WHAT LENS DO YOU VIEW AFRICA THROUGH?
What comes to mind when you envision a group of divers exploring the southern tips kelp forests, restoring East Africa’s coral reefs or filming wildlife in warm and wild forest and plains across the continent?
What do filmmakers, scientists, innovators and conservation heroes look like, sound like, and dress like?
Our Story Arc is a collection of stories that amplify, and powerfully celebrate some of the trailblazing, compelling, complex, funny, hopeful, nuanced, inspiring, passionate and hard-fought journeys of African storytellers, conservationists and scientists in the NEWF community - and far beyond.
Through these stories, we celebrate our collective agency, and seek to share the value of community-centric impact through warm, thought-provoking narratives that highlight the richly diverse cultures, multidisciplinary talent and Indigenous knowledge systems that play a significant role in the preservation of our wild spaces, species and the communities that coexist with them.
Travel across Africa alongside these storytellers, innovators and explorers; the curious creatives, passionate peers, and radical agents of change refocusing the narratives of Africa.
Africa Refocused, Reimagined, and Rising Together at #NEWF2025
The 8th NEWF Fellows Summit and Congress emerged as a culturally vibrant, supportive and engaging source of community, connection and creative energy once again. Curated to respond to the evolving needs of fellows, covering everything from storytelling craft, pitching strategies and collaborative production approaches - to inviting the industry to join the conversation reimagining the future of community-inclusive, African-led storytelling, science and art.
RETURN AFRICA: The MAKULEKE YOUTH BIRDERS PROJECT
The central part of the park has always been my haven, with an almost guaranteed lion roar at night, if not a sighting, or perhaps it's just sentimental. However, it was only in 2021, after a series of strange coincidences (in hindsight), that I stumbled upon Pafuri Camp and experienced a sense of belonging, a sense of homecoming.
And that’s a wrap on our first FAME Week!
FAME Week has been a whirlwind sharing NEWF’s programs and impact with visitors at our booth, in our sessions and during one-on-one exchanges. From VR and films, to unpacking labs and our Africa Refocused program; we are energised by the support for our vision, mission and an equitable future for African Storytellers.
HER | Story: Shaping and inspiring impact and storytelling across Africa
The women in the NEWF community are among many across the continent showing up as the leaders and change-makers we have needed in our time. As the climate crisis intensifies, intersectional social justice and impact movements rise to challenge the ways of the world - these women are advocating for a better future.
How many African photographers and cinematographers have the opportunity to film wildlife off the continent?
While diversity in the wildlife film industry is growing, foreign talent still dominates production on the African continent. Kenyan Peter Ndung’u had the timely opportunity to join Gulo Film’s crew in Finland for 4 weeks.
Exploring the Future of Storytelling
This year has been electric with momentum! One of the most exciting events on our travel calendar is the National Geographic Society Explorers Festival - an opportunity to celebrate our community and see our dream of seeing diverse catalogues of authentic stories featuring a global melting pot of culture, language and community-inclusive impact come true.