Hi, I’m Steve Dorst. I started Dorst MediaWorks in 2002 to help organizations show results through inspiring documentary-style videos. That journey has taken our team to more than 50 countries. Our mission is to make the world a more just and sustainable place, which is why we only work with organizations that do good. We have a serious commitment to treating our clients, subjects, and crew well, especially across cultural and language barriers. Check out our portfolio — from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe — and if you think we’re a good fit, let’s make some Videos for Good.

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency is a branch of the World Bank. This year, it celebrates 30 years working to promote cross-border investment in developing countries by providing guarantees (political risk insurance and credit enhancement) to investors and lenders. Credits: Produced, edited by Dorst MediaWorks, Inc.

This is the story of Annie’s tragic loss and her new passion. It’s also the story of how the Millennium Challenge Corporation helped Malawian women in river communities develop new economic opportunities that protect the rivers that power 90% of the country’s electricity. Credits: Produced, directed, shot, written, edited by Dorst MediaWorks

This is the story of Emily’s new business, beekeeping, and her improved quality of life. It’s also the story of how the Millennium Challenge Corporation helped Malawian women in river communities develop new economic opportunities that also protect the rivers that power 90% of the country’s electricity. Credits: Produced, directed, shot, written, edited by Dorst MediaWorks

This is the story of Judith and Alice’s new business and their improved quality of life. It’s also the story of how the Millennium Challenge Corporation helped Malawian women in river communities develop new economic opportunities that also protect the rivers that power 90% of the country’s electricity. Credits: Produced, directed, shot, written, edited by Dorst MediaWorks

This is the story of Mary’s new business and her improved quality of life. It’s also the story of how the Millennium Challenge Corporation helped Malawian women in river communities develop new economic opportunities that also protect the rivers that power 90% of the country’s electricity. Credits: Produced, directed, shot, written, edited by Dorst MediaWorks

This is the story of Malawi’s power sector reforms and how it is spurring economic growth and poverty reduction by by improving the availability, reliability and quality of the power supply. Credits: Produced, directed, shot, written, edited by Dorst MediaWorks

In early 2017 Ghana’s economy faced multiple challenges ranging from declining GDP to a high fiscal deficit. Find out how the IMF partnered with Ghana to face these challenges. Credits: Produced, directed, shot, written, edited by Dorst MediaWorks

This is the story of Colombia’s resilience in the face of economic crisis, which allowed it to move forward during an historic peace process. Today, a 53-year civil war with the FARC is a thing of the past, and rural Colombia is enjoying new investment and opportunity. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced in Washington DC by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Colombia’s resilience in the face of economic crisis, which allowed it to move forward during an historic peace process. Today, a 53-year civil war with the FARC is a thing of the past, and rural Colombia is enjoying new investment and opportunity. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced in Washington DC by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Colombia’s resilience in the face of economic crisis, which allowed it to move forward during an historic peace process. Today, a 53-year civil war with the FARC is a thing of the past, and rural Colombia is enjoying new investment and opportunity. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced in Washington DC by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Colombia’s resilience in the face of economic crisis, which allowed it to move forward during an historic peace process. Today, a 53-year civil war with the FARC is a thing of the past, and rural Colombia is enjoying new investment and opportunity. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced in Washington DC by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Hermine, one of many Haitians working hard to recover after 2010’s devastating earthquake. Hermine  works at a clothing factory. When Hermine’s company receives a grant from USAID to help expand operations, she is promoted. Today, she’s making progress in her dreams of building a house and helping her son pursue his education. This USAID video was produced, directed, shot, written, edited (and aerial cinematography) by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Rita Dampson, a shea butter entrepreneur in Ghana who has built her cooperative up to more than 1,000 village women. USAID and the Global Shea Alliance partner to connect women from 21 African countries to the global marketplace. This USAID video was directed and shot by Doug Gritzmacher. Written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst. Washington DC video production by Dorst MediaWorks.

When the Irish Miracle overheated in 2008, a property bubble and banking crisis provoked a severe economic downturn. In part because of regional dynamics and the Great Recession, Ireland’s response was insufficient, and the decline persisted. In late 2010, a troika of institutions responded: the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF. Despite growing pains, the troika succeeded in stabilizing Ireland’s banks and helping the economy bounce back. This is #6 in a 6-part video series. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst.

When the Irish Miracle overheated in 2008, a property bubble and banking crisis provoked a severe economic downturn. In part because of regional dynamics and the Great Recession, Ireland’s response was insufficient, and the decline persisted. In late 2010, a troika of institutions responded: the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF. Despite growing pains, the troika succeeded in stabilizing Ireland’s banks and helping the economy bounce back. This is #5 in a 6-part video series. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst.

When the Irish Miracle overheated in 2008, a property bubble and banking crisis provoked a severe economic downturn. In part because of regional dynamics and the Great Recession, Ireland’s response was insufficient, and the decline persisted. In late 2010, a troika of institutions responded: the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF. Despite growing pains, the troika succeeded in stabilizing Ireland’s banks and helping the economy bounce back. This is #4 in a 6-part video series. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst.

When the Irish Miracle overheated in 2008, a property bubble and banking crisis provoked a severe economic downturn. In part because of regional dynamics and the Great Recession, Ireland’s response was insufficient, and the decline persisted. In late 2010, a troika of institutions responded: the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF. Despite growing pains, the troika succeeded in stabilizing Ireland’s banks and helping the economy bounce back. This is #3 in a 6-part video series. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst.

When the Irish Miracle overheated in 2008, a property bubble and banking crisis provoked a severe economic downturn. In part because of regional dynamics and the Great Recession, Ireland’s response was insufficient, and the decline persisted. In late 2010, a troika of institutions responded: the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF. Despite growing pains, the troika succeeded in stabilizing Ireland’s banks and helping the economy bounce back. This is #2 in a 6-part video series. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of the Irish Miracle, crisis, and recovery. When the Irish economy overheated in 2008, a property bubble and banking crisis provoked a severe economic downturn. In part because of regional dynamics and the Great Recession, Ireland’s response was insufficient, and the decline persisted. In late 2010, a troika of institutions responded: the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF. Despite growing pains, the troika succeeded in stabilizing Ireland’s banks and helping the economy bounce back. This is #1 of 6 videos in a series. The International Monetary Fund engaged Dorst MediaWorks to tell deeper documentary stories about its work in Vietnam, Ireland, and Colombia. Directed, shot, written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst.

Opening up to trade and reforming the economy has helped Vietnam lift 40 million people out of poverty over the last three decades. Find out why — and how — the Vietnamese people managed this remarkably fast transition from low-income to middle-income status. Mdm. Nguyen Thi Hong, Deputy Governor of Vietnam’s Central Bank, tells the story. Directed, shot, written, and edited by Steve Dorst.

When Vietnam started privatizing state-owned enterprises in the 1980s, the private sector began to flourish. When Vinamilk, a dairy product company, was privatized the company expanded globally, and today is operating in more than 43 countries, surpassing $2 billion revenues in 2016. Directed, shot, written, and edited by Steve Dorst.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has become a huge driver of growth for Vietnam, attracting businesses seeking large-scale production capacity and skilled workers. Samsung’s Mr. Ha Chan Ho shares his experience working in Vietnam and how this dynamic economy has benefited the company. Directed, shot, written, and edited by Steve Dorst.

The new 2018 Dorst MediaWorks Reel integrates new footage from 20+ productions in 2017, including stories in Colombia, Ireland, Senegal, and Vietnam for organizations that do good around the world. Every frame was either directed or shot by documentary filmmaker Steve Dorst. Since 2003, we’ve made 250+ videos for 50+ organizations in 25+ countries. For a free consultation: [email protected]

MIGA hosted its 2nd Gender CEO Award on International Women’s Day (March 8) to recognize the accomplishments of a CEO, or equivalent, from one of its clients with a record of seeking to create opportunities for women and promoting gender equality. This year’s awardee was Helen Tarnoy, Managing Director of Aldwych International. A pioneer in her field, Ms. Tarnoy has led several business development efforts in Africa since 1997, including the financing of the successful Songas project in Tanzania. She also spent two years as Director General of the Cameroon integrated utility, Sonel, with a workforce of 3,500 people and a turnover of some $180m. Aldwych International received political risk guarantees from MIGA through its investment in Azura Power West Africa Ltd., a company created to develop a 459MW open-cycle gas power plant near Benin City in Edo State, Nigeria.

This is the story of recent breakthroughs in the application of political risk insurance and liquidity support which are incentivizing private investors to invest in developing countries. MIGA political risk insurance, and an assurance of liquidity from EBRD, for example, recently contributed to a coveted two-notch bump in the rating of a bond issued to raise funds for a hospital PPP project in Turkey. As a result, a new and broader class of investors is now demonstrating interest in this, and similar projects. If scaled up effectively, trillions of dollars currently sitting on the sidelines and earning little interest could be channeled to development projects through such innovations.

This is the story of a USAID project, Lebanon Investment in Microfinance Program, which worked with nine microfinance institutions to improve access to finance and increase lending to business owners in rural Lebanon. The program awarded about $10 million in grants to microfinance partners, who then made 14,000 micro-loans totaling more than $30 million. In 2015, the nation’s first microfinance association was formed, which will better serve the needs of small business owners throughout Lebanon. This USAID video was directed, shot, written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Mohammed, Sarah, and Abebe, three Ethiopian businesspeople who built successful companies exporting to the United States. It’s also the story of USAID, whose advice and exposure was exactly what these business owners needed. Since 1964, IESC has worked in 130 countries and helped to create or save over 1.5 million jobs. This USAID video was directed, shot, written, edited, and produced by Steve Dorst.

Today many countries face political instability or are struggling to emerge from years of conflict. This threatens to destroy once vibrant businesses, sending more people into poverty. IFC works in fragile and conflict-affected countries to help businesses weather the difficulties through stronger corporate governance and by building up companies’ resilience, so they can emerge from crisis as powerful engines of economic growth. For more information, visit: www.ifc.org/corporategovernance

This is the story of the Dakar Port, and how Senegal got a world-class container terminal thanks to the investments of Dubai Port World. It’s also the story of Standard Chartered Bank and MIGA, the risk insurance arm of the World Bank Group, which worked together to finance this big-ticket infrastructure project. Today, the regional economy is benefiting, and any company that imports or exports is learning that “time is money.”

This is the story of Abebe, who owns a shoe company in Ethiopia. Working with USAID, what can he do to break into the massive U.S. market? Since 1964, IESC has worked in 130 countries and helped to create or save over 1.5 million jobs. This USAID video was directed, shot, written, produced and edited by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Samir, who almost gives up cattle farming before finally building a thriving business. And the microfinance institution Emkan, which is extending loans to fishermen and farmers in Lebanon for the first time. Since 1964, IESC has worked in 130 countries and helped to create or save over 1.5 million jobs. This USAID video was directed, shot, written, produced, and edited by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Mohammed, who moves back to Ethiopia after 18 years in the U.S. to open a textile factory. The problem is, he doesn’t have much experience, or any buyers. It’s also the story of USAID, whose initial support gives Mohammed just the market exposure he needs to rapidly expand his business. Since 1964, IESC has worked in 130 countries and helped to create or save over 1.5 million jobs. This USAID video was directed, shot, produced, written, and edited by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Hala, who had a passion for flower arranging and used to dream of starting her own business. And the microfinance institution Vitas, which is extending loans to women entrepreneurs in Lebanon for the first time. Since 1964, IESC has worked in 130 countries and helped to create or save over 1.5 million jobs. This USAID video was directed, shot, written, produced, and edited by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Sara, a fashion designer from Ethiopia. Not long ago, she had seven employees and was struggling to turn a profit in the local market. Today she has more than 400 employees and her designs appear in major retailers such as J. Crew. What was the difference? The support of USAID. Since 1964, IESC has worked in 130 countries and helped to create or save over 1.5 million jobs. This USAID video was directed, shot, written, produced, and edited by Steve Dorst.

This is the story of Rabih, who struggles to make a living as a fisherman before buying a new boat and building his business. And the microfinance institution Al Majmoua, which is extending loans to rural entrepreneurs in Lebanon for the first time. Since 1964, IESC has worked in 130 countries and helped to create or save over 1.5 million jobs. This USAID video was directed, shot, written, produced, and edited by Steve Dorst.