Protecting great apes and their environment
through the power of film and television.
The Great Apes Film Initiative
GAFI Newsletter
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GAFI is an innovative, grass-roots based organisation that aims to promote great ape conservation by engaging and inspiring people to create local and sustainable solutions to the problems facing great apes and their environments around the world.
GAFI uses cinema and television to help save the endangered animals in their vulnerable habitats in places like Africa and South East Asia. Reaching millions of people whatever the culture or country, television is foremost media touching our lives.
To Madelaine Westwood (Founder of GAFI) and her team, it was an obvious tool to use to reach everyone be it a state president to an agricultural farmer; to army officers to school students, young and old. Screening wildlife documentaries to people that shared or impacted the same habitat as an endangered animal, was highlighting the cause where it mattered and where a real difference can be made immediately.
GAFI News
Pedal Power Cinema Kit Application.
Ape Alliance & The Great Apes Film Initiative (GAFI) are proud to announce that as part of Hope 4 Apes 2013 they will be donating 6 Pedal Power Cinema kits to deserving charities and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working for ape conservation. These field cinema kits developed by Electric Pedals bring the power of natural history and conservation films to areas where electricity is not available.
“Hope4Apes At The Savoy” is an unique charitable event on the 27th September 2013. Hosted by Sir David Attenborough, this once in a lifetime event celebrating the power of apes on screen with clips from defining moments in natural history film will be screened using Pedal Power. Culminating in an auction at the end of the night, money raised will help selected projects around the world working tirelessly for Ape Conservation.
These cinema kits have been made available by sponsorship from several companies as part of Hope4Apes 2013 to get Pedal Powered Cinemas to projects in ape range states across the globe. Each of the Cinema kits will have sponsor logos attached.
This piece of equipment includes a projector and a sound system powered by a dynamo which is attached to a bicycle. Already touching the lives of thousands, there are three very successful kits in Africa and South-East Asia. GAFI will offer support to the selected charities and NGOs to further the reach of Pedal Powered Cinemas.
Click for an Application Form.
Click for a PDF Version of the Application Form.
The Deadline for applicants 30th April 2013.
Opportunity for GAFI
Project Co-Ordinator: Pedal Power Cinema
Television documentary programmes are one of the most powerful ways we have of communicating accurate information about many subjects that affect our lives. However key parts of the world cannot afford to purchase these programmes so millions of people have no understanding of the environmental challenges that face their communities, families and livelihoods.
GAFI has been distributing conservation films and creating screening programmes for the last 8 years in Africa and SE Asia, reaching over 300 million people to date. The films are shown to Presidents, Government Ministers, National Television viewers, Local Communities, Schools, Wildlife Management Centres, National Park Rangers and the Army.
One challenge in delivering the screening programmes is the frequent lack of electricity in many regions where we work. Therefore GAFI now delivers many of its screening programmes via its hugely successful pedal power cinema. This has transformed education in Uganda, DRC and Sumatra so far and will reach 5 more countries by the end of 2013.
GAFI is seeking a co-ordinator for both its international pedal power projects and the UK schools project which aims to link UK schools with Great Apes range states.
Qualifications: The successful applicant will have proven knowledge of environmental issues in Africa and SE Asia, have strong organisational skills, have proven people skills, have a working knowledge of the UK schools curriculum, be able to write reports for donors and the GAFI website and be able to create a strategy for sustainable growth for the pedal power cinema project.
Click for the Application Form.
PASA Report from Uganda |
Pedal Powered Cinema in Sumatra |
Pedal Power success in DR Congo! |
How pedal power is helping Uganda’s mountain gorillas
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 GAFI Pedal Power Uganda, ©Colin Tonks |
| During the month of August, Pedal Power screenings were extended to Kabale district where some few schools were visited and screened though part of the month was a holiday. Read the full article | GAFI has sent it’s 2nd Pedal Powered Cinema to the Sumatran Orangutan Society in Indonesia. We’ll keep you posted with any updates from SOS. | The pedal powered cinema will be an absolute boon to Virunga National Park, DR Congo. A cinema kit was delivered to Rumangabo, Park HQ, in March 2012.
After the first film screening at Rumangabo school (with 721 children) the pedal powered cinema was described by Park staff as ‘an awesome piece of kit’. A better endorsement would be hard to find…… |
The Guardian | David Hewitt | 14 December 2011
Bicycles are powering films that teach communities about the plight of the gorillas and their natural habitat GAFI in collaboration with Electric Pedals |
Chimpsaver
GAFI would like to introduce www.chimpsaver.org, a group of people who are spending their lives trying to save chimpanzees.
