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Episode 28: “Film for Social Change” with Sonari Chidi, Co-Founder of Penn FilmAid

Article by Josh Park

Media is often a powerfully influential medium to carry a message for social change.
It’s eclectic: there’s social media, newspapers, magazines, films, radio, TV shows, and even billboard signs to name a few.
It’s constant: in a world of digitalization, we see it on platforms that we see everyday and, for some, every hour.
It’s influential: it shapes the minds, opinions, and values of the millions of viewers and users who come across it.
In this episode, we get to hear how one college student with a notable acting career leveraged the power of a certain type of media, short documentary films, to carry a global message.
Meet Sonari Chidi. Sonari is currently a student at the University of Pennsylvania double majoring in Africana Studies and Cinema and Media Studies. He is also the Co-Founder of Penn FilmAid, an organization dedicated in bringing to life refugee narratives and stories to a global audience.
Before entering college, Sonari was an actor, appearing in commercials and guest starring in high-profile films and TV shows like ABC’s Modern Family and The Mindy Project. He soon realized that while he loved bringing stories to life and connecting the dots to embody a character, there were many stories in the world that were unacknowledged, where real individuals whose narratives were invisible in the eyes of the world.
While at UPenn, Sonari and 11 other students visited Kalobeyei, Kenya where they created a short series of documentaries on refugee resettlement in partnership with FilmAid International. Moved by the organization’s mission and the surprising anti-refugee sentiments he observed, Sonari co-founded Penn FilmAid to bridge the gap between the Penn community and the greater Philadelphia area.
Since founding this organization, Sonari has created several short documentary films both for his cause and for NGOs across the world. One of his films, “Shattering Refuge,” which explores media’s representation of refugees, was actually awarded Rough Cut Film Festival Social Justice Award and will be showcased in various film festivals across the U.S.  
Tune in to this episode to hear Sonari’s inspiring journey and how he’s creating his era by bringing about social change with the power of film.
Are you passionate about a social cause and want to transform your life to make an impact as well? Check out TIME’s 90 Day Planner to help you get started! Unlock your potential and truly master your era!
Pull quotes:
 
  • “Injustice give me fire in the belly, connecting with people gives me fire in the belly.”
Links:
 
Learn more about Sonari: https://admissions.upenn.edu/sonari-chidi
Sonari’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/sonarijo?lang=en
Penn FilmAide: https://filmaid.webnode.com/
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Episode Outline:
(1:55)      Intro to Sonari
(6:00)      The Founding of Penn FilmAide
(12:15)      What and how inspired Sonari
(16:20)      Fires in the belly
(19:50)      Sonari’s award winning film “Shattering Refuge”
(24:25)      Sonari’s Era
(28:00)     How you can help with Sonari’s work
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January 18, 2019