In a world increasingly shaped by digital content and the narratives that travel across screens and platforms, filmmaker, content creator, and impact advisor Amanda Kasmira Cryer has made it her life’s work to use storytelling as a catalyst for social change. With over twenty years of experience in the media industry, Cryer has positioned herself at the intersection of art and advocacy, using both film and social media to spotlight urgent global issues including peace and justice, mental wellness and physical well-being, division and polarization, inequality, bullying, suicide awareness, people who are experiencing homelessness and economic hardship, and gender disparity.
Cryer’s purpose extends beyond commerce or the allure of the spotlight. Her work is rooted in a desire to create narratives that challenge entrenched divisions—those “divide and conquer” tactics that can fragment communities and obscure deeper truths. She seeks to elevate voices often marginalized or silenced by mainstream media and “popular,” socially acceptable opinions, recognizing that the stories she champions are rooted in enduring values—unity, love, dignity, peace, belonging, compassion, equity, and forgiveness—that do not necessarily lend themselves to fleeting sensationalism or instant clicks. Instead, her aim is to encourage understanding, forgiveness, and genuine connection, inviting reflection on what truly binds us beyond the superficial narratives that dominate the surface.
From grassroots communities to international forums, her work raises awareness of the challenges and victories of people striving for dignity, belonging, justice, compassion, and opportunity.
A Personal Journey to Advocacy
Cryer’s commitment to social impact is not a product of distant observation—it is grounded in personal experience. Born into an environment of economic hardship and personal trauma, Cryer’s formative years were marked by housing instability and significant emotional and psychological challenges. Rather than allowing these early experiences to defeat her, she developed a deep understanding of structural inequality and resilience.
These experiences became the foundation for her storytelling philosophy. She believes that those most impacted by social challenges are also among the most qualified to speak on them, and that film and digital media can serve as tools to amplify their voices to the world. Her personal history gives her work a sense of urgency and authenticity that resonates deeply with her audience.
Film as a Tool for Social Change
At the heart of Cryer’s work lies the conviction that film is not just entertainment, but a potential force for transformation. As CEO of Rewired Collective, she has led numerous film, multimedia projects, and programs designed to provoke critical reflection and encourage systemic change. The collective, under her leadership, emphasizes cross-sector collaboration and inclusive narratives. Her films aim to do more than present facts—they seek to humanize statistics, putting names, faces, and stories to data that might otherwise go unnoticed.
In an era when the media often privileges sensationalism over substance, she ensures that those portrayed in her films are not reduced to victims but presented as full individuals, complex, resilient, and active participants in their own lives and communities.
Advocating for Global Education and Gender Equality
In 2023, Cryer was named the Global Ambassador for GetBundi Education Technology and the GetBundi Education Foundation, founded by Osita Oparaugo. This initiative seeks to provide ten million African youth with digital skills over the next decade—a vision that aligns with Cryer’s long-standing commitment to education as a fundamental right and an engine for equality.
In her ambassadorial role, Cryer has highlighted that gender equity must be central to the digital revolution. She has argued that without focused efforts to include women and girls in educational initiatives, Africa’s socio-economic development may remain uneven. Through GetBundi, Cryer advocates for access to quality STEM education, particularly for young women in underserved regions, believing that digital literacy can open new opportunities for civic participation, economic mobility, and leadership.
A Collaborative Approach to Impact
Cryer’s approach to advocacy is deeply collaborative. She has worked across sectors—partnering with scientists, community leaders, nonprofit organizations, and representatives of the United Nations. Her belief in coalition-building reflects her understanding that complex problems require collective solutions.
Rather than positioning herself as a savior or spokesperson, Cryer views herself as a facilitator—a connector of people, platforms, and ideas. Her projects often bring together unexpected allies, forging relationships between indigenous communities and policymakers, educators and entrepreneurs, artists and environmental scientists, and individuals from both sides of the political aisle to work together. In doing so, she not only bridges gaps in dialogue and understanding but also helps generate comprehensive and sustainable strategies for impact.
This systems-oriented approach also informs her perspective on digital communication. Her commitment to ethical, courageous, and vulnerable storytelling stands out. For Cryer, social media is not merely a promotional tool but a powerful space where narratives can be co-created, challenged, and reimagined. She uses digital platforms to elevate unheard narratives and voices, drawing attention to underreported issues and sparking global conversations that are inclusive, conscious, and informed.
The Power of Storytelling for a Sustainable Future
Cryer often describes storytelling as “a lens through which humanity can see itself more clearly.” She sees stories as instruments that can dismantle ignorance, reduce stigma, and inspire both compassion and action. Her narratives are not bound by borders; they are global in scope, addressing interlinked crises from environmental degradation, educational disparity for persons with both visible and invisible disabilities, housing insecurity, and educational gender gaps in developing countries, to the mental health consequences of economic insecurity in the West.
She is vocal about unity and co-creating an ecocentric world—one where humans, animals, plants, and all forms of life coexist in harmony and mutual respect. At a time when ecological crises are accelerating, Cryer suggests that data alone is insufficient to inspire the behavioral and policy changes needed. Instead, she believes that emotionally resonant storytelling—through social media campaigns, climate advocacy, and both short and long format films—can help to cultivate a shared responsibility required to protect the planet.
Her work reminds audiences that sustainability is not just about conserving resources, but about cultivating just and equitable systems in every domain—education, health and well-being, safety, the economy, and the environment.
Continuing the Work
Amanda Kasmira Cryer’s body of work serves as a testament to the enduring power of media to illuminate, educate, and activate. At a time when misinformation spreads rapidly and global crises can feel insurmountable, her commitment to truth-telling from all sides is both timely and necessary.
Her efforts illustrate that meaningful change does not arise from isolated acts, but from sustained, thoughtful collaboration. Through film and digital storytelling, Cryer continues to challenge conventional narratives, making space for voices that might otherwise be drowned out in the noise of modern media. And in doing so, she invites all of us to imagine—and work toward—a more inclusive and compassionate future.
