The Gambia

New York Film Academy – Guest Speaker Series: Photojournalist & Filmmaker, Jason Florio

May 12, 2021documentary, Jason Florio, photojournalism, The Gambiadocumentary, documenting gambia, Gambia, guest speaker, jason florio photography, New York Film Academy, portraitsjason florio Leave a comment

New York Film Academy Guest Speaker Series: Jason Florio, Photojournalist & Filmmaker

Friday, May 21st 12pm E.T./9am P.T.

Click here to register

Jason Florio is an award-winning photojournalist and filmmaker, originally from London, based in NYC for 18 years before relocating to The Gambia, West Africa, in 2013. He has produced images and documentaries for clients including The New York Times, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, Outside, Bloomberg, Geographical, MIT Technology Review, and Amnesty International. His focus has been on under-reported stories about people living on the margins of society and human rights. His work has been recognized with a number of awards, including The Magnum Photography Award for his work on migration. His work is held in a number of public and private collections and has been presented in solo and joint exhibitions in the USA, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Jason is represented by Redux Pictures in NYC.

floriophoto.com

NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY POSTER - PHOTOGRAPHER/FILMMAKER GUEST SPEAKER MAY 2021 — New York Film Academy – NYFA Guest Speaker Series with Photojournalist & Filmmaker, Jason Florio. Image ©Jason Florio/Helen Jones-Florio ‘Gambia-*victims, and resisters’*

Florio completed the first recorded circumnavigation of The Gambia by foot, co-leading with his wife Helen Jones-Florio – a 930km expedition, producing an award-winning series of portraits titled ‘Silafando’. Three years later he co-led, with Helen, the first recorded expedition of River Gambia from its source in Guinea-Conakry to the Atlantic Ocean, in The Gambia – creating a document of the communities that live along its 1130km course before a planned dam is constructed. He is currently continuing a long-term project in the Gambia documenting the victims of the former government under the dictatorship of Yahya Jammeh.

New York Film Academy – Guest Speaker Series: Jason Florio – Register

Portraits for Positive Change exhibition booklet – front cover © Jason Florio — ‘Gambia – victims, & resisters’ Portraits for Positive Change exhibition booklet – Images © Jason Florio / Helen Jones-Florio

#Portraits4PositiveChange

floriophoto.com

CURRENT LOCATION: MAY, 2021

THE GAMBIA, WEST AFRICA

Assignment queries, and image licensing – Contact here

‘I Cannot Bury My Father’ documentary – African Film Festival, New York, 2021

February 10, 2021documentary, Jason Florio, multimedia, The GambiaAfrican Film Festival, dictatorship, documentary film, Ghana, human rights, I Cannot Bury My Father, Jammeh2Justice, massacre, victims of Jammeh, Yahya Jammehjason florio Leave a comment

I am honoured to have worked as Director of Photography on the short documentary film, ‘I Cannot Bury My Father’. And, thrilled that it has been selected for this year’s African Film Festival, New York, 2021. More news and links coming soon.

Poster advertising the screening of 'I Cannot Bury My Father' short documentary at the African Film Festival, New York. Director of Photography - Jason Florio — Advertising the screening of ‘I Cannot Bury My Father’ short documentary at the African Film Festival, New York. Director of Photography – Jason Florio

In 2005, Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh murdered 56 West African migrants out of fear they were mercenaries intending to overthrow him. The disappearance of their slain bodies robbed families of healing and closure by being unable to bury their loved ones. Isaac Mensah, one of the victim’s sons, shares the emotional toll of this atrocity and his quest for answers… ‘I Cannot Bury My Father’, African Film Festival

Isaac Mensah, James Town beach, Accra, Ghana © Jason Florio. Isaac is the son of one of 44 murdered Ghanian migrants, by Gambian security forces, in The Gambia, in 2005. — Presenter of *‘I Cannot Bury My Father’:* Isaac Mensah, James Town beach, Accra, Ghana. The son of Peter Mensah, one of 44 Ghanaians killed by Gambian security forces in July 2005. Portrait © Jason Florio / Helen Jones-Florio ‘Gambia – victims, and resisters’ series

‘I Cannot Bury My Father’

Director/Producer – Nana_Jo_Ndow

Presenter – Isaac Mensah

Director of Photography – Jason Florio

Second Camera – Festus Jackson-Davis

Editor – Gabriel Baron

‘Gambia – victims, and resisters‘

Photographer, and filmmaker, Jason Florio, with Isaac Mensah and his family, during the filming of *‘I Cannot Bury My Father’,* Ghana. Image courtesy of Festus-Jackson Davies

See more of Jason Florio’s multimedia work:

‘Motion’

floriophoto.com

CURRENT LOCATION: FEBRUARY, 2021

THE GAMBIA, WEST AFRICA

Assignment queries, and image licensing – Contact here

On this day: Jan 26, 2017 – President Adama Barrow returns home to The Gambia, West Africa

January 26, 2021documentary, Jason Florio, multimedia, photography, photojournalism, reportage, The GambiaGambia Has Decided, human rights, New Gambia, Portraits4PositiveChange, President Adama Barrow, West Africa, Yahya Jammehjason florio Leave a comment

On this day Jan 26th, 2017

A triumphant, and momentous day for The Gambia, West Africa. Ten’s of thousands of euphoric Gambians lined the streets for miles – and miles! (an estimated over 100,000 Gambians flocked the main road) – to welcome home their new president, Adama Barrow. Due to potential security risks, Barrow had briefly exiled himself to neighbouring Senegal, where he was inaugurated at the Gambian Embassy, Dakar.

President Adama Barrow of The Republic of The Gambia, arrives back into the country after his self-imposed exile in Senegal © jason_florio-9706 — President Adama Barrow, returns home from exile, to The Gambia, West Africa © Jason Florio

#GambiaHasDecided

On December 1st, 2016, the Gambian people voted out their autocratic President Yahya Jammeh, after 22 years in power, and elected Adama Barrow as their new president. Jammeh conceded defeat, but a week later announced that he was annulling the election results and would not step down. A grassroots movement #GambiaHasDecided emerged in reaction.

Activists initially set up billboards with the slogan #GambiaHasDecided. The billboards were torn down by Jammeh loyalists. Not to be intimidated, the activists around the country turned to spray painting the slogan.