In a small corner of the most populous country in Africa, billions of dollars of crude oil flow under the feet of a desperate people. Immense wealth and abject poverty stand in stark contrast. The environment is decimated. The issues are complex, the answers elusive.

Sweet Crude, a documentary now in post-production, tells the story of Nigeria’s Niger Delta. The region is seething and the global stakes are high. But in this moment, there’s an opportunity to find solutions. What if the world paid attention before it was too late?

Filmmaker Sandy Cioffi and footage from Sweet Crude were featured on the CNN International program Inside Africa. Watch it online here. Sandy's interview is about four minutes in.

"Crude Times in the Niger Delta" ran in the Seattle Times May 21st. Take a look. Blog, podcast and a place to share your comments here. Why not take a minute to make your voice heard?

About 200 people joined the Sweet Crude crew in Seattle June 19th for an interactive, content-filled evening: Lives and Truth at Stake in the Niger Delta. A panel of international journalists, activists and human rights experts explored the deeper story and larger issues behind the Sweet Crude film crew detainment in Nigeria. The event was recorded for tv and radio. Watch an excerpt here.

Filmmaker Sandy Cioffi was interviewed by Amy Goodman for the May 9th Democracy Now broadcast. Check it out here.

On April 12, 2008, members of the Sweet Crude filmmaking crew were detained by the Nigerian military Joint Task Force (JTF) while traveling by boat in the Niger Delta.

Seattle-based Director Sandy Cioffi, Producer Tammi Sims, and photojournalists Sean Porter and Cliff Worsham, along with Nigerian-American Joel Bisina, were taken into custody and subsequently handed over to the Nigerian State Security Services.

They were held for seven days without being charged and without access to legal counsel. They were released Friday, April 18.

U.S. lawmakers; a broad coalition of colleagues, family and friends; and many international individuals and organizations worked tirelessly with the U.S. State Department and the Nigerian government to secure their release.

Read Sweet Crude crew statement

Read press releases:
American film crew detained in Niger Delta
Update: American Documentary Filmmakers Detained in Niger Delta
U.S. Lawmakers Call on Nigerian President to Release Detained Filmmakers

Read letter from U.S. Congress members to Nigerian President Yar’Adua