WILDSCREEN FESTIVAL TANZANIA FILMMAKER CASE STUDIES: Hans Cosmas Ngoteya
In the latest in a series of Tanzanian filmmaker case studies, we meet Hans Cosmas Ngoteya, co-founder of Ngoteya Wild.
News archive
WILDSCREEN FESTIVAL TANZANIA FILMMAKER CASE STUDIES: Erica Rugabandana
In the latest in a series of Tanzanian filmmaker case studies, we meet Erica Rugabandana, founder of Sima Wild Film.
WILDSCREEN FESTIVAL TANZANIA FILMMAKER CASE STUDIES: Eliya Lawrence Uzia
In the latest in a series of Tanzanian filmmaker case studies, we meet Eliya Lawrence Uzia, co-founder of Tanzania Wildlife Media Association (TaWiMa).
Meet Hazel – Our Communications Assistant!
1. Tell us a bit about your role!
I’m a Communications Assistant so I mainly work on marketing and socials. Helping to create and maintain an audience for the organisation through things like Instagram, Tiktok, LinkedIn, etc. I’m often making content about our upcoming events and the storytellers and conservationists we support, creating graphics, video editing, copywriting, researching community outreach, things like that. I actually just started this January through the New To Nature placement scheme run by Groundwork UK, The Prince’s Trust, Disability Rights UK and Mission Diverse. It’s a new scheme focused on creating work opportunities for underrepresented communities in the environmental sector. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to be part of their first cohort. They have been really good to me so far, removing barriers that prevented me from finding sustainable work and being overwhelmingly accepting of my differences. It’s given me a lot of hope for a more accessible industry in the future.
2. How did you get to where you are today?
I moved down to Bristol from the East coast of Scotland in 2019 for an undergraduate degree. Before that I had mainly been working in childcare and in a museum setting but I went on to study a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production. I had a focus in writing and directing but also spent a-lot of time at university as a costume designer and assistant. I was getting really into distribution at this point and started to do some freelance work in festival curation and programming. Once I graduated I went back into childcare as nanny and was running the social media for a production company for some time whilst searching for other roles in the industry before finally stumbling on this opportunity and becoming part of the Wildscreen team.
3. What motivates you?
Being in such an accepting and encouraging team setting and working towards something I genuinely believe in; protecting and amplifying the voices of the natural world and sharing their stories.
4. If you could change one thing about the natural history industry, what would it be?
I’d like for individuals and communities to have more executive power over their own stories, especially within marginalised groups. Just as it’s important to have people communicating their own history both in front of and behind the camera, it’s important to create balance within the higher up decision making roles in the industry.
5. What are your career goals?
I wouldn’t say I’m particularly driven on any one path, I’m an explorer at heart. I’d rather zigzag between roles and sectors than continuously move up in a straight line. For now that goal is definitely programming and production, but I’m also not the type of person to be disappointed if suddenly I change my mind in 5 years time and want to start something else instead. I’m happy with the knowledge that this is what I want in the moment. I don’t need more than that. But I do know that regardless of what I do, I want to be able to build a career that champions accessibility in the arts, regardless of what sector I’m in.
6. Favourite moment working at Wildscreen?
I only joined the team this month so I suppose what are to be my favourite moments will still be ahead of me but I really enjoyed our first Networking event this year. It was great talking to people in the local natural history industry and getting a flavour for the network and what’s to come this season for Wildscreen.
7. What’s your favourite story from nature?
That’s difficult, I’m endlessly fascinated with all animals, especially things like cephalopods. I guess though the first thing that jumps to mind is a documentary I once watched following these dolphins that had learnt how to communicate with porpoises and whales. That just blows my mind. Cross species communication. How smart they had to have been to achieve that.
8. Describe working for Wildscreen in three words.
Inspiring. Conscientious. Accessible.
9. If you could turn into any animal for a day, what would you be?
Ohh maybe a gibbon? The way they swing about looks so fun and I love their howling.
10. What’s a fun fact about you?
I’ve lived in three different countries and travelled to over forty!
