I’m Ambessa, and I’m a filmmaker native of Eritrea based in Washington, DC.
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BIO,
Instead of writing a typical one, I’ll share few interviews.
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Here it goes:
A while back when I was in film school, I did an online interview for a blog, most of the comments were encourging but few were were treble which was funny to me, I don't think my answers were wrong or that bad. back then I only had a good question but not a practical answer.
When I look back now there was something off about that interview not in a bad way, but the discussion was about completely two different types of cinemas. I was coming from the point of view of scholar comparing everything with the world cinema, art, but the questions were about a few films and a small group of filmmakers in a new country figuring the film art and business.
The interview was for a blog called kemey.blogspot.com which recently changed to www.kemey.net it is owned by Issayas Tesfamariam who is also the co-coordinates with me for the summer filmmaking workshop for the last three years.
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BIO,
Instead of writing a typical one, I’ll share few interviews.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Here it goes:
A while back when I was in film school, I did an online interview for a blog, most of the comments were encourging but few were were treble which was funny to me, I don't think my answers were wrong or that bad. back then I only had a good question but not a practical answer.
When I look back now there was something off about that interview not in a bad way, but the discussion was about completely two different types of cinemas. I was coming from the point of view of scholar comparing everything with the world cinema, art, but the questions were about a few films and a small group of filmmakers in a new country figuring the film art and business.
The interview was for a blog called kemey.blogspot.com which recently changed to www.kemey.net it is owned by Issayas Tesfamariam who is also the co-coordinates with me for the summer filmmaking workshop for the last three years.
Here is another interview link “almost a decad later”
Since the first interview, the problems in producing African films are not gone, they just morphed into newer challenges, but the way I go about it has changed. Instead of only talking about it, I decided to do something in my little corner when I had the opportunity doing a workshop in Africa, which allowed me to directly engage constructively, however imperfect it may be.
however imperfectly it maybe
it when a workshop in Africa oportunity came my way
I’ve been part of the summer film-making workshop in Eritrea in East Africa since 2016. It is the most challenging, but rewarding to be able to co-conduct the workshop and share my experience with 80 to 90 young & older Eritrean filmmakers every summer to train them for 12hrs a day for 30 days. More detail & video clips of the workshop will be posted in the future.
In the meantime, check out the link below for behind scene photos & brief report on the 2018 summer Eritrean intensive film-making workshop written by my co-workshop conductor filmmaker Issayas Tesfamariam on his website.
August 7. 2018
A Brief Report on the Intensive One - Month Summer Filmmaking Workshop in Asmara, Eritrea.
Sharing my experience of capturing quality images using available light & D.I.Y, techniques in Expo in Asmara, Eritrea.
One of my favorate group of Young filmmakers still in highschool who made creative short film shot using cell
phone.
Pictures from an intensive one month summer filmmaking workshop in Asmara Eritrea![]()
All pictures are courtesy of Yemane Andeberhan.
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All pictures are courtesy of Yemane Andeberhan.
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Originally it was aired on Aug 2017 in two parts, each section a half hour length which covered detailed multiple topics. Then it rebroadcasted on Aug 2018 as one half hour part a shorter version edited out some of the points which made some of my answers little confusing.
They also misspell my name that was funny, I mean its not a big deal, I am used to it, in the west someone always misspells or mispronounces my name, but I did see that coming in my country.
Overall, it was a good experience and Raphael was good and I tried my best to answer his questions. check it out at least to see one student’s short film that I show at around 13th minute.
Interview with Filmmaker & Assistant Prof.
ERi-TV Open Mic Hosted by Raphael Giuseppe
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I was mostly offline for a long time keeping a low profile focused on film teaching, doing film workshops in Egypt & Eritrea, photography exhibiting and directing multiple long term film projects, which will be available soon after completion.
If you read thus far feel free to drop me a line in the email & let me know what you think. I am still adding more exciting contents please come back for more or email me _message_ambessa- updates.
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Extra - Tutorial
Sample of “Process Share”
Process Share: is a multi platform story series, hybrid of tutorials, behind the scene stories and podcast style content presentations that covers varied subjects about art, culture and life through the lens of storytelling and intentionally demystifying multimedia tools for highly technical productions of film-making process.
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Instagram: @_ambessa_
twitter: @ambessa
youtube.com/c/ambessaa
vimeo.com/ambessa/
facebook: @ambessa.co
IMDB.COM: Ambessa-Jir-Berhe
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