, refocus and reshape the world’s understanding of intersectional climate justice, coexistence in nature, and the belonging as a transformative agent for global change.
To our fellows, thought partners, supporters, and funders, thank you for walking alongside us. Your commitment enables this community to reimagine belonging, creativity and collaboration - to dream deeper, speak louder, and rise higher.
Important Disclaimer: While we acknowledge the importance of every single fellow, mentor and speaker who contributed to the success of these carefully curated sessions, workshops and conversations - the challenge of hosting such a robust event is including every single moment and session in a story of this kind. This story by no means encompasses every session, highlight and valuable insight shared. We hope our community and readers meet this with understanding.
