Thomas Machowicz is a photographer and filmmaker focusing on animal rescue efforts and social issues. He is the co-founder of a non profit documentary project, Sanctuary Doc, which tells visual stories of animals and the people who rescue them amidst the world’s greatest challenges. This project has taken him all over the world, including the Russian war in Ukraine.
Thomas considers himself a conduit for stories meant to raise the consciousness of humanity and uses photography, film, lectures and workshops as tools to explore and share the human experience.
"Meditation is part of my photographic process. It has been my experience that the deeper we go in to ourselves, the more deeply we can experience the world and connect with others. That's photography to me."
Thomas' work has been published by The Associated Press, BBC News, Reuters, Libération, Vox, The Arizona Republic, The Raw Society and We Animals Media. He is a Pro Member of The Raw Society and as a regular contributor to We Animals Media his work has been also featured in multiple animal rights campaigns.
He is also the owner and creative director of Songbird Productions.
Meet the Filmmakers Behind the We animals media Transfarmation Film
An interview with Thomas Machowicz and Sabina Diethelm
We sat down with Thomas and Sabina, the filmmaker-photographer duo behind our new short film about Sarah Heiligtag’s “Transfarmation” of Swiss farms. Read on to find out what inspired them to create this documentary, their hopes for it out in the world, and their journeys towards animal photojournalism.
Publications, Exhibitions, Lectures and Workshops:
En Arizona, le chemin de croix d’un migrant en hommage à ses frères disparus - Libération, November, 2022
The Western Eye 2022 - Photo Judge, November 2022
Gallery Opening Interview - Fox10 Phoenix, October 2022
Local documentary photographer debuts ‘Sanctuary: Animal Rescue During the Russian Invasion of Ukraine’ - Arizona Digital Free Press, October 2022
Sanctuary: Animal Rescue During the Russian Invasion of Ukraine - Exhibition at the Eric Fischl Gallery, October 2022
Animals in Wars and Disasters Symposium - Lecture for Global Research Network, September 2022
Sanctuary: Animal Rescue During the War in Ukraine - Lectures at Estrella Mountain Community College, September 2022
Closer Look - Sentient Media, September 2022
Why Should we Choose Plant-Based Milk? - Vegan FTA, August 2022
Refugees and Their Companion Animals Flee War in Ukraine - We Animals Media, March 2022
Animal Welfare in Wartime - Vox, March 2022
Photographer as a Problem Solver - Interview with Pencilbricks, March 2021
My New Normal - The Raw Society, April 2020
Rescuing Animals From the Streets of Kiev - BBC News, August 2019