By Ibrahim S. Bangura
WAYout, an organization that works with street and disadvantaged youths, in partnership with Ballanta Academy of Music and Performing Arts, will hold a film night to promote filmmaking in Sierra Leone on Friday July 14, 2023.
According to Gibrilla Kamara, Manager of WAYout, the screening will be conducted at Ball anta’s Logie Wright Auditorium at Liverpool Street in Freetown.
Kamara said that there are some excellent films made by Sierra Leoneans which had not been getting much attention. “So, holding this event will create a platform for filmmakers to show their work, answer questions and give the audience the opportunity to see films they might have never seen,” he commented.
He said that only films made by Sierra Leoneans would be screened on that night. “WAYout with Ballanta is inviting people to submit their short films for screening. This is an opportunity for filmmakers to screen films between one and twenty minutes long in any genre, including documentary, animation, drama, music video, arts. We are going to make it a quarterly event,” Kamara explained.
He said that the screening is supported by the Sierra Leone Film Guild.
Kamara added that WAYout would also be launching the WAYout Poetry Club that would be opened to all poets and those with a keen interest in poetry. “The WAYout poets, all from the street or very disadvantaged backgrounds, have gone from strength to strength. They have performed on radio, TV and in live shows. Alhaji Kondeh, one of our poets, sometime ago won the national poetry prize for poems on the theme of corruption. Two of our members have published their own poetry books, and WAYout has published three compilations of poetry which are in the UK national poetry library,” he said.
He furthered that WAYout had transformed many youths from street lives to successful people. “WAYout artist, Mash P., is one of the youths. He spent 12 years on the streets of Freetown. Through WAYout, he was able to perform at Glastonbury for the second year running and spent two weeks in Ibiza on a house music course.”
According to Kamara, due to Mash P’s talent, Frank Turner, a renowned international musician took an interest in him and was able to direct him to obtain a Global Talent Visa.
Kamara said that Mash P plays a mixture of Afrohouse and dance hall music, adding that some of his songs are, ‘Kongosa’ and ‘Tonight’, ft Ceejay, on the new WAYout album which was produced by Steve Mac, British songwriter and producer on his visit to WAYout in April 2023. “Steve is one of the most successful in history. He has racked up over 30 No.1 singles in the United Kingdom and has been associated with over 240 hit albums and singles, globally. The album features several WAYout artists and will be released soon. WAYout works with street and disadvantaged youth offering free music, media and the arts facilities. Visit www.wayoutarts.org info@wayoutarts.org 23 Coker Lane, Tengbeh Town” he concluded.