Reel Women Real Change: Stories, Advocacy, Impact

Dear supporter of smart storytelling for impact,

2020 is off to a strong start and we have exciting projects underway here at p.h. balanced films!

We'll provide a behind-the-scenes look in our next update (but if that feels too far away, take a peek now on any of our social media platforms - Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram).

In this update, we're delighted to share a series of short videos from our recent work in Nairobi.

The Stories Power Change collection features conversations with fellow African Women in Media attendees about the importance of storytelling. From a radio show or a full-length documentary film, to journalism and multimedia engagement, each has made an important impact with stories in their respective countries and communities.

Take a few moments to watch today. We'd love to know which one you find most inspiring!

With gratitude for your support and excitement about the year ahead,

Piper

Links:

• The Stories Power Change collection

Dear supporter of women changemakers,

At p.h. balanced films, we know the power of storytelling to change hearts and minds - and, in turn, policies and practices. That knowledge drives everything we do, from our Reel Women Real Change workshops to other events and engagements about stories, film, and media in general.

With your support, we were able to be part of the African Women in Media conference and festival earlier this year. As we shared in our last update, the gathering brought women from around the world to Nairobi, Kenya, where we were honored to host several workshops and panels.

I'm now delighted to share with you one of the one-on-one conversations we had with fellow changemakers at the conference. 

Take a moment to watch our conversation with Aderonke Adeola, the talent and energy behind the film, AWANI.

We look forward to sharing more conversations - and some exciting plans we have in store for 2020 - in the months ahead.

With gratitude, 

Piper Hendricks and the team at p.h. balanced films

Links:

• Watch the video of our conversation with Aderonke

We set out for Kenya looking to meet fellow women in media, share our Stories Power Change & Stories Change Power approach to advocacy, and learn new perspectives from around the world as part of the third annual African Women in Media conference and festival (#AWiM19). 

We returned with heads full of new ideas, phones full of numbers of new contacts (and friends), and hearts full of inspiration - and feeling downright invigorated!

In the weeks ahead, we will share more via our newsletter from the people we met, all of whom are working across an impressive range of media landscapes. We heard stories from Nigeria, South Sudan, and Ghana, just to name a few.

Did you see something we posted on Twitter during #AWiM19 that caught your eye? A video on Facebook that you'd like to know more about? Have questions about the panels we hosted and workshops we conducted? 

Let us know at info@phbalancedfilms.org

As always, thank you for your support. Our work wouldn't be where it is without you.

With gratitude,

Piper Hendricks,

Founder, p.h. balanced films

Dear supporter of women storytellers and advocates,

In February, we told you that we have two exciting pieces of news in the works - one was a "rough cut" and one a "fine cut." I'm delighted to now share the first that is ready for prime time:

p.h. balanced films is going to Kenya!

In late July, our Content Developer, Alexis Matsui, and I will attend the African Women in Media conference in Nairobi where we will facilitate workshops and join panel discussions on matters of film, advocacy, and storytelling. 

Now in its third year, we look forward to being part of what promises to be an exciting and impactful gathering of experts from around the world.

In the coming weeks, expect to see more about the AWiM conference on our social media feeds, including updates live from the gathering July 25-27.

As always, we are deeply grateful for your support - and we'd like to add a special note of thanks to the p.h. balanced films supporter who let us know about AWiM last year.

Without you, our work would not be possible.

With gratitude, 

Piper

(If you received this message twice, it's because you were part of the Director's Circle who provided initial funding for Reel Women Real Change. We are working to combine these projects for future updates and appreciate both your support and your forgiveness for the extra email!)

Dear supporter of women storytellers and advocates,

We at p.h. balanced films have not one but two incredibly exciting updates about our plans for 2019! We've been busy behind-the-scenes with a lot of conversation and coordination, a dash of international travel, and a generous helping of proposal writing. 

We want to keep you in the loop on a regular basis, but as this quarterly deadline arrived, one of our ideas is still in its fine cut phase while the other is a solid rough cut. Just like you can't rush Sauternes custard (or so I'm told - see image attached), we don't want to rush in sharing until we have all of the important details worked out.

So stay tuned... next quarter, we'll have not one but two updates to share!

Thank you for your support. Without your help, neither of these projects underway would be possible.  

Thanks, too, for your patience - both with the wait for the news and with me for shamelessly mixing cooking and filming metaphors.

With gratitude, 

Piper

(If you are receiving this message twice, it's because you a superstar who provided initial funding for Reel Women Real Change. We appreciate you - and the fact that no one needs twice as much inbox traffic. We're working to combine the projects for future updates.)