Thursday, September 21st, 2023:
Finding Diana, the Short Film produced by leading pan-African organisation, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), has won yet another award.
The film clinched Bronze in the Public Service Category at the 2023 Summit Creative Awards. Summit International Awards is a US-based organisation that focuses on rewarding the most creative and innovative work globally with a high standard for evaluation.
This brings to four, the total number of awards secured by the short film. In May 2023, the movie won the Gold prize in the Non-Profit category and Silver in the Entertainment category at Pitcher Festival in Lagos, Nigeria. In March 2023, Finding Diana was named the Best Human Rights Film at the Berlin Shorts Award in Germany.
The film is executive produced by Paradigm Initiative in partnership with Up In the Sky Films. The film was directed by Tolulope Ajayi and produced by Benjamin Adeniran. PIN partners who supported the movie production are; Ford Foundation, Internews, Internet Society (ISOC) Foundation, Luminate and the United States Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour (DRL).
The Summit Creative Awards recognise and celebrate exceptional creativity and innovation across various media platforms worldwide, while championing and elevating creative brilliance in all its forms. It identifies and recognises individuals and organisations who push boundaries, inspire audiences, and contribute to the evolution of the creative landscape.
The Pitcher Awards, which is now in its 6th Edition is one of Africa’s most valuable and internationally respected accolades. Entries are open to all work created, released or implemented anywhere on the African continent. Projects created outside of Africa but designed specifically for implementation or release in Africa are also eligible for entry into the awards.
The short film project is inspired by Paradigm Initiative’s annual digital rights and inclusion report, Londa, which gives insight into the state of digital rights and inclusion in countries across Africa. The latest report features 24 African countries.
‘Finding Diana’ is one of other tools the organisation uses to highlight the report and its impact on society and policy making across the continent.
PIN is pleased to see ‘Finding Diana’ get the much merited recognition. The award is a step further in the drive for digital inclusion and the promotion of digital rights across Africa. It, too, supports the power of storytelling for public good.
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About PIN
Paradigm Initiative (PIN) connects under-served young Africans with digital opportunities and ensures the protection of their rights. We have worked in communities across Nigeria since 2007 and across Africa since 2017, building experience, community trust, and an organisational culture that positions us as a leading non-governmental organisation in ICT for Development and Digital Rights on the continent.
Across our regional offices in Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and beyond, we have impacted youth with improved livelihoods through our digital inclusion and digital rights programs. The organization’s programs include Life Skills. ICT. Financial Readiness. Entrepreneurship (LIFE) training program, Dufuna, a digital readiness workshop for girls, and life at school club program.
PIN has also built online platforms that educate and serve as safe spaces for reporting digital rights violations. These mediums, in the form of reports, short films, and educational online platforms, include Ayeta, Londa, and Ripoti.
The organisation is also the convener of the annual Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum, a platform where conversations on digital policy in Africa are shaped, policy directions debated, and partnerships forged for action.