Ignite Lasting Change with Community Film Events

Social impact - it takes a village. Working at the intersection of storytelling and community engagement worldwide, we continue to witness the transformative power of local film events to inspire awareness and collaboration around the local issues that matter.

Every year a committed network of SIMA ambassadors and partners (local advocates and organizations) curate a line up of films selected from the finalists and winners of the annual Social Impact Media Awards and host film screenings in their communities, bringing to life SIMA’s traveling series: Cinema Across Borders. During the last trimester of 2024, over 35 screenings of award-winning SIMA films were hosted in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Gambia, Malawi, Uganda, Ghana, Colombia, Argentina and Guatemala.

IMD, a nonprofit association designed to strengthen the treatment and study of themes about Human Rights in Latin America, screened an animated short film about a child refugee who sets out on a solo journey crossing continents determined to reunite with her loved ones and lift up the Banyamulenge people from Congo. The event was organized in commemoration of the International Day of Human Rights in Mendoza, Argentina. 

Story Mi Academy, an organization empowering youth through storytelling and media literacy in Nigeria, continued its impact film series in Lagos and Abuja with the screening of a short documentary on climate refugees from Kenya and a feature documentary about democracy and peace in South Sudan.

KEMOK, a community-based organization in Guatemala dedicated to empower indigenous communities through education and sustainable development, continues its youth film festival with the screening of films on gender, democracy and justice.

DOC LOVE, a monthly documentary film screening + dialogue program in South Africa screened a feature documentary about the first all-female anti-poaching unit in South Africa assigned to protect Elephants, Rhinos, Lions, Leopards, Buffalo in the Greater Kruger Park. 

LEAP AFRICA, a non-profit organization committed to inspiring, empowering and equipping a new cadre of African leaders, partnered with SIMA to enrich its Youth Day of Service program. Thanks to this collaboration 10+ screenings were hosted in 9 different african countries igniting dialogues and promoting local initiatives on climate crisis, social innovation, gender equality, sexual violence, mental health, women rights, and financial inclusion.

MAREA PRODUCCIONES, a colombian community based audiovisual production company with an ethnic approach to promote the strengthening of the ethnic identity of the South Pacific, organized the first  line-up of features and short films in Spanish with themes ranging from Disability, Social Enterprise, Human Rights, Women, Migrants and Humanitarian Aid.

Thank you so much for enabling us to continue transforming witnesses into agents of change through our Cinema Across Borders!

With warmth and gratitude from all of us at SIMA.

Social impact - it takes a village. Working at the intersection of storytelling and community engagement worldwide, we continue to witness the transformative power of local film events to inspire awareness and collaboration around the local issues that matter.

Every year a committed network of SIMA ambassadors and partners (local advocates and organizations) curate a line up of films selected from the finalists and winners of the annual Social Impact Media Awards and host film screenings in their communities, bringing to life the SIMA Traveling Series.

During 2023, we facilitated 30+ film screenings around the world. This year, after a successful kick off in Liberia, Cambodia, and Argentina, the program continues inspiring and activating local communities in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Guatemala.

Sunshine Cinema is a non-profit solar-powered media network based in South Africa dedicated to addressing youth unemployment across Southern Africa. They equip young entrepreneurs with a Sunbox (mobile solar cinema kit) and the skills necessary to become media facilitators, earn an income, and spark social change. They inaugurated this collaboration with an eye-opening line-up of features and short documentaries with themes ranging from the climate crisis and colonization to health issues.

Story Mi Academy focuses on empowering youth through storytelling and media literacy in Nigeria. This year they successfully hosted a featured documentary on the social impacts of climate change.

KEMOK, a community-based organization in Guatemala dedicated to empower indigenous communities through education and sustainable development, is collaborating with SIMA to produce a youth film festival featuring a series of feature and short documentaries about gender, democracy and justice.

The Single Mothers Association of Kenya (SMAK) is a community based organization that integrates disadvantaged youth into society through education courses and life training. Since 2022 they have been partnering with SIMA to host film screenings for their community. This year they will be showing an impactful line-up of features and short films with themes ranging from the climate crisis, social innovation, gender equality and more.

Yobe State University is a higher education institution in Nigeria committed to academic excellence and societal development that would be the meeting place for a memorable film screening featuring two different, but equally eye opening stories around the climate crisis.

Thank you so much for enabling us to continue transforming witnesses into agents of change through our Traveling Series!

With warmth and gratitude from all of us at SIMA.