Hippos - misunderstood, vulnerable, and all too often entirely overlooked in terms of conservation efforts, while attention goes to other species perceived as more iconic. But like other animals, hippos face tremendous and varied threats - poaching for bush meat and ivory, trophy hunting, drought, water pollution, human wildlife conflict, habitat loss - these and other factors put hippos perilously close to endangered status.

Film - an incredibly powerful medium and undoubtedly one of the most effective ways to create lasting, emotional connections between the viewer and the subject.

Turgwe - Deep in the remote Zimbabwean bush, on the banks of the Turgwe River, one woman stands as a beacon of hope for hippos. Karen Paolillo, through her charity, the Turgwe Hippo Trust, has provided decades-long care and protection for hippos, but she’s only able to do this thanks to the kindness of generosity of donors contributing from a world away.

I’m very proud to be a patron of the Turgwe Hippo Trust and, as a filmmaker, I believe the most significant and lasting value I can offer in support of Karen’s crucially important conservation work, is to create video content aimed at evoking in the viewer, deep and lasting emotional connections with hippos, and an understanding of the plight they face and of their importance to the wider ecosystem. Video material that Karen can rely on long into the future, enabling her to engage with a global audience and increasing the Trust's potential to secure ongoing financial support for years to come.

As a solo filmmaker, I’m positioned to singlehandedly take projects from idea to screen. From the creation of an initial concept, to producing, directing, cinematography, narration, presenting, editing and the rest of it, doing it all myself means I can achieve it at a fraction of the cost of a traditional hired film crew. Having said that, while greatly reduced, there are still costs associated with doing it, and that’s the purpose of this fundraiser.

In July, I will travel with my cinema camera and other filmmaking equipment to Zimbabwe where I'll spend two and a half weeks with Karen and her team, filming the other-worldly reality of life at the Turgwe Hippo Trust, highlighting the challenges and, above all, capturing video and creating video content designed to inspire a much-needed emotional bond between hippos and humans.

Simply put, I'm raising funds in the short term to cover the cost of creating content which will serve to enable Karen to raise far greater funds in the long term.

In parallel with this fundraiser, and with the same endeavour in mind, Karen and the Turgwe Hippo Trust are running their own fundraiser. If between us we find ourselves with the great good fortune of over-achieving on our collective targets, additional funds will be split between ensuring the highest possible production values for the video content, and the Turgwe Hippo Trust itself. Either way, you can rest assured that your donation, however big or small, will directly help to protect hippos.

All donations of any size are very gratefully received. Also, regardless of whether you're able to contribute, sharing this post along with the link to my JustGiving page (in comments below) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your consideration and support ☺🙏💚🦛💚