Renowned Australian charity organisation AIME yesterday launched worldwide with a unique film crafted by creative partner M&C Saatchi Sydney, and directed by Academy Award-winning director Laurent Witz and his team at Zelit Productions.

Twelve years ago, AIME was founded by Jack Manning Bancroft, a young aboriginal man with a dream of bridging the inequality gap through education. Jack’s incredible drive and vision has seen his charity change the lives of tens of thousands of underprivileged children across Australia and Jack himself be awarded Young Australian of the Year.

Shockingly, the average of Indigenous kids in Australia finishing school is 61.5 per cent, with only 42 per cent going on to tertiary studies. Those who receive assistance from AIME are more likely to complete their studies with the numbers at 87.9 per cent and 74 per cent respectively.

CEO and Founder Jack Manning Bancroft said: “If we want to change the world, we need to change the way it works. Inequality is an epidemic. The richest one per cent of the population have accumulated more wealth than the rest of the world combined. AIME allows everyone around the world to play a part in changing this broken system. Our programs are crafted with the power and resources to improve the lives of millions of people globally. I’ve seen the change for twelve years and have no doubt that this program can and will change the globe. It’s time for the mentors to rise.”

Jack’s remarkable dream isn’t just working. It’s changing things for the better. And now, he’s taking his vision worldwide.

The powerful launch film was a year in the making and illustrates the unfair system our world is built upon. The story is set in a giant machine city. The film showcases how the city is designed to favour some, while others become workers in its forgotten engine. The hero of the film realises this unfairness, acts upon this realisation and empowers change.

M&C Saatchi’s Worldwide chairman and chairman of the AIME board, Tom Dery, said: “The opportunity for M&C Saatchi to work with such a fabulous organisation is indeed very rare, particularly when our teams can help such an important cause as what AIME stands for. The fact that one of the leading animators in the world was prepared to devote his organisation’s services to such a degree just highlights the passion everyone involved has for this project.”

M&C Saatchi group creative director Andy Flemming said of the film: “In these truly troubled times, it’s humbling to be part of a group of truly visionary people who want change the world through absolute positivity. AIME have taken thousands of kids who were on the path to unemployment, gangs (or worse), and through mentorship showed them the path to a better world. It was their simple vision to heal a broken society that attracted Laurent Witz and his incredible team to the project, and almost a year later, their beautiful film has brought AIME’s mission to life. We couldn’t be more proud of it.”

AIME has proven success in bridging the gap between privileged and under privileged Australians through mentorship. University student volunteers are partnered with under-privileged high school students in a mentor relationship. This relationship encourages the high school student to see the opportunity to achieve graduation and reach post-school education, training and employment.

AIME is currently looking for ten young people in the UK and US to set up the AIME program in their chosen university to start helping under privileged children in their communities through mentorship.

These ‘Golden Tickets’ will allow AIME to share its remarkable Australian success and fight for a fairer and more equal world. Check it out here.

CREDITS

Client: AIME

CEO – Jack-Manning Bancroft

Agency: M&C Saatchi

Worldwide chairman – Tom Dery

Executive creative director – Michael Canning

Creative director – Andy Flemming

Copywriters/art directors – Curt McDonald and Chris Brailey

Lyrics – Andy Flemming

Executive producer – Loren August

Chief strategy officer – Justin Graham

Strategy director – Rachel Kimber

Senior account director – Laura Stevenson

Account manager – Stephen Mesa

Designer/illustrator – John-Henry Pajak

Integrated designer – Chi Yusef

PR – Naomi Rheinberger and Jonathan Seidler

Former CCO – Andy DiLallo

Production: Zeilt Productions

Director/head of animation – Laurent Witz

Animation director – Mickael Coëdel

Producer – Joane Degive

Creative assistant – Ghayth Chegaar

Composer – Olivier Defradat

Singer – Marion Pejon

Sound design – Adrien Navez

Sound mixer – Olivier Defradat

Animation:

Background modelling – Laurent Beghin, Thierry Claude, Mickaël Coëdel, Pierre Gilles, Aurélien Pira, Théo Rambur and Yann Vlamynck

Compositing – Aurélien Pira

Background texturing – Pierre Gilles and Yann Vlamynck

Paint-over – Pierre Gilles

Character modelling – Laurent Beghin and Quentin Peyssonneaux

Character texturing – Quentin Peyssonneaux

Matte painting – Guy Gérard Blanc, Jean-Loup Comby and Pascal Thiebaux

Layout – Jean-Loup Comby and Frédéric Wedeux

Colour research – Cyril Bossmann and Ghayth Chegaar

Design – Cyril Bossmann, Ghayth Chegaar, Jérôme Gillet and Pascal Thiebaux

Colour research – Jérôme Gillet and Nicolas Leroy

Storyboard – Jérôme Gillet and Pascal Thiebaux

Texturing – Cyril Bossmann

Lighting – Cyril Bossmann

Rendering – Cyril Bossmann and Camille Haumont

Character creation supervision – Ghayth Chegaar

Animation – Ghayth Chegaar, Mathieu Cox, Louis Renard and Sarah Sutter

Animation supervision – Kevin Cole-Zagradsky

Technical supervision – Rémi Bruschini

Rigging – Théo Rambur