About 400 people packed the Folino Theater at Chapman University's Marion Knott Studios on Thursday to view several documentaries Chapman students made on a trip to Africa this past summer.

Twenty-two students were able to travel to Botswana and the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar this summer thanks to an anonymous donor for a program called Destination Africa. The program shoots film of nongovernment organizations and then sends the films to the NGOs to use for fundraising. It is the third year of the four-year program and exists primarily through the $1 million initially donated. Chapman Professor Jeff Swimmer, in charge of the program, was overwhelmed by the results.

"The films were terrific, professional looking. It didn't look like students had done them," Swimmer said. "And those who came loved the films."

Five documentaries, 12-16 minutes in length, were screened at Folino Theater, with standing ovations occurring after each film. A reception after the screenings featured West African food and music. But some of the films almost didn't happen because of African unrest this summer.

"We were initially supposed to go to Uganda," Chapman graduate student David Nonberg said. "But the school didn't allow us to go, so we spent some time in (London's) Heathrow (Airport) and ended up going to Zanzibar."

The six members of the Uganda group were scheduled to arrive in Kampala on July 12, but the day before terrorists set off bombs in the capital, killing 74 people watching the World Cup, including many foreigners. For this reason, the students were re-routed to Zanzibar, where Nonberg's team shot the footage for "We come from Jambiani," about one of the poorest communities in the world.

The audience loved the films and appreciated their purpose.

"It's just such a cool deal," Chapman junior Chris Cresci said. "Not only does the program provide a great filmmaking opportunity for Chapman students, but it also gives the NGOs a powerful and well done promotional tool."

The first two years of the program, Swimmer took students to Cambodia and Cameroon, and he is excited for the direction the program will go next.

"We are very proud of having this program, it is rapidly expanding and growing," Swimmer said. "The response has been overwhelming."

 

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