Josta Hopps
Josta is a professional filmmaker and member of staff at WAYout. His photographs have been exhibited in London, Manchester and Portland USA. He also had a photograph on the front page of the Observer and The Guardian during the Ebola crisis and he was runner up in a Water Aid competition. He attended WAYout courses since we began and won the soap writing competition WAYout ran and wrote and starred in his first drama called “My Last Choice”.
The first short film he completed was about his own life- ‘Dark Night‘ which describes how he left home in the diamond mining area of Kenema and lived with an aunt who threw him out. He then lived on the street with a ‘bad’ gang before finding iEARN and later WAYout. There were times when he felt suicidal, lost, alone but he seized the opportunities that were offered and now he is a valued part of WAYout.
Josta passes on his knowledge and regularly teaches filmmaking courses, camera and editing. He has made many music videos, in 2018 he produced a Television series for AYV TV called ‘The Vet’ and in 2013 he wrote, directed and edited feature film “Way Out, The Longest Dream“. He has worked for Street Child, Children in Crisis, Music Action International, WaterAid and other NGOs and is prolific and dedicated to filmmaking.
Josta supported shoots with Hazel Chandler to produce short films about families affected by ebola for Street Child – these films were then aired on the BBC, Channel 4, ITV, Sky, and other international TV channels.
Links to Josta’s videos
Hip Hop Ebola by The Black Street Family
Soupur by Clergyman
