About the Film

The Refugee All Stars are a band of six Sierra Leonean musicians who have been living as refugees in the West African nation of the Republic of Guinea.  A brutal decade long civil war (1991-2002) in Sierra Leone forced the band members from their homes.  It took the lives of many of their loved ones and has left them with physical and emotional scars that may never heal.  However, what the war could never take from them was their music.  Through music The Refugee All Stars have found a place of refuge, a sense of purpose, and a source of power.

The feature length documentary film THE REFUGEE ALL STARS follows the band over the course of three years as they make their way from the refugee camps back to their homes in the war-ravaged country of Sierra Leone.   Amidst the tragedy of recognizing all that has been lost there is also triumph as the band realizes their dream of recording an album of their original songs.

Told through the universal language of music THE REFUGEE ALL STARS reveals a uniquely inspiring and personal story of survival and rebirth in the wake of the horrors of war.  As conflicts multiply around the globe and the worldwide refugee crisis deepens, we believe that this film will provide an important and powerfully humanizing antidote to the surface mass media coverage given to these innocent victims of war.

Directed and Produced by Zach Niles and Banker White
For additional information, please visit: www.RefugeeAllStars.org

About the Benefit Screening

The Houston premiere of THE REFUGEE ALL STARS benefits YMCA International Services’ Refugee AcademicScholarship Program.    A center of YMCA of Greater Houston, International Services offers refugee resettlement programs as well as a host of other social services.  The Educational Services Department administers the scholarship program and awards funds on an annual basis.  100% of the proceeds from this screening will go directly to refugees in the form of academic scholarships.