Mathew Cerf is an award-winning narrativ & documentary filmmaker, photographer, and writer specializing in co-creative, grassroots storytelling. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Mat spent three years in Lagos, Nigeria teaching film and working on projects aimed towards amplifying the narrative perspective of urban poor communities. Among others, Mat draws inspiration from Kat Cizek’s co-creation manifesto, the Third Cinema movement of Latin America, and the work of Mary Ellen Mark. Okechukwu Samuel grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, but his mother is Ghanaian, and he spent several adolescent years living in the Volta region of Ghana. Sam is a gifted artist, writer, and cinematographer. He was the Director of Photography on IF WALLS COULD TALK (AFRIFF – 2023). Along with being a writer & director on our project, he was also the camera operator for the film, and a leading voice in sculpting the film’s visual language. Sam continues to create films & photography focused around themes of urban inequality in Lagos. Ogungbamila Temitope is a filmmaker from Isale Akoka community in Lagos. Alongside dreams of becoming a lawyer to help women in her community confront gender-based violence & discrimination, Temi is a filmmaker and photographer focused on shifting the narrative of informal settlements in Lagos. She also organizes workshops in her community to teach photography and digital storytelling to young people, as a means of creating skills for economic advancement and reframing of community narratives.