Meet Fairlie Ann Arrow | Documentary Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Fairlie Ann Arrow and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fairlie Ann, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think that starting your own business is always a risk. Is it worth it, yes absolutely, doing what you are passionate about is definitely worth taking a risk for. Over the years I’ve had to take on jobs that have one purpose and that’s to pay the bills and allow me to find ways to do what I’m passionate about. We have to get up everyday and go to work anyway, so why not work hard and take risks for what you love, and I think today, more and more people are doing just that.

I have always gravitated towards careers that have a certain amount of risk attached to them, definitely a big risk of failure. I spent much of my life on and off the road as a music artist, got record deals and then lost them, that’s why I wound up here in the states from Australia, I was signed to a couple record labels, but the albums never went anywhere. I ate, slept and breathed music and I did have a successful career as far as touring, opening for recording artists and bands as well as studio and club work, but I never reached that ultimate status as a recording artist pumping out those hit records. So to answer the question, taking risks is just who I am and always will be for better or worse and it has been good to me and allowed me to pursue my passions.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Our Brand & Our Story: My son Jesse and I recently started Kalamo Productions after our last working trip to Africa. We are fueled by these heroes working for NGO’s & NPO’s. They selflessly dedicate and risk their lives everyday to do what the majority of us cannot do, and that is fight to protect wildlife, their communities, they stand up against poachers, wildlife traffickers, bush meat traffickers, those who take advantage of villagers in poverty and try to use them for their own means to help find, poach and kill wildlife for financial gain. We were so awoken by what’s happening in the world of human-wildlife conflict, we knew that we had to become part of the fight but also part of the solution.

Kalamo Productions was officially born in 2022 and our mission is to tell these incredibly complex yet powerful raw stories about the heroes on the front lines fighting to protect our wildlife and our natural world.
With these human-wildlife conflict documentaries we intend to do everything we can through grass roots campaigns throughout the world to engage audiences, raise awareness, but most of all, bring people together and incite action to change the narrative. And these films are for all ages because our kids are going to inherit this planet and the burden is going to be passed on to them to prevent a mass extinction event, because that’s where we are heading unless we learn to conserve, protect and coexist with nature. Understand, human-wildlife conflict is a major player in climate change, because what threaten them, threatens us all!

What sets up apart from most is:
Our fearlessness to dig deep. We’re all about truth and sharing the raw, unfiltered truth, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Our ultimate goal as I said earlier is to engage our audience and create an honest connection with the emotions and experiences of both people and wildlife in our films, even if it means venturing into uncomfortable and many times life threatening territory.

The lessons I’ve learned along the way:
Make real friends and be a real friend, be an extrovert, sing as often as possible, find people as passionate as you are. Definitely love a horse, and a dog because that’s a love that won’t be conditional. Don’t be so ready to say “kill it”, stop and find another way. If you’re a parent hug your kid often and set boundaries, show them how much you love them everyday by standing by those boundaries no matter how hard it is because one day, they’ll thank you for it. Have empathy for all living creatures except for the humans who are only out for themselves and do harm to others, including animals. Give back, and most importantly do what matters to you, do what you love, don’t waste your life doing something that family expects of you, because as you get older you will realize the one thing money can’t always buy and the most important commodity you have is time, and there’s no guarantee how much of that we’re gonna get. So find what you love and make a living out of it. We need more people like that in the world:)

How did I get where I am today and was it easy!:
Like most of us, I have fallen many times and I’ve had to drag myself back up by the bootstraps. I’ve made soooooo many mistakes I’ve lost count. I’ve learned the hard way many many times and I’ll also keep trying again, never give up and take on whatever I have to do to move forward and accomplish what’s important.
Where I am today is working everyday on a documentary film business that I’m proud of because it’s about propping up others, not myself and shedding light on conflicts in this world that really do matter to the state of our planet, and that’s definitely something that came from years of life experience, for me.

How did I/we overcome the challenges:
I think it’s more about what is the current set of challenges we’re dealing with? So for Kalamo Productions, and the Human-Wildlife Conflict Initiative, a major part of our mission is to give back to the NGO’S and NPO’s we tell the stories about. Giving back means sharing in whatever profits the films make, that means that all the films in the series must be fundraised for and that means no investor money or money from other production companies or ultimately, streamers or networks, which is how the industry typically works. We have chosen to work with partners, companies and/or philanthropies that will help us not only fund the Human-wildlife Conflict Initiative but also be a long term active partner in this initiative. So the main challenge is continuing to seek out and connect with the right brands, companies and decision makers, passionate about this issue simply to start the conversation.

What we want the world to know about our brand, our story:
Our first film in the series will start production early next year. We have an extensive media, social media plan along with a world wide distribution plan, but what I want people to know is this, as I said earlier, education is so important if we’re going to turn things around, if we’re going to find peaceful coexistence with our wildlife, with nature.
Making sure that these films will be seen is the most important part of our Human-Wildlife Conflict Initiative. Because of partners and partner relationships so far, these films will not only be seen through main stream media and theatrical events, educational cuts will also be made available for schools, universities, conferences, conventions as well as government organizations.
Make no mistake, because of our planet’s over population, Human-Wildlife Conflict is reaching crisis levels. Everyday, conservation organizations around the world, including right here in the U.S, are working against the clock to uncover solutions necessary for the survival and harmony of both human and wildlife. The question is, are you willing to support their efforts?

Story is powerful, and story can change the world. Here at Kalamo Productions, we are always looking for those passionate people, those passionate brands to work with us and help us in the global fight to save the world’s wildlife.
As is true with all great things, we cannot do it alone, but together we can change the world!

If you or your organization would like to find out more about becoming a partner in our Human-Wildlife Conflict Initiative, please contact me at Fairlie@Kalamoproductions.com

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
mm mm mm being an animal and wildlife girl, I would take friends out to visit Red Bucket Equine Rescue to see the horses and learn about the incredible work Susan Peirce and volunteers do there in saving, rehabilitating horses that have been abandoned and abused. They also save horses from slaughter and find forever loving homes for them, so that would be a definite.

Maybe LA Equestrian Center, in the main covered arena they have some great Grand Prix show jumping events.

Hiking is up there in the list, we have incredible mountain hikes in the Angeles forest. Griffith Park and the Observatory is pretty awesome and so is the Getty Center. Of course hanging out at the beach is always a winner.

Food wise, If my friends eat seafood, I would take them to Catch LA, for me there are great vegan options.
Nick’s on Beverly, great vegan food. Lastly Bacari in Silverlake or Glendale rocks.

Personally I don’t drink alcohol so got no advice there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My son Jesse, he works with me on these stories, even though his passion is narrative filmmaking. Jesse is a talented filmmaker all around but his strengths are as a writer/director. I’m blessed to have such an awesome son and especially blessed that he enjoys working with me. For a Mom, that trumps everything!

Website: www.Kalamoproductions.com & www.oftusksandtears.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/Kalamoproductions

Linkedin: @fairliearrow

Twitter: @KalamoProducti1

Facebook: www.Facebook.com/Kalamoproductions

Youtube: @kalamoproductions6268

Other: At Tic Tok it’s @Kalamoproductions or animalsmatter

Image Credits
Fairlie Ann Arrow, Jesse D Arrow, Edward Selfe