The Strategy
In 2024/25, against a backdrop of severe UN funding cuts and donor fatigue, the Nansen Refugee Award faced an existential threat.
The mandate: move beyond standard reporting and create a visceral, emotional experience that would justify the ceremony's continued existence to top-tier global donors.
The Brief
Design and produce the Ceremony Opener — a high-tempo film bridging the historical legacy of Fridtjof Nansen with the contemporary grit of modern refugee leaders.
A complex synthesis of archival assets and global field footage, built to ignite urgency and collective hope within the room.
The Leadership
Led a global production workflow, coordinating field teams and archival researchers across multiple countries to weave a narrative that felt both historically grounded and urgently modern.
Every creative decision was made for a concert hall — not a laptop screen.
The Result
Five hundred people. One screening. A standing ovation.
The ceremony was not only saved — its value proposition was redefined for the next decade.
The Impact
Following the screening in Geneva, high-level donors explicitly cited the power of the visual storytelling as the primary reason for their renewed commitment. The film moved the room from uncertainty to conviction — in real time.
For an institution facing questions about its own relevance, the evening became proof that the right story, told with craft and urgency, can change the outcome of a room. That is the measure of advocacy filmmaking.
Donors who recommitted that night
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
IKEA Foundation
