Eric M. Mwangi
Associate Director, Eric Mwangi adds a distinctive African perspective to global storytelling. An alumnus of USC’s American Film Showcase residency, his work explores thought-provoking themes across documentaries and short films.
Associate Director, Eric Mwangi adds a distinctive African perspective to global storytelling. An alumnus of USC’s American Film Showcase residency, his work explores thought-provoking themes across documentaries and short films. His directorial debut, ACT OF LOVE, earned critical acclaim for its exploration of maternal mental wellness. In early 2024, Eric’s short documentaries FUNDING AFRICA and ISLAND OF HOPE premiered under the Solutions Storytelling Project by The Video Consortium and Skoll Foundation.
Eric’s work reached a milestone in 2024 with Empalikino, which won the Best Pitch Award in Nature and Conservation at Sunny Side of the Doc 2024.
As an African partner director of Backroads Pictures CA, Eric adds a unique African voice to their storytelling on global issues.
Gentry Faith Wilson
Director and Producer, Gentry Faith Wilson, is an award-winning NGO filmmaker whose work explores human resilience, local leadership, and the ways communities create possibility from within. For nearly a decade, she has filmed alongside humanitarian initiatives and refugee communities, developing long-term relationships that ultimately led her to the story at the heart of RAISED.
Director and Producer, Gentry Faith Wilson, is an award-winning NGO filmmaker whose work explores human resilience, local leadership, and the ways communities create possibility from within. For nearly a decade, she has filmed alongside humanitarian initiatives and refugee communities, developing long-term relationships that ultimately led her to the story at the heart of RAISED.
That history shaped both her access and her approach to the film. Rather than entering Nakivale as an outside observer, Wilson built RAISED through collaboration with African filmmakers, creatives, and community partners, including team members with deep personal ties to the settlement. Her aim was to tell a story rooted not simply in the realities of displacement, but in the agency, ingenuity, and leadership of the people living within them.
She films with programs such as the George Lucas Educational Foundation, The Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, Kula Project and more. Her film COLLECTIVE HUMANITY received awards for Best Documentary and Best Cinematography at the Austin Under the Stars Film Festival. She was on the production team of the widely acclaimed and Oscar Qualifying feature documentary, JOIN OR DIE in 2023, which premiered at SXSW. Gentry earned her Bachelor of Science in Advertising from The University of Texas at Austin.
RAISED marks Wilson’s documentary directorial debut and reflects her broader commitment to character-driven storytelling that can deepen understanding of humanitarian issues and inspire meaningful engagement beyond the screen.