CHELSEA FC TO PROMOTE FEATURE FILM 'EQUIANO.STORIES' PREMIERING ON INSTAGRAM FEB. 16

NEW FILM FROM STELO STORIES AND THE DUSABLE MUSEUM SHOWS ORIGIN STORY THAT STARTS WITH FREEDOM, NOT SLAVERY

Memoir of British Abolitionist Olaudah Equiano Re-Told from Perspective of Boy with a Phone

LONDON, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Chelsea FC announced today that it is partnering with award-winning film studio Stelo Stories and the DuSable Museum of African American History, the United States' oldest independent museum of Black history, to promote the new vertical film titled "Equiano.Stories." (Watch the trailer here.) Set to premiere Feb. 16 exclusively to followers of @Equiano.Stories on Instagram (promoted on @ChelseaFC), the feature film brings to life the memoir of Olaudah Equiano, who was kidnapped and enslaved as a young boy in West Africa in 1756. He penned the memoir as a free man in London and was influential in putting an end to the trading of enslaved people by England.

Chelsea FC will promote "Equiano.Stories" across its social media channels to promote Olaudah's life and his contribution to both West African and English History.

"We are proud to partner with Stelo Stories and the DuSable Museum of African American History to tell the story of Olaudah Equiano," said Chelsea Chairman, Bruce Buck. "At Chelsea FC, we know that education is key in understanding our history. Learning from our past can empower us to stand up against hatred, racism and injustice in the world today. We are committed to using football as a tool to educate our audiences, harnessing the power of sport as a force for good."

@ChelseaFC is asking fans to follow @Equiano.Stories to meet 11 year-old Equiano and watch his story unfold as he posts about 400 individual stories, totaling 80 minutes of content, over the first 48 hours of the film's release. Just like today's Instagram influencers, Equiano will share moments of his day -- from a carefree boy in his village with his loving family and rich culture, to the fear and confusion of being kidnapped, up to the harrowing experience of life aboard a slave ship. "Equiano.Stories" is focused on Equiano's childhood story to connect him with today's youth.

"Stelo Stories shares historical stories with our audiences by meeting them where they already are -- on their phones and on social," said Stelo Stories co-founders the sisters Adi & Maya Kochavi. "The story starts with a vibrant young man who is not so unlike today's youth – he loves dancing, running through his neighborhood and hanging out with his friends. 'Equiano.Stories' paints a vivid portrait of a history that starts with freedom."

Stelo Stories partnered with the DuSable Museum of African American History, a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, to bring Equiano's story to life.

"Our collaboration with Stelo Stories on 'Equiano.Stories' is important because it gives us a platform to remind the world that slavery is not our origin story as Black people," said Perri Irmer, President and CEO, the DuSable Museum of African American History. "Equiano's story speaks most eloquently and in a way that we believe will create a paradigm shift in how our history is presented, consumed and understood. This is exactly what the world needs right now: the truth, the whole truth, historically accurate and beautifully portrayed."

"Equiano.Stories" follows Stelo's groundbreaking release of "Eva.Stories," the diary of a teenage Holocaust victim re-told through Instagram that captured 300 million views within 48 hours of its release. "Equiano.Stories" is the second film in a series from Stelo that takes the stories of young people who documented their lives during extreme moments in history and connects them with their 21^st century peers through social media.

For more: See the Film Press Release and visit stelostories.com and www.dusablemuseum.org.

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