The Winning Pitch.

GONGOLI is Lensrental.com short film pitch contest 2021 winner. It’s a short film pitch by Darrell Lake inspired by his upbringing in Sierra Leone. The short film is currently in production.

Interview with Lensrental.com

https://wordpress.lensrentals.com/blog/2021/02/announcing-the-winner-of-the-lensrentals-pitch-contest/

“The Gongoli mask was a pivotal part of Darrell’s upbringing and a place where a lot of fear lived in his youth. “Gongoli is this mask people would wear, and do this crazy erratic dance. So as a kid, you’re told so many stories about it, and were terrified by it.” Darrell explains. “The mask is used for celebration, and the adult wearing it would perform and dance and help bring excitement.” While its intentions are for celebration, the Gongoli mask can certainly be terrifying to a child. With its accentuated features, the Gongoli mask traditionally has a protruding forehead, with large, misshapen features, and is largely shrouded in mystery. Pairing that with an erratic and odd dance, the Gongoli often has an almost supernatural feel to it.”