Stories Found is a documentary film training initiative that offers hands-on, intensive, and high-value educational opportunities for emerging filmmakers worldwide.
We had this crazy idea — let’s invest in young filmmakers with transformative ideas; let’s give them the training and the tools they need to find and tell the stories from their own communities. So we did. And these are the stories they found.
Our online documentary film course covers the basics and need-to-know info for first-time documentary filmmakers. Students get free, lifetime access to our content which includes video tutorials, case studies, and interviews with professional filmmakers.
The Stories Found intensive is a week-long filmmaking workshop, wherein a small group of highly-motivated filmmakers work together to shoot and edit a short documentary.
The filmmaking intensive culminates in participants submitting their films to film festivals and planning press events to get their work seen by an international audience.
Filmmakers receive insightful feedback on their work from our very own team of Stories Found Mentors — a hand-picked panel of professional documentary filmmakers from across the globe.
a story found by
FIRUL MAITHYA and ARNOLD MVOI
Shifting gears in Nairobi's Eastlands, a local man strives to take over the matatu bus industry with a promise to uphold its vibrant culture.
password: storiesfound
Instructors: James Martin and Ishmael Azeli
DIRECTION & SCRIPT SUPERVISION
Firul Maithya and Vanessa Wairimu Njora
PRODUCTION
Gloriah Amondi, James Martin, Vanessa Wairimu Njora, and Florence Nyokabi
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Juma Adero and Ishmael Azeli
EDITING
Firul Maithya, James Martin, and Vanessa Wairimu Njora
SOUND & MUSIC
Juma Adero, Arnold Mvoi, and Florence Nyokabi
a story found by
BRIAN KARANI
In Nairobi's toughest slum, a young man summons the courage to change his life and discovers peace in an unlikely place.
password: storiesfound
Instructors: Bud Simpson and Evie Maina
DIRECTION & SCRIPT SUPERVISION
Brian Karani, Jackline Wangeci, and Samuel Wanjohi
PRODUCTION
Evie Maina and Joan Njeri Maina
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Brian Karani, Jephtha Oketch Malelah, and Bud Simpson
EDITING
Brian Karani, Joan Njeri Maina, Karanja Ng'endo, Bud Simpson, and Samuel Wanjohi
SOUND & MUSIC
Joan Njeri Maina and Samuel Wanjohi
"A colossal amount of information was made available through the online course and was further enforced during the workshop. The instructors were very experienced, friendly, open to questions and suggestions, and were hands-on throughout the process."
"Of the many workshops and film initiatives I've been a part of, Stories Found stands out to me as the most intensive and beneficial of them all. The collaborative spirit and teamwork taught me what neither film school nor my previous film experience has. Thanks to the Stories Found team for this eye-opening experience!"
"It is by far the best learning experience I've had in filmmaking. I feel more confident as a filmmaker now than before the program started."
"To me, the best part of the workshop was the practicality of it. Working through the entire film production process from start-to-finish was a key highlight of mine."
"Before Stories Found, I was struggling a lot trying to find my niche in filmmaking. The program gave me an opportunity to rediscover myself while working alongside film enthusiasts and trainers that were skilled and affirming."
"The workshop was amazing. It covered everything a first time filmmaker would need to know in order to make a film. It was detailed and intense. I learned how to conduct documentary interviews and how to pace a story during editing. It was an amazing experience and I would highly recommend it to all filmmakers."
... I said as I turned toward our small class of twelve filmmakers. It was just past 9AM when we had all cleared an arduous security screening, and were seated around a few tables at the reference center library at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi.
It was the filmmaker's meet-and-greet; the first session in our five-day filmmaking intensive designed for a select group of emerging filmmakers in Kenya. Juma, Gloriah, Brian, Joan, Firul, Jephtha, Arnold, Karanja, Vanessa, Florence, Jackline, and Samuel had made it through a grueling application process from a pool of almost 900 filmmakers. There were many qualified applicants, and thousands of fascinating stories submitted -- but this group showed unique potential.
The first item on the agenda was to review the production schedule; I had it up on the screen. It was a laughably simple production schedule, and read something like "Monday: Pre-production, Tuesday/Wednesday: Production, etc."
"You see -- this production schedule here," I said as I motioned towards my Powerpoint, "isn't typical for any production -- even for short films this is kind of insane."
It was true.
In that moment the reality of it all hit the group collectively. We all froze -- even the instructors. No one seemed to be breathing. A few eyes zig-zagged across the room; one of the students let out a nervous laugh, "Haha."
Had we overreached?
Was this filmmaking intensive going to be too intense?
Perhaps.
Behind the scenes of the film Shoto. Photo Credit: Ishamel Azeli
All sixteen of us (12 students and 4 instructors) had poured ourselves into this project thus far. For the previous three weeks, students had completed an exhaustive online filmmaking curriculum that covered all things related to short doc. production.
Our Nairobi-based instructors had already begun pre-production for the two films, and James and myself had just come off of finishing the third and final module of the online curriculum. By 9AM on that first day, all of us were already exhausted.
Bud and Evie offer guidance on direction and sound on the set of Zumari. Photo Credit: Gabriel Kariuki
Each of us had invested so much into this impossible idea that we were going to make -- not one -- but two films in a single week. Turning back now was not an option.
So as the awkward silence slowly began to intensify, I did what I always do in the face of a good challenge: I spew out rapid-fire, botched quotes by Winston Churchill, JFK, and Muhammad Ali.
This time I landed on one by Eleanor Roosevelt: "We must do the things we think we cannot do."
She was right, we must.
And somehow, by the end of that week, we had.
- Bud Simpson
Founder, Stories Found
Bud Simpson is a director of photography and independent filmmaker based in Atlanta, Georgia.
His documentary work has been featured in film festivals internationally including Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Newport Beach, Sidewalk Film Festival, Cucalorus, Oxford, and Oaxaca Film Festivals.
In the commercial world, Bud has shot for brands such as Mercedes Benz, IHG Hotels, Doosan, and Kodak.
When he’s not shooting, he is leading filmmaking workshops and intensives for emerging filmmakers in Atlanta, Georgia and Nairobi, Kenya in a program he founded called Stories Found. Along with a powerhouse group of creatives, he is building the largest, free online filmmaker training program in the world.
Bud is super friendly :) and is always down to grab a coffee or beer. If you're ever in the Atlanta area and want to connect, hit him up at his contact form on his website.
Evie Maina is a Television Presenter and founder of Cultured International. She established her organization-Cultured after hosting Arts and Culture Television show, where she got to see the beautiful Cultures found in Kenya. Inspired by a love of people and the diversity it brings, she began the journey of bringing all these colors to those around her through film and different activations centered on Culture.
She has worked with different groups and embassies found in Kenya as well as organizations like United Nations on documentaries about Quality Infrastructure and World Oceans Day. She was also part of the crew on the international documentary film project, AVOICE4PEACE.
She believes in the uniqueness of everyone she comes across and looks for inspiration from the beauty of the human spirit.
James Martin is a documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Four x Productions living in Atlanta, Georgia. Combining his love for well-made cocktails and filmmaking, his directorial debut The New Orleans Sazerac is an award-winning short documentary about the history of the famous Southern drink. Shot on location in The Big Easy, The New Orleans Sazerac was featured at several 2016 U.S. film festivals, including the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the American Pavilion, as part of the Cannes Film Festival. It debuted online through The Bitter Southerner in 2017. His latest film, Being With Elephants, was filmed in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya in July 2018, with premieres at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, and Sidewalk Film Festival in 2019.
Martin is also a co-director of Stories Found, an initiative which helps emerging Kenyan filmmakers create and share unique stories to the region.
Ishmael Azeli is a Kenyan filmmaker and international 1st AC/CAM OPP, with years of experience in the region and around the globe. He has worked with different clients to conceptualize, manage and execute projects across multiple locations and needs, bringing his creativity and vision to immortalize scripts and images that bring ideas to life. His projects include TV commercials and brand films to short films. His work has been seen alongside big brands around the Globe, and through production houses like: Ahoy Films-South Africa, Quite Bright Films-Kenya, Mermaid Production-New York, Ginger Ink-Kenya, Blue-sky Films -Kenya, Stage Light Production-South Africa, Mojo Productions-Kenya, Bore ales-France, HOME- Los Angels, and others.
He has also been privileged to work with renowned filmmakers, such as DP Denson Baker-Hollywood, Director Jim Loach, Carl Finch-Hollywood, Rowry O Grady-South Africa, Director Dan Prior-Kenya (a mentor), and Director Juan Reina-Finland. His passion lies in storytelling and derives his excitement from engaging and moving the audience through dynamic cinematic design. This has been as a result of years of perfecting his craft in filmmaking.
Eva Simpson is a Senior Account Supervisor at Geiger & Associates, and has been with the agency for over four years.
Eva has also been responsible for marketing the travel destinations of Fredericksburg, Texas; Door County, Wisconsin; Healdsburg, California and others. Her background includes planning and executing media development missions, content creation, media marketing programs and coordinating media tours. In the last 3 years, Eva has produced several documentaries including AVOICE4PEACE and Blue Heaven.
Prior to joining the team at Stories Found, Eva spent almost four years working for a non-profit hospice. She facilitated communication, and created interventions to help clients and families achieve individualized goals. Eva graduated from The Florida State University with a Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy, and took additional coursework in Psychology at Florida State’s London campus.
