WG FILM'S DEAD DONKEYS FEAR NO HYENAS SHORTLISTED TO EFA AWARD, THE EUROPEAN OSCAR.

We are very proud to announce that our latest documentary Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas, from director Joakim Demmer, is one of 15 films shortlisted by the European Film Academy for the Best Documentary 2017 award. 

The award is often referred to as the European Oscars, and in the past only two Swedish documentaries has made it to the final shortlist selection – Searching for sugarman in 2013 and last year’s WG Film/Autoimages documentary Becoming Zlatan.

The director Joakim Demmer is happy and proud: 

“It’s certainly at big honor to be nominated amongst many great documentaries.  My hope is that this recognition will contribute to that the voices of the film will have an even bigger impact and that more people will get to see the film.”

Watch trailer “>here

Later this year five of these films will be nominated to officially compete for the European Documentary 2017 Award. The winner will be announced during the awards ceremony on 9 December in Berlin.

About EFA

Founded in 1988, the European Film Academy now unites more than 3,000 European film professionals with the common aim of promoting Europe’s film culture. Throughout the year, the European Film Academy (EFA) initiates and participates in a series of activities dealing with film politics as well as economic, artistic, and training aspects. The programme includes conferences, seminars and workshops, and a common goal is to build a bridge between creativity and the industry. Some of EFA’s events have already become an institution for encounters within the European film community.

Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas

A documentary thriller about land grabbing and the global rush for farmland – the new green gold! 

Around the globe, there is a massive commercial rush for farmland – the new green gold.  One of the most profitable new spots for farming is Ethiopia. 

Hoping for export revenues, the Ethiopian government leases millions of hectares of allegedly unused land to foreign investors. But the dream of prosperity has a dark side – the most massive forced evictions in modern history, lost livelihoods of small farmers, harsh repression and a vicious spiral of violence. Contributing to this disaster are the EU, the World Bank and DFID, providing billions of dollars in development money. 

Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas investigates these foreign land-investments and exposes their impact on people’s lives. In the pursuit of truth, we meet investors, development bureaucrats, persecuted journalists, struggling environmentalists and small farmers deprived of their land.

WG DOCS ONLINE

During the past 15 years WG Film has been producing documentaries portraying people, stories, political events, movements and destinies. Recently we put our entire catalogue up online and release it through Vimeo on Demand. Here, you can see everything from WG classics such as Walking on Water to our latest films, like Becoming Zlatan. As a special summer treat, we’re offering 20% off all films through August 15th, with the code: summerWG2017. Enjoy!

HONORARY DOCTOR

“Critical scrutinizer of societal changes”

Fredrik Gertten, owner of WG Film and director of films such as Becoming Zlatan, Bikes vs Cars and Big Boys Gone Bananas!*, has been appointed the Honorary Doctor’s title at the Faculty of Culture and Society at Malmö University. Portraying the ordinary person from a below perspective, he wants to use his stories to make a difference.

– “I am very happy and honored to be appointed the Honorary Doctor’s title” says Fredrik Gertten, “but it is probably the most unexpected call I have gotten in my entire life, when the Faculty of Culture and Society contacted me. I have not graduated from high school and don’t have any academic points.”

– “This nomination is also a recognition for documentary film, a genre that is today stronger than ever, with a global audience.”

The doctors lecture “Shoot the messenger” will be held on the 10th of October at Malmö University. Read more here.

Motivation for the nomination
“Fredrik Gertten is a filmmaker, film producer and journalist. Throughout his professional career, he has worked with Malmö as a base, and has both documented and critically reviewed the social transformations that the city has undergone since the 1980s. His documentary films about Malmö have included the demolition of Kockumskranen, the construction of Öresund Bridge and Turning Torso, the end of the newspaper Work, Malmö FF and Zlatan Ibrahimovich’s successes and adversities.

In recent years, Gertten has increasingly focused on global phenomena and injustices. His movie Bananas!* drew attention to the struggle of a group of Nicaraguan fruit workers brought to the multinational company Dole. Gertten was sued by Dole, but after an unwanted media debate, the mood was withdrawn. The process was then depicted in the movie Big Boys Gone Bananas.

Through his films about Malmö, Gertten has initiated indefeasible discussions about how the city develops and on whose terms. His documentary interventions into global processes have created opinion and contributed to concrete change. Gertten is therefore a highly worthy honorary doctorate for the Faculty of Culture and Society. “

DEAD DONKEYS FEAR NO HYENAS TO FESTIVALS

Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas has started travelling the festival circuit, with a great response. In San Fransisco, where the film had its US premiere, it was awarded the San Francisco Green Film Festival’s Green Tenacity Award. The film has also been nominated the F:ACT Award at CPH:DOX, ConScience Award at Docville FilmFestival, Dok.horizonte award at Dok.Fest Münich and to the Environmental Award at Sheffield Doc/Fest.

Here a picture of director Joakim Demmer and producer Margarete Jangård from the UK premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest. Next up, the film heads to Washington DC for a screening with DC Environmental Film Festival at Landmark’s E Street Cinema. More info and tickets here.

Interested in screening the film at your festival or event? Email glynnis@wgfilm.com!

LIVE STREAMING TILL DIN LOKALA BIOGRAF

Den 10e maj live streamas WG Film’s senaste film Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas ut till biografer över hela Sverige! Filmvisningen följs av samtal med bland annat journalisten Martin Schibbye.

Hjälp till att få filmen till din lokala biograf! Bor du i någon av städerna nedan? Kontakta din lokala biograf och uppmana dem att haka på!

Om filmen
Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas är en nyproducerad dokumentärfilm som på ett dramatiskt och djupgående sätt visar konsekvenserna av land grabbing i Etiopien. Filmen visar baksidan av den nya globala jordbruksindustrin och låter oss möta de som drabbats allra värst av den nya globala ekonomins jakt på det nya ”gröna guldet”.

Mer om livevisningen här
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DeadDonkeysFearNoHyenas
Twitter: @DeadDonkeysFilm

Städer som kan ta emot livevisningen

Alsterbro, Alvesta, Arboga, Arvika, Askersund
Bengtsfors, Berga, Bergsjö, Bestorp, Blomstermåla, Boden, Borgholm, Borrby, Borup, Boxholm, Brandbergen, Brandhagen, Bromma, Bryne, Bröcke, Båstad
Dals-Ed, Delsbo, Dröbak,
Edsbyn, Ekerö, Eksjö, Emmaboda, Ersboda, Eskilstuna,
Fagersta, Falkenberg, Falun, Filipstad, Finspång, Forshaga, Fredriksstad, Fröseke,
Gideå, Gislaved, Gnosjö, Grundsund, Grästorp, Gunnarsbyn, Gusum, Gävle, Göteborg, Götene,
Hallstahammar, Hallstavik, Hallunda, Halmstad, Haparanda, Heby, Helsingborg, Hemse, Horn, Hovmantorp, Hudiksvall, Hultsfred, Hunnebostrand, Husby-Långhundra, Hällefors, Hälleforsnäs, Härnösand, Höganäs, Högsäter, Hönö, Hörby,
Iggesund, Ishöj,
Jakobstad, Jokkmokk, Jonsered, Järpen, Jönköping,
Kalix, Kallhäll, Kalmar, Karlsborg, Karlshamn, Karlskoga, Karlstad, Katrineholm, Katthammarsvik, Kilafors, Kiruna, Kivik, Konga, Kosta, Kristianstad, Kristinehamn, Krokstrand, Kumla, Kungälv, Kälarne, Kärrtorp, Köping,
Laholm, Lammhult, Landskrona, Leksand, Levanger, Lidköping, Lindesberg, Ljungby, Ljusdal, Lomma, Longyearbyen, Luleå, Lund, Lycksele, Lysekil,
Malmö, Mandal, Mariehamn, Markaryd, Motala, Mölndal, Mölnlycke, Mörrum, Nacka,
Nol, Nora, Norrköping, Norsjö, Nossebro, Nyköping, Nynäshamn,
Orsa, Osby, Oskarshamn,
Pajala, Piteå,
Rimforsa, Ronneby, Rundvik,
Sigtuna, Simrishamn, Skenderborg, Skene, Skinnskatteberg, Skoghall, Skruv, Skurup, Skänninge, Skärhamn, Skärping, Skövde, Smedjebacken, Smålandsstenar, Sollefteå, Sollentuna, Spånga, Stockholm, Stora Heddinge, Strängnäs, Sunne, Surahammar, Svalöv, Svenljunga, Sykkylven, Säffle, Säter, Sävsjö, Söderhamn, Södertelje, Sölvesborg, Söråker, Tomelilla, Torsby, Torslanda, Trelleborg, Trollhättan, Troso, Tumba, Täby,
Uddevalla, Ulricehamn, Umeå, Uppsala,
Vansbro, Varberg, Vaxholm, Visby, Vivalla, Vänersborg, Västervik, Västerås, Växjö,
Ystad,
Åkersberga, Åmotfors, Åmsele, Ånge, Årsta, Åseda, Åsele, Åsenebruk,
Älmhult, Ängelholm, Örebro, Öregrund, Österbymo, Östersund, Östervåla, Östhammar, Överkalix, Övertorneå

DEAD DONKEYS FEAR NO HYENAS - SWEDISH PREMIERE

After a world premiere on March 18th at CPH:DOX in Copenhagen, Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas will have its first Swedish screening on Tuesday, March 28th at Doc Lounge Malmö. A full list of upcoming Swedish screenings below:

March 28 – Doc Lounge Malmö

March 28 – Doc Lounge Helsingborg

March 30 – Visning med OmVärlden Stockholm

April 1 Human Rights Film Festival Lund

April 2 Human Rights Film Festival Stockholm

April 4 – Doc Lounge Göteborg

WE NEED YOUR HELP - KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

Director Joakim Demmer spent almost 7 years in the making of the film Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas. It’s been a dangerous project, with characters forced into exile and prison. Local farmers evicted, killed or raped. Now we want to share the voices of those affected by land grabbing far and wide.

To be able to work with getting the film out and spread awareness about land grabbing, we have designed an extensive outreach campaign. This will include getting the film out in Africa, hire a coordinator, translate the film into multiple languages, pay for marketing as well as legal aid. To fund this outreach work we have launched a crowd funding campaign through Kickstarter. Read more here.

Please support our outreach efforts by backing, sharing and spreading the word about the Kickstarter campaign. We need your energy and compassion! Even one dollar sends a message that you care. 

A FRESHER LOOK

We have remade our website with help from Hanna Lagerberg. The page feature a brand new design as well as new functions. Most importantly, it’s a lot easier to watch our films! We are now using Vimeo On Demand which makes it possible for you to stream directly or download our movies directly to your computer. Just head over to “WATCH” and find the film you would like to see. 

Happy to hear your thoughts about the new experience!