Ari Ali is a queer, Yemeni-American, filmmaker and producer. As a child of divergent cultures, her work seeks to elevate the stories of people, places, and historical events that have been overlooked or forgotten. For the last 15 years, she has created and led narrative, immersive, commercial, and animation based projects for a wide range of clients.

Some of her recent work includes: large-scale projection mapping of endangered species on the Empire State Building for the documentary Racing Extinction; collaborating with Freedom First on their multi-city human rights campaign to draw attention to violence against journalists; working closely with the United Nations on a campaign to raise awareness around the global impacts of climate change; and (a personal favorite) Fiat Lux: Illuminating Our Common Home, came from Pope Francis’s commissioning of a public art immersive experience on Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican to inspire change around the climate crisis. Ari’s work is oftentimes at the intersection of art, technology, and activism.

ABOUT THE FILM: The Ferenji's of Bedeno

The documentary started with a single question: what happened to Ben Gamber? Through the experiences of one family, we uncover the common thread between an unsolved death, a final letter, and the fall of the last Ethiopian emperor. This is the first feature length documentary exploring the role Mennonite missionaries played in the lead up to the Ethiopian Revolution, and what is lost in the wake of the ultimate sacrifice.