LOHAS Partner Will Nix recently co-authored the announcement of the partnership between the SIE Society and the Association Film Commissioners International (AFCI) to promote greater cooperation on social impact entertainment (SIE) projects across the globe. Read the full article below.
The AFCI and the Social Impact Entertainment Society (SIES) have partnered together to further the networking, education, and other core missions of each organization. The SIE Society is the leading global alliance in Social Impact Entertainment (SIE). Its mission is to connect, equip and amplify SIE organizations, creative impact Producers, Education-Entertainment, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Social and Behavior Change Communications (SBCC) practitioners.
A visit to the SIES website reveals multiple resources, including an Ecosystem of SIE organizations around the world; a Calendar of SIE Events; a Member Directory with biographical and other background information; and a subject-matter Resources section with academic, professional, industry and other studies. Topics currently covered include SIE 101, Diversity, Inclusion & Representation, Environment & Sustainability, Case Studies and Impact Reports, Mental Health, SBCC 101, and Media Literacy. Other topics are being developed and curated and will be added periodically to these initial materials.
Most importantly, the SIES has a global lens to its mission and operations. We want to have strong, ongoing connections to not only the AFCI headquarters team but also to the members of the AFCI around the world. With this in mind, we look forward to offering professional speakers and resources for your AFCI international, regional, and local events as well as our creating joint ones together. One of the ways we envision doing this is with another of our partnering organizations, Producers Without Borders, led by the SIES’ Head of International, Kayvan Mashayekh.
In all professional or personal relationships, trust is the key foundation that glues people together. This common denominator is the vital ingredient that allows individuals of different backgrounds, cultures, languages, ethnicities to thrive in a creative setting. Producers who spend a lifetime building a network of reliable colleagues can only have a chance at success of moving seamlessly from one project to another if they can rely on a team of competent individuals who simultaneously share the same vision for reaching a goal.
The craft of producing requires Passion and Perseverance in pursuit of storytelling. By speaking the universal language of film and television to communicate these stories more effectively, producers are able to transcend cultural boundaries and have a lasting impact on how we think and feel from one generation to another.
Our initiative is intended to bring the best producers and creative people from around the world closer together. It is now working closely in tandem with the SIE Society as a partnering organization. In today’s expanding universe of content creation across multiple platforms, the craft of producing has never been more challenging. Whether the innovators are in film, television, or multimedia, there is a need to share knowledge and best practices to enhance the skill sets of filmmakers focused on the craft of producing and storytelling.
The global mission of PWB and the SIE Society is to: Collaborate. Create. Deliver. The SIES and PWB will jointly expand upon the international educational seminars that PWB has been offering to industry members since 2015. These have included top professionals as panelists at the World’s most prestigious film festivals, including Cannes, Berlin, BFI London, and the AFM, as well as networking sessions during the Toronto International Film Festival and FilmBazaar India. In 2020, in response to pandemic challenges, PWB has grown even stronger as the premier educational service entity for the Ukraine State Film Agency (in cooperation with USAID), providing top-level professional webinars for filmmakers hungry for specific content relevant to their markets. The SIE Society and PWB look forward to working closely with the AFCI Headquarters Team and the AFCI’s Film Commission Members around the world to expand upon such collaborative endeavors.
Learn more about Social Impact Entertainment and how LOHAS Advisors can support your next entertainment production through strategy and financial insight.
