Theodros Teshome

Theodros Teshome Kebede, or sometimes spelt as "TEWODROS TESHOME" Nickname Teddy, born on January 7, 1970 in Jimma, Ethiopia, is a Producer, Writer, Director, and Actor of films in Ethiopia. Theodros, owner of Sebastopol Entertainment PLC and Teddy Studios, is known for resuscitating the Ethiopian film industry after the fall of the communist Dergue Regime that ruled Ethiopia for close to 17 years. Theodros, who produces, directs, writes and often acts in his own films, tends to produce films that deal with social issues such as HIV, immigration, violence against women, etc. Through almost twenty years of making films in Ethiopia, Theodros has established himself as a leader and trendsetter for the Ethiopian film industry that is currently booming inside the country, especially in Addis Ababa – the capital city of Ethiopia. To date, Theodros holds the two highest grossing Ethiopian films of all time, "Abay vs. Vegas" and "Kezkaza Welafegn". Theodros is also the owner of Sebastopol Cinemas in Addis Ababa with additional movie theaters in Awassa, Mekele, Jimma cities in Ethiopia.

Early life

Theodros Teshome, born on January 7, 1970 in Jimma, Ethiopia (Jimma is best known for being in the Kaffa Region and is the origin of coffee) to Teshome Kebede, a coffee and Honey merchant, and Elfinesh Desta. Elfinesh, fourteen at the time she gave birth to Theodros, was too young to breastfeed Theodros, so until he left Jimma, Theodros lived with his grandmother. From an early age Theodros showed an appreciation and love for the arts, taking a special interest in reading, especially Ethiopian novels. At age eight Theodros discovered films and particularly Indian films, which were his favorite as a youth because, "the culture is so much like Ethiopias". During this time Theodros also developed a knack for writing and business. Theodros would write love poems for his young classmates trying to woo girls. He made 50 cents per poem. At age sixteen Theodros joined the military, as all men of that age were forced to during the Dergue Regime in Ethiopia, but his time in the Ethiopian Air Born was short lived. Theodros fled the military after one year. The military officials went to Jimma to look for Theodros, but Theodros was hiding in Addis Ababa where he, without conflict, attended Shimelis Habte Secondary School. Theodros says he fled the military because he did not believe in the civil war taking place at the time. While at Shimelis Habte, Theodros joined the Mini Media club where he broadcast poems and other creative works over the loudspeaker and spent the other half of the day making a living as a photographer in Addis Ababa. After graduating from Shimelis Habte, Theodros was assigned to attend Addis Ababa College of Commerce where he studied Business Management. After graduating from college, Theodros spent the next three years shuffling between various jobs as a photographer in Addis Ababa. The passing of his mother, however, would draw him back to his hometown of Jimma where he could take care of his brothers and sisters. In Jimma Theodros continued to work full-time as a photographer at a small shop. Soon after moving to Jimma Theodros watched his younger brother Muluken Teshome perform in a stage play. Theodros was moved by the performance and convinced that the arts was a family inheritance and from then on focused his energies on making films. The problem was Theodros did not have a camera. That is when he convinced the shop owner in Jimma that there was business in filming weddings. The shop owner was convinced of Theodros's argument and bought the camera. After sometime and many weddings later, Theodros inquired if he could use the camera when it was not in use. The shop owner agreed and Theodros was on his way to his first film. That year Theodros wrote "Gilbet Alem" (The World Upside Down). Theodros's first attempt was filmed in Jimma and starred actors from the city of Jimma. Theodros filmed "Gilbet Alem" using the wedding camera and edited the film, initially, with two borrowed VCRs and a borrowed television. He then took the film from Jimma, where he edited "Gilbet Alem" to four hours, and re-edited "Gilbet Alem" in Addis Ababa to a digestible two hours. ^[1]

Getting started

In 1996, with a start-up capital of 4000 birr ($200), Theodros opened Teddy Studios in the Addis Ababa neighborhood Cherkos. Theodros's first attempt, "Gilbet Alem" was filmed in Jimma and starred actors from the city of Jimma. Theodros, however, was unsatisfied with the finished product of "Gilbet Alem" and only showed the film in Jimma. Though the response was positive, Theodros, unsatisfied with his work, sought the advice and critique of Michele Papatakis, a French filmmaker living and working in Addis Ababa at the time. With Papatakis's criticism in his pocket Theodros produced, wrote and directed his next film in 1998, a direct to VHS release "Seoul" (Hell). "Seoul" was a success with the public, furthering Theodros's confidence in his ability to make films that the public enjoyed. Theodros success attracted the eye of MidRoc Ethiopia, owned by billionaire Sheik Mahmoud Al-Amoudi, and was hired full-time to make documentaries for the company. It was during this period that Theodros would meet his soon-to-be first wife Helen Haile.

The beginning of the relationship could not have come at a worse time (1998) for Theodros and Helen, however, because Helen was Eritrean and Theodros was Ethiopian and the Ethiopian-Eritrean war had just started. The Ethiopian government, during the war, deported all Eritreans to Eritrea including Helen. Despite the separation, the two were determined to continue their love. Helen, shortly after being deported, moved to Kenya where the two could continue their relationship. Theodros then traveled back and forth from Ethiopia to Kenya on five separate occasions before finally marrying Helen in Kenya during 2002.

Unfortunately, the marriage did not last and the two separated the next year. It was also during this period that Theodros wrote his next film "Kezkaza Welafegn" (Cold Flame) and presented it to some higher ups at MidRoc as a future project. The higher ups did not think well of the project. They told him his job at MidRoc was to make documentaries, not personal projects. Theodros was let go shortly thereafter.

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Breakthrough

Theodros was determined to see "Kezakaza Welafegn" through to the end. Lacking the funds to continue the project, Theodros subsequently liquidated all his assets. Despite the sacrifice made, Theodros was still lacking the funds to finish the project so he borrowed money and went 90,000 birr ($11,250) into debt. Finally "Kezkaza Welafegn", a film about the consequences of unsafe sexual practices and HIV, became Ethiopia's first ever digital film to be released in movie theaters and the results were overwhelming.

The plot and content of the film prompted the Netherlands Embassy in Addis Ababa to sponsor the film and as a result "Kezkaza Welafegn" became the highest grossing Ethiopian film of all time (until Theodros's "Abay vs. Vegas" release seven years later). "Kezkaza Welafegn" served a much higher purpose, however. The film had opened the door for filmmakers in Ethiopia to entertain the public through the media of film at movie theaters.

Theodros Teshome helped his cause, and "Kezkaza Welafegn", by showing the film not just in Addis Ababa, but all around the country. The film was estimated to have made 5 million birr ($625,000) domestically and was shown to Ethiopian Diaspora in the United States of America, Europe and South Africa. No film has been so popular and widely distributed around the country before Kezkaza Wolafen.

It was also during this time that Theodros Teshome became acquainted with Hanna Bekele with whom he still resides and has three children with today. Theodros was keen to pounce on the success of "Kezkaza Welafegn" and planned a linear sequel for the following year – "Fikir Seferd" (Love's Judgement). Unfortunately for Theodros, his leading actress and the focal point of "Kezkaza Welafegn", Lulit Assefa, married an Arab gentleman who was opposed to her continuing her film career. Coupled with the loss of Lulit, Theodros was dissatisfied with the focus and work ethic of the male leads from "Kezkaza Welafegn", so he decided to recast "Fikir Seferd" and the plot was reworked as well. So in 2005 "Fikir Seferd" was released with Theodros playing the lead character, Ali, alongside Martha Adugna (Joanna). Following the same business model he used for "Kezkaza Welafegn", Theodros made "Fikir Seferd" his second hit with the Ethiopian public. Only "Semaywe Ferris" (Blue Horse), a film by Serawit Fikre that dealt with the use of the Blue Nile's water for Ethiopia, grossed more money that year. "Fikir Seferd" traveled the world as well hitting the 2005 East African Film Festival, Sweden, Frankfurt, Seattle, Washington DC and Minnesota. ^[3][4]

Stardom and controversy

With two box office successes in a row, Theodros Teshome established himself as a mainstay in the Ethiopian film Industry and a seemingly third success, "Red Mistake", was in the works. Written by Theodros Teshome periodically during the showing of "Kezkaza Welafegn" and making of "Fikir Seferd" "Red Mistake" is a film that focuses on the atrocities and conflict during the Dergue Regime. Unfortunately for Theodros and "Red Mistake", which he wrote, produced and directed, a 2006 release, the public was in no mood to hear about the previous government because in 2005 a highly disputed election took place in which the incumbent party claimed victory when the votes seemingly indicated otherwise. "Red Mistake", a film that stars Theodros Teshome and Fikadu Tekle-Mariam, was filmed with a Belgium-based film crew and was a huge step up in quality compared to Theodros's two previous films, but the film failed in appealing to the Ethiopian public. "Red Mistake", however, made its rounds around the world reaching film festivals in Los Angeles, Sweden, Milano and Kenya.

"Red Mistake" was a financial failure and that left Theodros Teshome looking for his next project and a way to recoup the money lost. Theodros saw a chance, in 2008, to not only do good business, but satisfy the people in his hometown of Jimma, Ethiopia. September 2008 by the Gregorian Calendar was just that – September 2008 – but in Ethiopia the calendar was to be Meskerem 2000, the beginning of a new millennium in Ethiopia, so Theodros linked up with Tewodros Kassahun, affectionately known as Teddy Afro, the most popular Ethiopian musician at the time and known for his anti-government music to have him perform in Jimma for the Millennium celebration. Theodros Teshome chartered a flight for Teddy Afro to arrive in Jimma, but before Teddy Afro hit the stage in Jimma, city officials told Theodros Teshome, the organizer of the concert, that Teddy Afro couldn't perform a slew of his most popular songs including "Enqutatash", a song that celebrates the new year. After some negotiating, through Theodros Teshome, Teddy Afro was allowed to perform his music, but the controversy was not over. It is rumored that other issues had remained unresolved after the concert, causing a rift between the three parties –City of Jimma, Theodros Teshome and Teddy Afro.

The following year, 2009, Theodros Teshome and his hometown of Jimma reached a settlement and Theodros Teshome organized a fundraising telethon for Jimma that raised 101 million birr (pledged) ($11.2 million) for road construction projects. ^[5]

Still going

The success of the Jimma telethon prompted Theodros's inclusion in the Amhara fundraising effort as MC, stage director, and member of the organizing committee. The Amhara Telethon was a success and received 1.1 billion birr ($122,000,000) in pledged support. The money was to go to various projects in the Amhara Region including Hospitals, schools and roads to name a few.

During the various controversies, Theodros did not take his eye off the ball and began the process for producing, financially, his most successful film to date – "Abay vs. Vegas". Using the Red One camera and a semi-Hollywood Production crew featuring Matthias Schubert as the Director of Photography, Theodros, the writer, producer and director, proceeded to make "Abay vs. Vegas" the highest-grossing film of all-time. Starring Theodros Teshome, Solomon Bogale (the most popular male actor in Ethiopia as of 2016), Blen Mamo, and Rekik Teshome, "Abay vs. Vegas" tells the story of a love triangle that stretches from Bahir Dahr, Ethiopia (home of the Lake Tana and the Blue Nile) to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. "Abay vs. Vegas" was promoted furiously to the Ethiopian public through the addition of the Red One camera and a Hollywood-like premier at the Ethiopian National Theater in Addis Ababa that was televised on national television featuring high-profile celebrities such as athlete Haile Gebreselassie.

The dramatic comedy, "Abay vs Vegas" gave Theodros Teshome what he was looking for – financial success and public acceptance. "Abay vs. Vegas went on to entertain audiences around the world in Los Angeles, Washington DC, Colorado, London, England, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Due to the success of "Abay vs. Vegas" and the acclaimed work of Solomon Bogale, who played Negus, a farmer from the Bahir Dahr region and Matthias Schubert, the Director of Photography, Theodros retained the help of both for his latest project, SOST MAEZEN "Triangle", which is released on July 2013 and its sequel SOST MAEZEN 2 is set to be released in September 2016 . Sost Maezen AKA "Triangle" stars the aforementioned Solomon Bogale, as well as the newly popular television and film star Mahider Assefa, Muluken Teshome (Theodros's brother), and Selam Tesfaye. Also appearing in the film, in supporting roles are Samson Tadesse Baby, Abebe Balcha. Sost Maezen /Triangle going to America/ Has been selected as the centerpiece of the PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL PAFF 2015 in Loss Angeles and was awarded the festival founders award for best narrative feature. Triangle going to America was also selected to be the opening film of the NEW AFRICA FILM FESTVAL in Silver Spring Mary Land.

As of June 2015 Sost maezen/Triangle going to America/ is the only film from Ethiopia to be nominated in 8 categories for the AMAA / African movie Academy awards/ for best film, best director, best cinematography, best sound track, best editing, best visual effects, best supporting actor and best African Language film and to win the best supporting actor best sound track and special jury award for best narrative feature.

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Sebastopol Cinema

In 2006, Theodros Teshome opened Sebastopol Cinema, named after King Tewodros's famous canon built in the mid 19th century, at the Exhibition Center at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The two theaters, named Maqdala and Quarra, seat around 800 persons and exclusively show Ethiopian films, but on occasion is known to host conferences upon special request. Sebastopol cinema is currently expanding and now has another 5 movie theaters in Addis Ababa, around Mesalemia Ehil Berenda area, Bole Bulbula area, Mexico square area and Megenagna area and in regions like Jimma, Awassa, Mekele cities.

Filmography

• "Gilbet Alem" 1996
• "Seoul" 1998
• "Kezkaza Welafegn" 2003
• "Fikir Seferd" 2005
• "Red Mistake" 2006
• "Abay Vs.Vegas" 2011
• "Sost Maezen 1 "Triangle 1/Going to America" July 2014
• "Sost Maezen 2"Triangle 2/Peak of Intimacy" September 2016

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References