Human Rights Arts & Film Festival

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL Our vision is of a world in which every person takes responsibility to promote and protect our human rights, both at home and abroad. Human Rights Arts and Film Festival Inc is a volunteer-run not-for-profit organisation created for the purpose of establishing an annual human rights festival in Australia. Through the passion of our volunteers and the generosity of our supporters, we aim to create an event that engages and entertains people from all walks of life to build a dynamic human rights community in Australia. The pairing of human rights and film have been recognised globally as an effective and innovative way to raise public awareness of human rights. Human rights film festivals have been held in London, New York, Paris, Johannesburg, Bangkok and Rio de Janeiro. Now its Australia's turn. In 2007, the inaugural HRAFF will incorporate film, art, performance, speakers and community initiatives, entertaining and educating people through a diverse array of creative responses to contemporary human rights issues. The NSW portion will run in conjunction with Peats Ridge Festival OUR AIMS ARE TO: Advance and encourage education, debate and awareness of human rights issues amongst the broader community through film and art. Create a stronger, diverse and more cohesive human rights community within Australia. Showcase and support Australian and international artists who are concerned with contemporary human rights issues. Promote works by or about Australia's indigenous communities. Encourage participation and patronage from diverse and marginalised communities in Australia. Promote businesses and organisations that use and advance human rights, fair trade and environmentally friendly policies. Provide patrons with a way to turn their dissatisfaction into action by connecting them to human rights organisations and campaigns. PROGRAM: BUS Gallery 117 Lt Lonsdale St Melbourne Opening Night Tuesday 27th Nov 6-8pm Hours: 28th Nov – 2nd Dec 12pm – 9pm Hours: 5th Dec – 15th Dec 12pm – 6pm. Free Entry BUS GALLERY IS NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE HRAFF Film Program Details of Films Below Thursday 10:30AM We Will Be Remembered For This with Outta Space & Forum 1:30PM Just Punishment with See Through Me & Forum 6:45PM Opening Night: A Walk to Beautiful & Forum 9:30PM Festival Bar Phoebe Jacobs + DJs Friday 5:15PM Seen But Not Heard: Global Perspectives on Human Rights 7:15PM The Devil Came on Horseback & Forum 9:45PM Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers with Night Visions 10:00PM Festival Bar Ujahmaa + Djs Saturday 11:00AM We’re Normally Different with A Shift in Perception & Forum 1:30PM Mardi Gras: Made in China with Roy & Forum 4:20PM Sex Slaves with Revolving Door & Forum 7:15PM The World According to Sesame Street with Norbert 9:35PM Orange Revolution 10:00PM Festival Bar Ujahmaa + DJs Sunday 11:00AM Liyarn Ngarn & Forum 1:30PM The Big Sellout with Mr Money 3:40PM Intro from Steve Thomas & Hope 6:15PM HRAFF Retrospective: War Photographer 8:10PM Closing Night: Shorts Program & Film Awards 9:30PM Festival Bar Guinee Berrifee, SS Pecker & Drum Drum Films Screening @ RMIT Capitol Theatre 113 Swanston St Melbourne RMIT CAPITOL THEATRE IS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE Festival Bar @ Red Violin Level 1, 231 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD RED VIOLIN IS NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE HRAFF FEATURE FILMS We Will Be Remembered For This Thursday 29th November 10:30am @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir David Schmidt; Writer/Prod Jessie Taylor Australia 2006; English 59 mins In 2006, a group of young people with different nationalities, backgrounds, attitudes and political views traveled to the Baxter Immigration Detention Centre in South Australia. The stories of the people they met behind the razor wire surprised, moved and challenged them. This film documents their journey. We Will Be Remembered For This poses the essential questions surrounding Australia’s refugee policy: Who are the people behind the fences? How did they come to be there? What are the psychological and legal battles they now face? How much do average Australians know about this policy, and if they knew the truth, would they want it to change? We Will Be Remembered For This is a clear, rational, non-politicised glimpse into the human issues of Australia’s mandatory immigration detention policy. Screens with Outta Space Speakers: Rod Quantock, Comedian (Host) Jessie Taylor, Producer Pamela Curr Campaign Coordinator, Asylum Seekers’ Resource Centre School students can see this film for $5 per student. Email schools@hraff.org.au before 25 Nov for class bookings and to receive the education kit. This screening is also available to the public at normal ticket prices. HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Just Punishment Thursday 29th November 1:30pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dirs/Prods Kim Beamish and Shannon Owen; Prod Liz Burke Australia 2006; English 55 mins Caught at Singapore airport with 396 grams of heroin strapped to his body, Van Nguyen was the first Australian to be executed overseas in more than a decade and his story flooded news outlets across the country. Aged just 24 years and without a criminal history, this was Van’s first trip out of Australia. Filmed over two years, Just Punishment tells the story behind the media face of Van Nguyen and the remarkable journey of those who tried to save his life. In the shadow of the hangman’s noose, Van finds wisdom and courage. Just Punishment is a moving story of human redemption and transformation. No matter where you stand on capital punishment, this film is guaranteed to touch and challenge you. Screens with See Through Me Speakers: Nicholas Harrington, Founding President, Reprieve Australia (Host) Kim Beamish, Director/Producer Julian McMahon, Lawyer for Van Nguyen School students can see this film for $5 per student. Email schools@hraff.org.au before 25 Nov for class bookings and to receive the education kit. This screening is also available to the public at normal ticket prices. HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Opening Night: A Walk to Beautiful (Australian Premiere) Thursday 29th November 6:45pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Mary Olive Smith USA 2007 English/Amharic, 87 mins ‘Even death would be better than this. This is not life.’ This is the mentality of thousands of Ethiopian women shunned by their communities, all because they suffer from a simple childbirth complication. The realities of poverty, child marriage and lack of obstetric care can result in stillborn babies and fistulas causing incontinence and social alienation. In 1974, Australian couple Reginald and Catherine Hamlin, opened a hospital in Addis Ababa to treat these women free of charge. More than 30 years later Dr Catherine Hamlin, now a widow and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, continues to oversee this hospital, which has restored the health and dignity of so many women who once considered death to be the only escape from their suffering. A Walk To Beautiful is the story of five women’s inspiring journey from unimaginable despair to hope and empowerment. Winner of the Best Documentary (Audience Award), San Francisco International Film Festival 2007 Speakers: Julian Burnside QC (Host) & the Filmmakers Entry includes pre-show refreshments and entry into the afterparty at the Festival Bar featuring Phoebe Jacobs. Film sponsored by Liberty Victoria HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Seen But Not Heard: Global Perspectives on Human Rights Friday 30th November 5:15pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Offering raw insights into the lives of those at the heart of the human rights agenda, these three featurettes canvas a variety of issues that are in turn touching, shocking and enlightening. Toti (Australian Premiere) Dir Duco Tellege Netherlands 2006; Maasai (Eng subtitles) 26 mins At age 11, Toti makes a life-changing decision. Defying her father, she runs away from home in order to escape an arranged marriage to a wealthy tribesman. Toti is about love, enlightment and the singular courage to question. The Children of Leningradsky (Oscar Nomination for Best Documentary Short Subject 2004) Dir Andrzej Celinski & Hanna Polak Poland 2004; Russian (Eng subtitles) 35 mins The Children of Leningradsky takes an unblinking and sobering look at the reality of homeless children living on the streets of Moscow. Bowling for Zimbabwe (World Premiere) Dir Dominik Vukovic Australia 2007; English/Shona 28 mins The film follows the extraordinary lives of those enduring the current crisis in Zimbabwe. For Itai, a cricketing scholarship may be his only chance at a life beyond mere survival. He must play to win. HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Devil Came on Horseback (Australian Premiere) Friday 30th November 7:15pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Annie Sundberg & Ricki Stern USA 2007; English/Arabic 85 mins Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern’s astonishing film follows the journey of an American ex-soldier into the depths of the violence and horror of the Darfur region of the Sudan. Contracted as an unarmed military observer for the African union, Marine Captain Brian Steidle becomes engrossed in the sheer horror and inhumanity of an oppressive Sudanese government’s actions against its own people. Armed only with a camera, Steidle makes it his mission to bring the mass-slaughter to the attention of a disinterested media in a push for action to end one of the largest humanitarian crises in human history. With 3.5 million people displaced, an estimated 400,000 people killed and a further 4 million still reliant on humanitarian assistance, Steidle’s mission is far from over. ‘Brutal, urgent, devastating – the documentary ‘The Devil Came on Horseback’ demands to be seen as soon as possible and by as many viewers as possible.’ - Manohla Dargis, New York Times Winner of the Seeds of War Award, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2007 Speakers: Brendan Ross, Oxfam Australia (Host) Abdelhadi Matar, Darfur Community Association Noah Bassil, Macquarie University Film sponsored by Caritas Australia HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers (Melbourne Premiere) Friday 30th November 9:45pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Director: Robert Greenwald USA 2006; English 75 mins Beneath the rising death tolls, acts of insurgency and terrorism, the conflict in Iraq is a lucrative corporate frontier for those who really want to make a killing. Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers skillfully examines the human cost when failed corporate responsibility and bottom line motivation operate in a war zone. Director Robert Greenwald (Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism) expertly indicts the governmental deal making, which enables companies like Halliburton to turn wars into marketplaces. ‘One after another, military personnel, journalists, former Abu Ghraib prisoners and former employees of the companies in question present a litany of shocking accusations, from private interrogators working without supervision or accountability to outsourced food services that allow Halliburton to charge soldiers (US) $45 for a six-pack of soda.’ – New York Times. Screens with Night Visions HRAFF FEATURE FILMS We’re Normally Different (Australian Premiere) Saturday 1st December 11:00am @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Susanne Engels Netherlands 2006, Dutch (Eng subtitles) 67 mins We’re Normally Different follows the lives of Dionne, Fran, Bertus and Maurits, four young people with mental disabilities. The line between normality and difference is continually blurred in this touching documentary from Susanne Engels (Best Director, NFTVM-Award, International Documentary Film Festival, Amsterdam 2006). In the face of their daily routine - doing laundry, making phone calls, shaving, withdrawing money, vacuuming to music, or learning how to perform and act in their drama classes - their lives appear just as normal as they are different. Skillfully and intimately observed from a discreet distance, the documentary encourages us to reappraise what it really means to be different as we are allowed into the familiar lives, ambitions and emotions of these four young people. Told in beautiful images, this is a warm, poetic and touching film that deeply penetrates the existence of people with a mental disability. Winner of the Best Documentary, Birds Eye View, London 2007 Screens with Shift in Perception Speakers: Fenella Kernebone, Producer, Sunday Arts, ABC TV (Host) David Craig, Disability Rights Victoria Steve Eicke HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Mardi Gras: Made in China (Australian Premiere) Saturday 1st December 1:30pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Director David Redmon USA 2005 English/Gan 72 mins This multi-award winning favourite of the film festival circuit and Sundance Grand Jury Prize nominee follows the ‘bead trail’ from the factory where they are produced in Fuzhou, China to the drunken revellers of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Director David Redmon cleverly illuminates the clash of cultures by contrasting consumer excess against the harsh life of the Chinese factory worker. Mardi Gras offers insights into the factory workers’ economic realities, self-sacrifice, and dreams of a better life, alongside the severe discipline imposed by living and working in the bead factory compound. Interweaving factory life with Mardi Gras festivities, the film opens the blind eye of consumerism by revealing the origin and destination of the Mardi Gras beads to factory workers and drunken party-goers alike, poignantly exposing the inequities of globalisation. ‘A punchy critique of globalisation’- Stephen Holden, New York Times Nominated for Grand Jury Prize Sundance 2005; Winner of 18 international awards. Screens with Roy Speakers: Elisabeth Wynhausen, Journalist at The Australian (Host) Serena Lillywhite, Manager of Ethical Business, Brotherhood of St Laurence Liz Thompson, Fairwear HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Sex Slaves Saturday 1st December 4:20pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Ric Bienstock Canada 2005; English 85 mins An undercover journey deep into the world of sex trafficking, Sex Slaves is the true documentary account of one man, Viorel, determined to rescue his wife, who was kidnapped and sold into the global sex trade. Internationally acclaimed as a piece of investigative journalism (Emmy Award for Investigative Journalism 2007, Flaherthy Award for Single Documentary, British Academy Awards 2005), Sex Slaves casts an eye on the global underworld of sex trafficking, through Britain, Canada and the Eastern European ‘Ground Zero’ of the sex trade – Moldova and kraine – where traffickers effortlessly find vulnerable women desperate to leave their homes in search of an income. Sporting hidden cameras and wired for sound, Viorel travels to Turkey to pose as a trafficker and buy his wife back, his only lead being the telephone number of a pimp he believes has her prisoner. ‘A stunning documentary’ – The Sunday Times Screens with Revolving Door Speakers: Barbara Creed, University of Melbourne (Host) Valli Mendez, Project Respect Lana Palmer, Transnational Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking Team, Australian Federal Police Film Sponsored by Amnesty International HRAFF FEATURE FILMS World According to Sesame Street (Australian Premiere) Saturday 2nd December 7:15pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dirs Linda Goldstein Knowlton & Linda Hawkins Costigan USA 2006 English 99 mins From the makers of Good Night and Good Luck and An Inconvenient Truth comes The World According to Sesame Street, a story of puppets and politics, writ on a global scale. Many of us grew up with Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, but did you know that Cookie Monster speaks Albanian and Serbian? Or have you met Kami, an HIV-positive South African muppet? Or TukTuki, a new character who might reach over 13 million children in Bangladesh? Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, The World According to Sesame Street explores the behind-the-scenes drama of Sesame Workshop as it tackles some of the world’s most challenging social and political issues with the help of an international team of Muppets. ‘Education is always more than simply alphabets and numbers, and the contradictions inherent in teaching humane values in worlds where AIDS, ethnic genocide and poverty dominate the landscape make this film a primer on art, media, and intercultural dialogue.’ – Geoffrey Gilmore, Deconstructing Sundance. Screens with Norbert. Nominated for Grand Jury Prize Sundance 2006 Selected for Seattle International Film Festival 2006; DOC NZ 2006. HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Orange Revolution (Australian Premiere) Saturday 1st December 9:35pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Steve York USA 2007 Ukranian (Eng subtitles), 107 mins The election was stolen. The battle lines are drawn. In 2004, the world watched with horror and intrigue when ukraine’s opposition presidential candidate, Viktor Yuschenko, was poisoned while on the campaign trial, kicking off an election riddled with corruption, fraud, voter intimidation and culminating in the wrong man becoming president. In response, more than a million Ukrainians filled the streets of Kiev to express their outrage and solidarity. In freezing temperatures, they blockaded government buildings and brought the city to a standstill. Businesses donated food and tents, individuals gave blankets and clothing and local rock bands set the score for an extraordinary adventure. Steve York’s exhilarating and politically charged documentary shows us the determination and power of ordinary citizens. Capturing the spirit and triumph of this moment in history, Orange Revolution tells the story of a people united, not by one leader or one party, but by one idea: to defend their vote. Proskar Winner Best Documentary Seattle International Film Festival 2007 President’s Award Chicago International Documentary Festival 2007 HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Liyarn Ngarn Sunday 2nd December 11:00am @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Martin Mhando Prods Bill Johnston, Patrick Dodson & Pete Postlethwaite Australia 2007 English 62 mins ‘Liyarn Ngarn is our description of coming together of our spirits, a recognition of our common fate; as peoples of the land and the sea, Liyarn is a way of life that is uniquely ours’ – Pat Dodson Examining the shame and cultural guilt of his English identity, Pete Postlethwaite (In The Name of the Father, Romeo and Juliet), accompanied by musician Archie Roach and political leader Pat Dodson, explores some of the ongoing issues surrounding Aboriginal identity and right to self-determination. In the face of what has been lost - lives, language and culture - the film ponders what it means to be Aboriginal in contemporary Australia, and what it means to be a white person in the context of these issues. Beautifully shot, with an evocative soundtrack from Archie Roach, Liyarn Ngarn embraces the tough issues with candour, respect and dignity. Discussion forum to follow the film. Film sponsored by Oxfam Australia HRAFF FEATURE FILMS The Big Sellout (Australian Premiere) Sunday 2nd December 1:30pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Florian Opitz Germany 2007 English 95 mins A British train driver. A Philippine mother. A South African activist. The citizens of a Bolivian city. Florian Opitz’s The Big Sellout considers the real impact and shocking consequences of privatization on both a global and individual level, when essential services are redrawn as market goods. The film traverses four continents and five people - from Minda, struggling to find money for the dialysis her son needs twice a week to survive; to Bongani and his team of ‘electro-guerillas’, who roam their South African township illegally restoring electricity, Robin Hood style; from Rosa, a Bolivian grandmother involved in massive civil unrest and victory against the privatisation of water (including rainwater) to a major uS corporation; to Simon, a British train driver who has a hard time keeping track of every new boss that comes and goes with a regularity long since missing from the train system. The Big Sellout compellingly humanises the effects of ill-conceived economic models, and shows us the consequences with honesty, humour and compassion. Screens with Mr Money Selection for the Chicago International Documentary Film Festival 2007 Selection for the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival 2007 HRAFF FEATURE FILMS Hope Sunday 2nd December 3:40pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Steve Thomas Australia 2006 English 117 mins ‘Some stories shake a nation. Others slip away’ – Katherine Kizilios, The Age Amal Basry watched Titanic at a cinema in Baghdad the night before she fled Iraq. Months later, the people-smuggling boat she was on, which became known as the SIEV-X, sank between Indonesia and Australia. 350 people drowned in Australia’s largest maritime disaster since WWII. Amal was one of the seven survivors who made it to Australia after spending 22 hours in the ocean clutching to a floating corpse. In public, Amal became an advocate for the survivors of the SIEV-X. In private, she fought to reunite her fragmented family, cope with the personal consequences of the disaster and return to Indonesia to ‘find what I lost in the ocean’. Following sell-out screenings at MIFF, Hope shows us the human face of one of the most horrific and controversial, yet unpublicised, events in modern Australia. Speakers: Introduction by the filmmaker Steve Thomas HRAFF FEATURE FILMS HRAFF Retrospective: War Photographer Sunday 2nd December 6:15pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Christian Frei Switzerland 2001, English 96 mins Robert Capa’s motto is ‘if your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough’. Arguably the world’s most renowned war photographer, James Nachtwey has been close enough for 20 years to witness houses ablaze in Kosovo, genocide in Rwanda, poverty in Indonesia, and tear gas and civil violence in Palestine. HRAFF is proud to present a retrospective in the form of Christian Frei’s powerful, Oscar-nominated documentary of one man’s profound ability to observe the worst of human conflict, violence and tragedy, and transform it into images that evoke humanity in the midst of chaos - an antidote to war. ‘If we blind ourselves to the chaos and tragedy that war inevitably brings, we run the risk of propagating its myths and endlessly repeating its mistakes. Watching ‘War Photographer,’ you come to believe that Nachtwey hates the wars he shows and empathizes with the victims he reveals. That’s what makes him such a valuable witness - and what makes Frei’s film such disturbing and often damning testimony.’ – Chicago Tribune. Oscar Nominee Best Documentary Feature 2002 Best Documentary Nominee Swiss Film Prize 2002 HRAFF SHORTS (SCREENING WITH FEATURES) Outta Space Thursday 29th November 10:30am @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Screening with We Will Be Remembered for This Dir Simon McIntyre Australia 2004, English 7 mins A visitor from another world finds out exactly what it means to be an illegal alien in Australia. See Through Me Thursday 29th November 1:30pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Screening with Just Punishment Dir Tamsin Sharp Australia 2007, English 10 mins How does it feel to be looked at? To be seen as different? See Through Me is an exploration of racial and religious discrimination as it is perceived and experienced by ten young Somali Australians. The result is a bold, honest account of their ideas and experiences. HRAFF SHORTS (SCREENING WITH FEATURES) Night Visions Friday 30th November 9:35pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Screening with Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers Dir Kathy Huang USA 2005, English 10 mins Night Visions is a reflection on life and loss as seen through the eyes of a young soldier returning from service in Iraq. Through his intimate interviews and personal photos of the battlefield, we come to realise that the greatest casualties of military conflict are not always visible to the naked eye. Night Visions Sat 2nd December 4:20pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Screens with We're Normally Different Dir Dan Monceaux Australia 2006, English 16 mins A haunting, surreal piece encompassing interviews with women who live with a visual impairment. From fantasy to the mundane, this film strikes a mature balance between style and substance, addressing the fears and happiness of these women. Winner Best Short Documentary, Arizona International Film Festival, USA 2007 HRAFF SHORTS (SCREENING WITH FEATURES) Roy Saturday 1 December 1:30pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Screening with Mardi Gras: Made in China Dir Duco Tellegen Netherlands 2005, Spanish (Eng subtitles), 29 mins Roy is a 10 year old Peruvian boy, born to poor parents and into a life where you have to work to survive. Working in the mines, Roy is exposed to the harsh realities and dangers associated with mining in an unregulated industry. A visually stunning and intellectually compelling piece, Roy is one short that will linger. Revolving Door Saturday 1st December 4:20pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Screening with Sex Slaves Dirs Alexandra & David Beesley Australia 2006, English 17 mins ‘St Kilda means different things to different people. For some it means having fun, for others, it’s about property values. For me, it means ugly-mugs, cops, scoring drugs and it’s where I always come to when I get out of jail.’ An animated documentary, Revolving Door addresses the complex issues surrounding Gillian, a local St Kilda streetworker. HRAFF SHORTS (SCREENING WITH FEATURES) Norbert Saturday 1st December 7:15pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Screening with World According to Sesame Street Dir Michael Hill Australia 2006, English 7 mins Norbert is not like the other children. Born with some unusual facial features, he finds that the world can be a cruel place for someone so different. That is, until the day Penelope appears, and Norbert discovers that love can make all things better – or can it? Mr Money Sunday 2nd December 1:30pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Screening with Big Sellout Dir Jamie Clennett Australia 2004, English 5 mins Arriving on new shores, Mr Money has a few things to work out. How to best make use of the local savages? How to best instill his wisdom and industry in new surroundings? Jamie Clennett’s animated fable tracks the ins and outs of colonialism and the best way to blend into the surroundings… HRAFF CLOSING NIGHT SHORTS PROGRAM On Closing Night, HRAFF will showcase 11 of the best short films submitted in 2007. Moving, hilarious and evocative, these films have been selected for their unique exploration of human rights issues. At the end of the Shorts Program, audience members will be invited to vote on their favourite film, with the winning entry taking home more than $3000 worth of prizes! The shorts eligible for the Audience Award are outlined over the next four pages. The night will end with a short film entitled “Inside Off Sight” by Arsisto Ambryo. In 2007, Open Channel and HRAFF jointly invited filmmakers to pitch an idea for a human rights related film as part of the Short & Sharp Pitching Competition. Arsisto won the Competition, receiving funding and mentorship from Open Channel to make his film in three months to premiere at HRAFF. “Inside Off Sight” is the result. HRAFF FILM AWARDS PRESENTED ON CLOSING NIGHT HRAFF Jury Prize – awarded to the Best Short Submission Director’s Choice – selected by a prominent Australian director Audience Award – decided by audience SMS vote at the Closing Night shorts program. Vote and win a $500 goldpass from Nova Cinemas Australian Writer’s Guild Award – awarded to the best script Community Prophets Award – awarded to the film that best demonstrates a creative process that empowers young people and marginalised communities Prizes are generously provided by Adobe, Australian Directors’ Guild, Australian Ethical Investment, Australian Writers’ Guild, Community Prophets, Crumpler, Filmink, Lonely Planet, Madman, Monthly, New Internationalist, Nova and Video Australasia. HRAFF CLOSING NIGHT SHORTS PROGRAM Run For Your Life Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Kieran McSwiney Australia 2007, English 11 mins In March 2007, the Imperial Games are held in Melbourne. One runner has a different finish line. Checkpoint Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Ben Phelps Australia 2007 , English 11 mins Driving on a deserted road in rural Australia, Nedal and his family are stopped by a group of soldiers in the midst of wargames. But what games are really being played here? As the intentions of the soldiers become clear, Nedal realises that the fate of his family is in his hands. Pod Love: Virtual Freedom Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Gef Senz Australia 2006, English 5 mins Cooking, animation and politics - a Burmese love story online. Maung Maung Aye, an ex-Burmese democracy activist now living in exile in Melbourne has to use the internet and new technology to stay connected with his homeland; but with new technology also comes a new way of finding love. Lost Boy Found Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dirs Wukun Wanambi & Bunbuyngu Marika Australia 2007, Yolngu (Eng subtitles), 6 mins Completed as part of a two week Community Prophets training workshop with Yolngu students of Northeast Arnhem Land, Lost Boy Found tells the story of one young man connecting with his elders, and the importance of staying true to one’s culture. Reverie Sans Frontiers Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Luhsun Tan Australia 2004, English 6 mins Deep thought dreamreverie - an abstraction of the politics, xenophobia and protest that surrounds the plight of refugees to Australia. First Prize Short Films - Montreal Short Film Festival Two Sides of a Coin Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Vincent Lamberti Australia 2004, English 11 mins We feel uncomfortable when beggars approach us for money. But what happens when we take the time to find out who they really are? Fish Sunday 2nd December, 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Hafiz Zamri Australia 2005, English 7 mins A cycle of poverty and sacrifice. A pound of flesh. What’s left for a fisherman unable to support his son in an environment which exploits him ... to the bone? Selected to screen at Hiroshima International Animation Festival 2006 and Melbourne International Animation Festival 2006. Go Quickly Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Michael McLennan Australia 2006 English 18 mins A Chinese boy wakes up in the back of his father’s car, pulling away from the city. Through the car window the Australian countryside has a new menace, but what exactly is dad escaping from? Go Quickly reveals a chilling picture of a dystopian Australia and leaves us wondering how far from reality it really is. 1956 Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Annemarie Szeleczky Australia 2007, English 3 mins A stunning, nightmarish trip through the director’s childhood memories of the Hungarian Revolution. This film brings to life artwork commissioned by the Hungarian Consul to commemorate the 1956 Hungarian uprising 50 years on. But We Are Strong Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Jeni Lee & Sarah Wishart Australia 2006, Krio (Eng subtitles) Throughout the horror and atrocities of Sierra Leone’s eleven year war, Jeneba was growing up. Candid, brutal and moving – this is her story. How to be Australian with Vin and Raj Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dirs Manushka Khisty Australia 2007, English 7 mins In preparation for his Citizenship test, Raj learns all about Australia from a fair dinkum Aussie bloke, Vin. From snags and didgeridoos, to that pesky little word ‘sorry’, Vin hilariously shows us what it is to be Australian and to get ‘a fair go’. Inside, Off Sight Sunday 2nd December 8:10pm @ RMIT Capitol Theatre Dir Arsisto Ambryo Winner of the 2007 Open Channel Short & Sharp Pitching Competition After an infectious and inspired pitch to the cream of the Australian film industry, Arsisto Ambryo won resources and mentorship from Open Channel to make a film in three months to premiere at HRAFF. Inside, Off Sight is an exploration of the meaning of home and the meeting of art forms. HRAFF FESTIVAL BAR Red Violin Tucked in the heart of the CBD, just around the corner from RMIT Capitol Theatre is our festival bar, Red Violin. Its warm atmosphere, funky beats, and comfy counches make it the perfect place to unwind and kick on after our evening films for the four nights of the Festival. Festival ticket holders will receive special drink deals on our sponsored drinks, Mountain Goat beer and Mojo by Rockbare wine. You may also want to sample our festival cocktail the Fair-trade Espresso Martini! Spinning tunes throughout the Festival will be Red Eco, and Red Violin resident soundsystem Ujahmaa featuring DJ Bongo. Opening and Closing Night entertainment at the bar will feature a diverse and dynamic selection of Australian talent including Phoebe Jacobs, Guinee Berrifee, SS Pecker and Drum Drum. Level One, 231 Bourke Street, Melbourne CBD. www.redviolin.org.au Festival Bar Festivities from 9:30pm 29th Nov – 2nd Dec. Red Violin is NOT wheelchair accessible HRAFF ACTION HUBS Rights, Camera, ACTION! The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival sees artistic expression not as an end in itself but as the means to advance human rights and inspire action for social change. As such, the Hub of the festival is dedicated towards Action. Enter the Action Hubs. Set in an interactive space in the foyer of the RMIT Capitol Theatre the Actions Hubs will give you the tools to make a difference. Participating organisations include: Amnesty International Australia, Youth for Human Rights International, Australian Volunteers International, Darfur Australia Network, Hooked, Human Rights Torch, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Liberty Victoria, Open Channel, Oxfam Australia, Project Respect and Reprieve Australia. More orgs to be announced shortly! Swing by the Action Hubs at RMIT Capital Theatre any time between Thursday 29 November and Sunday 2 December to learn about ways to combat human rights abuse in our world. For more information contact action@hraff.org.au. HRAFF TICKETING INFORMATION ONLINE Buy online via Greentix before 21 Nov and be in the running to win a hamper of prizes including HRAFF Fully Stoked T-shirts, Crumpler bags, Lonely Planet books and New Internationalist Subscriptions. Go to www.hraff.org.au and follow the links. Tickets can be purchased using credit card or Paypal. Please note that online sales are only available up to 3 hours before the particular session. The person who purchased the tickets must present photo ID (and any concessions) upon arrival. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to advertised starting time to pick up your paper ticket. IN PERSON Tickets can be bought from the box office at RMIT Capitol Theatre. Please arrive at least 15 minutes prior to scheduled screening time. TICKET PRICING* Single $15/$12 Opening Night $20/$18 (includes drinks and nibblies prior to film) Closing Night $18/$16 (includes discounted drinks and afterparty at the Festival Bar) Mini festival pass $50 (your choice of 5 films, not including Opening and Closing Night), only 50 for sale, online sales only until 21 Nov 07) Full festival pass $100 (unlimited films, including Opening and Closing Night), only 30 for sale, online sales only until 21 Nov 07.) *Pricing does not include booking fees. Secondary schools can organize for students to attend the two school screenings on Thurs 29 Nov 07 at 10:30am and 1:30pm. Special discount price of $5 per student. School coordinators must email schools@hraff.org.au to prebook tickets before Wed 28 Nov 07. Accessibility - Companion card accepted. RMIT Capitol Theatre has full wheelchair access. Please note that Bus Gallery and Red Violin do not have wheel chair access. HRAFF is striving towards making the Festival more accessible for people with a disability. However, with very limited funds, we need your support to help us invest in the Festival’s accessibility for the future. Donate to HRAFF and help support us! (link to support us - donate) For more information, visit www.hraff.org.au PATRONS: JUSTICE KIRBY AC CMG Justice of the High Court "Media and popular culture play a huge role in raising human rights consciousness. They make other people's injustices our own. The time has come to forge a new consensus - an agreement about the fundamental rights that we place above politics." MARGARET POMERANZ from "At the Movies" " I believe in the power of film to change the world, it's what puts passion into my work and the work of so many good filmmakers. When we're confronted with the denial of human rights in so many countries around the world, including our own, up there on the big screen, it's very hard not to feel outrage and hopefully that outrage will galvanise many of us into action." RICHARD ACKLAND Former ABC Media Watch presenter and SMH columnist PHILLIP NOYCE Critically Acclaimed Director "Film and human rights are a dynamic combination and film festivals harness this power. They can't help but generate new thoughts, new connections between people and new dialogues about human rights. For this reason, a festival like the HRAFF is long overdue in Australia." SUSAN RYAN AO, Chair New Matilda Human Rights Act for Australia Campaign "HRAFF is a timely initiative to encourage and advance the education and dialogue on human rights. By using the accessible and popular mediums of art and film, HRAFF will not only allow human rights to reach out to the broader public but will also encourage audiences to engage in healthy debate on human rights. This event is long overdue in Australia and will be invaluable in promoting a harmonious society." GEORGE WILLIAMS Anthony Mason Professor, Director Gilbert & Tobin Centre for Public Law: "Human rights are at the forefront of community, political and legal debate in Australia almost every day. The issues range from the detention of children seeking asylum to restrictions on freedom of speech by our new anti-terrorism laws to the failure to provide justice to the stolen generations. The opportunity to explore these and other international themes as part of an arts and film festival is an exciting one." ACTION HUBS Rights, Camera, Action ACTION HUBS SPACE Enter the Action Hubs - a space for learning, creativity, reflection and ACTION to promote human rights in Australia and beyond! The Action Hubs will be a marketplace for new ideas and the promotion of active citizenship and community engagement. Come along before your film and taste test a fair trade goody, try your hand at a letter to your elected representatives or stand up and be counted in an online petition. Better still, stick around after the film when you're really inspired and do it all again! The Action Hubs will run from 10am on Thursday 29th November till 9.30pm on Sunday 2nd December at RMIT Capitol Theatre. For more information contact action@hraff.org.au. Sydney: TURNING DISSATISFACTION INTO ACTION! HRAFF aims to encourage audiences to move beyond emotional responses to program content by providing relevant information on how they can be involved in human rights causes. A range of social, humanitarian and environmental organisations will be invited to take part in Action Hubs. For any enquiries, email tegan@hraff.org.au PARTICIPATING ORGANISATIONS: (click an organisation to be taken to their website) A Just Australia Amnesty International Australia Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Australian Ethical Investment Limited Australian Lawyers Alliance Australian Volunteers International Youth Challenge Australia Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation Darfur Australia Network FairWear Free China Hamlin Fistula Relief and Aid Fund Melbourne Uni Hooked Oxfam Australia Reprieve Australia Reprieve Australia Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning Program Sense Foundation World Vision - STIR Youth for Human Rights Australia BOOKINGS Perth: $15 per session/ ($12 concession) To reserve tickets, contact Eileen Clements eileen.clem@yahoo.com.au 0404 239 226 Collect tickets at event before 6.15pm Door Sales subject to availability. (cash only) Sydney: For tickets to our Sydney screenings at the Chauvel please email festivalfriends@hraff.org.au For tickets to the launch, download the form or email tegan@hraff.org.au The Chauvel Cinema @ Paddington Town Hall Cnr Oxford St & Oatley Rd Paddington, NSW 2021 To see the rest of the festival, you'll have to join us at the Peats Ridge Festival in the Glenworth Valley for a four-day salute to the New Year! Info and tix available at: www.peatsridgefestival.com.au Melbourne: BOOKINGS TICKETS NOW ON SALE VIA GREENTIX!! Buy online before 21 Nov and be in the running to win a hamper of prizes including HRAFF Fully Stoked T-shirts, Crumpler bags, Lonely Planet books and The Monthly and New Internationalist Subscriptions. Tickets can be purchased using credit card or Paypal. Please note that online sales are only available up to 3 hours before the session. Accessibility - Companion card accepted. RMIT Capitol Theatre has full wheelchair access. Please note that Bus Gallery does not have wheel chair access. HRAFF is striving towards making the Festival more accessible for people with a disability. However, with very limited funds, we need your support to help us invest in the Festival's accessibility for the future. Donate to HRAFF and help support us! TICKET PRICING TICKETS NOW ON SALE VIA GREENTIX!! Single $15/$12 Opening Night $20/$18 (includes drinks and nibblies) Closing Night $18/$16 (includes discounted drinks and afterparty at the Festival Bar) Mini festival pass $50 (your choice of 5 films, not including Opening and Closing Night), only 50 for sale, online sales only until 20 Nov 07) Full festival pass $100 (unlimited films, including Opening and Closing Night), only 30 for sale, online sales only until 20 Nov 07.) Secondary schools can organize for students to attend the two school screenings on Thurs 29 Nov 07 at 10:30am and 1:30pm. Special discount price of $5 per student. School coordinators must email schools@hraff.org.au to prebook tickets before Wed 28 Nov 07. Download the schools information pack. BUY TICKETSclick on a session to buy tickets for it. More details on the program We Will Be Remembered For This with Outta Space Just Punishment with See Through Me Opening Night: A Walk to Beautiful Seen But Not Heard: Global Perspectives on Human Rights (Toti, Children of Leningradsky & Bowling for Zimbabwe) The Devil Came on Horseback Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers with Night Vision We're Normally Different with Shift in Perception Mardi Gras: Made in China with Roy Sex Slaves with Revolving Door World According to Sesame Street with Norbert Orange Revolution Liyarn Ngarn Big Sellout with Mr Money Hope War Photographer Closing Night: Shorts Program & Awards Ceremony (Run for your life, Checkpoint, Pod Love: Virtual Freedom, Lost Boy Found, Reverie Sans Frontiers, Two Sides of a Coin, Fish, Go Quickly, 1956, But We Are Strong: Jeneba's Story, How to be Australian with Vin & Raj & Inside, Off Sight) SPEAKERS We're pleased to announce that Ray and Peter Mickelberg will be speaking before the film, Liyarn Ngarn. Ray & Peter Mickelberg have been active Justice advocates for more than 25 years. Their journey began when they were wrongfully convicted of the so-called Perth Mint swindle in 1983. Even though they have been completely exonerated of this crime, and had their convictions quashed, they remain passionate about Justice issues. As innocent men in one of the most brutal prisons in Australia, they witnessed a vicious killing perpetrated by prison officers, against a defenseless Aboriginal prisoner called Robert Walker. What set Ray and Peter apart, was their determination to speak out about what they saw, despite all efforts of the authorities to silence them. The brothers meet songman Archie Roach and renowned English actor Pete Postlethwaite along the journey that is Liyarn Ngarn, a documentary that tells of the devastation and inhumanity brought upon Indigenous people in every aspect of their daily lives. Melbourne: Rod Quantock, Comedian Jessie Taylor, filmmaker of "We Will Be Remembered For This" Pamela Curr, Campaign Coordinator, Asylum Seekers' Resource Centre Julian McMahon, Lawyer for Van Nguyen Kim Beamish, Director/Producer of "Just Punishment" Nicholas Harrington, Founding President, Reprieve Australia The filmmakers of A Walk to Beautiful (from the USA) Julian Burnside, QC, President, Liberty Victoria Brendan Ross, Humanitarian Advocacy Coordinator, Oxfam Australia Abdelhadi Matar, President, Darfur Community Association of Australia Noah Bassil, Deputy Director, Centre for Middle East and North African Studies, Macquarie University David Craig, Executive Officer, Disability Rights Victoria Fenella Kernebone, Producer, Sunday Arts, ABC TV Elisabeth Wynhausen, Journalist, The Australian Serena Lillywhite, Manager, Ethical Business, Brotherhood of St Laurence Liz Thompson, FairWear Barbara Creed, Professor, School of Culture and Screen Studies, The University of Melbourne Nina Vallins, Project Respect Lana Palmer, Transnational Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Team, Australian Federal Police Steve Thomas, Director of Hope Aamer Rahman, Comedian NEWS HRAFF T-Shirts now for sale! Sweat-shop-free HRAFF T-shirts now for sale thanks to fullystoked.com.au! Comes in man’s cut, fitted women’s cut or women’s long top/dress in small, medium or large. All $30 each (including postage). Click here to purchase them online. Limited stocks - so don’t miss out! Film Trailers available! Visit the submissions page to view our trailer. The feature films showing this year also have trailers that you can watch online. Look for the "Watch Trailer" links on the relevant pages of the program. HRAFF’s Media Launch went off with Aamer Rahman as host, and presentations by Julian Burnside QC, the Festival organisers and a special video message by Margaret Pomeranz (At the Movies). If you missed out on the media launch, but would like us to send you a publicity kit, films to be reviewed or to arrange an interview, please email us at media@hraff.org.au with your details. Subscribe and receive a free copy of The Monthly! ARTISTS ARTS EXHIBITION Apropos - Human Rights in Art brings together international, national and community based artists in order to critically respond to current human rights issues and the role of art within that dialogue. The works in Apropos respond to a diverse range of human rights issues including freedom from discrimination, environmental issues, refugees, poverty, labour rights, indigenous issues, humanitarian conflict and freedom of expression. Bus Gallery, 117 Lt Lonsdale St. Free entry. Opening Night Tues 27 Nov 6 - 8pm 28 Nov - 2 Dec: 12pm - 9pm 5 - 15 Dec: 12pm - 6pm Zehra Ahmed (NSW) Clifford Charles (South Africa) Claudia Del Fierro (Chile) Juan Ford (VIC) Alex Gibson (VIC) Matthew Hunt (WA) Raafat Ishak (VIC) Ash Keating (VIC) Deborah Kelly & Tina Fiveash (NSW) Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission Community Art Project (VIC) Andrew Mcqualter (VIC) Leonardo Ortega (Chile) Scott Redford (QLD) Christian Thompson (VIC) Culture Kitchen Collective (ACT) Gembel Collective (East Timor) Taring Padi Collective (Indonesia) StART Community Artists (VIC) Mark Hilton (VIC) CONTACT US Perth: For general enquiries, contact: Sonia Tascon S.Tascon@exchange.curtin.edu.au 0407 195 244 To reserve tickets, contact: Eileen Clements eileen.clem@yahoo.com.au 0404 239 226 Melbourne: GENERAL ENQUIRIES Evelyn Tadros and Naz Mantoo coordinators@hraff.org.au MEDIA/MARKETING ENQUIRIES: Evelyn Tadros and Laura Vickers media@hraff.org.au VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITIES: Michelle Phillips volunteers@hraff.org.au FILM ENQUIRIES Laura Vines and Marty Bortz films@hraff.org.au ARTS ENQUIRIES Romy Sedman arts@hraff.org.au ACTION HUB ENQUIRIES: Steph Cousins action@hraff.org.au SPEAKERS ENQUIRIES Anna Martin and Paul Martin speakers@hraff.org.au LAUNCH ENQUIRIES: Jess Marsh launch@hraff.org.au SCHOOLS SCREENINGS ENQUIRIES: Sian Darling schools@hraff.org.au Sydney: DIRECTOR Janna Hayes janna@hraff.org.au Tel: 0431 209 753 GENERAL ENQUIRIES & MEDIA Assistant Director, Donna Lau donna@hraff.org.au Tel: 0414 670 735 SPONSORHIP, PARTNER & ACTION HUB ENQUIRIES Tegan Bannister tegan@hraff.org.au Tel: 0414 723 290 ARTS ENQUIRIES Verity Hanson & Charisse Hodgeman verity@hraff.org.au & charisse@hraff.org.au FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL ENQUIRIES Shifra Symonds festivalfriends@hraff.org.au If you're passionate about arts, entertainment and human rights, and would like to volunteer at HRAFF, please send an expression of interest to donna@hraff.org.au and include "volunteering at HRAFF" in the subject line. POST: HRAFF (NSW) Inc 87 Cleveland Street Chippendale, 2008 NSW, Australia THE HRAFF TEAM: Australia's first ever Human Rights Arts and Film Festival was initiated in late 2006 by Evelyn Tadros and Naziath Mantoo (right), two final year Melbourne Uni students who were inspired by similar festivals overseas and wanted to broaden the awareness of human rights in the general community through creative media. Volunteers from all walks of life with backgrounds as diverse as law, theatre, media, banking & finance, development, design, art and film came together to establish this inaugural event. Members of HRAFF have been involved in organising major events and festivals including the International Portable Film Festival, Realm of the Senses, SthSide events, In on the Filmmaker, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, St Kilda Film festival, Next Wave Festival, Mooney Valley Multicultural Festival and the Melbourne Art Fair. THE SYDNEY TEAM: (mouse over for bio) Janna Hayes - Director Donna Lau - Assistant Director Tegan Bannister - Funding & Action Hubs Coordinator Shifra Symonds - NSW Secretary Charisse Hodgeman - Arts Coordinator Jessica Matino - Photographer Jennifer Stanley - Film Coordinator Alix Crockett - Head of Theming SUPPORT US We need your help! Our Arts Exhibition, Apropos, is in need of 4 x Multimedia Projectors, 4 x DVD Players, 4 x Speaker Systems and 4 x sets brackets & cables, for three weeks. Our Action Hubs are also in need of 3 laptops to loan for four days over the Films festival. Please contact Romy at arts@hraff.org.au or Steph at action@hraff.org.au if you can help! A hell of a lot of good karma guaranteed! SEPTEMBER BOOK DRIVE Currently, NSW prisons have no budget for libraries and are in dire need of new reading material. The festival is doing a call-out for everyone to go through their bookshelves and give us any unwanted novels, texts or kids stories which we will then distribute to prisons in conjunction with Kingsford Legal Centre. The book drive ends on September 30 so we're on a fairly tight schedule. Ask your friends, family and office to collect some books and we'll organise to collect them (even 1 or 2 per person will make a huge difference). Email donna@hraff.org.au to arrange a pick-up. Alternatively they can be delivered to: Kingsford Legal Centre, UNSW, Sydney or HRAFF head office at 87 Cleveland St, Chippendale, NSW, 2008. STREET BRED We have discovered that tons of bakeries across Sydney throw out a huge amount of product at the end of the day. A little bit of research has led to the revelation that almost across the board this is because they don't have the resources to transfer the bread to relevant charities - not because they don't want to. HRAFF is establishing a scheme to put an end to this tragic waste of quality bakery treats. all we need are volunteers willing to commit to a fortnightly or weekly bread pick up and delivery in their local area.This is a great opportunity to do something positive for the community you live in, and get tasty rewards at the same time. Send an expression of interest to donna@hraff.org.au with STREET BRED in the header. Be sure to include the areas in which you live/work/play so we can offer you the most suitable routes.This whole event would not be possible without the generosity of our supporters and donors. You can help us support our filmmakers, artists and make our festival more accessible next year by making a fully tax-deductible donation to HRAFF. All donations over $2 are tax-deductible. All you have to do is download the donation form and email it back to us at funding@hraff.org.au. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. HRAFF is currently homeless and in need of a home for 2008! If you know of any office spaces around, have any furniture, computers, fax machines and the like you would be willing to donate, then please contact us at funding@hraff.org.au! To get us going we've set up a program that allows you to become a friend of the festival. By becoming our friend you'll receive regular updates, plus tickets to our Sydney launch where you'll mingle with our patrons, enjoy a screening of our best short films, receive a festival gift-bag AND go in the running to win one of 5 subscriptions to New Matilda! To become a friend of the festival download the form or email us at: festivalfriends@hraff.org.au VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! If you'd like to help out the festival please email donna@hraff.org.au. There are a huge range of opportunities to get involved at all levels. Whether you want to contribute a few hours a fortnight, donate a specific skill or product, or undertake an internship, please contact us! We're looking for volunteers in the following areas: Media Environment Tent decor Resourcing (materials/props/food/wine) Arts workshop (coordinating and resourcing) Futures mgmt/proposal assistance And much much more! SHORT AND SHARP COMPETITION WINNER The winner of OPEN CHANNEL's Short & Sharp Pitching Comp was Arsisto Ambyo for his film Inside, Off Sight, which will explore ideas about home, freedom of expression and life in Melbourne. Short & Sharp judge Sue Maslin notes that the project "promises to be an exciting, cinematic and richly textured insight into the experience of Indonesian immigrants in Melbourne". Arsisto will receive funding, mentorship and resources from Open Channel to complete his film by November, when it will premier at HRAFF. The Encouragement Award went to Fouad Hady for his thought-provoking and moving film called The Barbers of Baghdad. Since the Short him bring his powerful story to screen. Congratulations to Arsisto and Fouad - we look forward to seeing your films!