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Topics - Blade~

#21
In 2021 in total, there were more than 2,700 films submitted to participate in the Official Competition, 85 online Mifa events and 74 Festival events were organised, 240 on-site screenings and more than 12,897 hours were viewed by our badge holders.

After a year online, the Festival continued to reinvent itself by offering an unprecedented format adapted to the pandemic situation. This hybrid format rose to the challenge of creating both a physical and virtual event to bring all animation enthusiasts and professionals together.

A "battle", as its CEO Mickaël Marin described this edition, that brought together almost 8,500 badgeholders on-site for half of them or online. Despite the continuing unstable health situation, professionals from 96 countries and the local public could finally celebrate this eagerly-awaited 60th anniversary, which was postponed from last year.

Visit the Official Website for more information
#22
Founded in 2002, in the town of Cluj-Napoca, Transilvania IFF has grown rapidly to become the most important film-related event in Romania and one of the most spectacular annual events in the region. It is supported by the Creative Europe - MEDIA Programme and in 2011, Transilvania IFF was accredited by the FIAPF, which places it among the 40 most important festivals in the world.

Transilvania IFF's main goal is the promotion of cinematic art by presenting some of the most innovative and spectacular films of the moment that feature both originality and independence of expression, that reflect unusual cinematic language forms or focus on current trends in youth culture. Dedicated to 1st and 2nd time directors, the Official Competition focuses on discovering new voices.
The Transilvania IFF experience means an exciting and intriguing selection, picturesque locations such as castles or open air museums, cine-concerts in churches, educational platforms for young audiences, solid industry programs, and a consistent focus on the future of audio-visual content.
 
Personalities
 
Over the years, Transilvania IFF's Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented to important figures of European and worldwide cinema, including Nicolas Cage, Alain Delon, Sophia Loren, Fanny Ardant, Nastassja Kinski, Jiří Menzel, Debra Winger, Claude Lelouch, Geraldine Chaplin, Wim Wenders, Marin Karmitz, Jacqueline Bisset, Michael York, Catherine Deneuve, Claudia Cardinale, Annie Girardot, Udo Kier, Vanessa Redgrave, Nicolas Roeg and Franco Nero.
 
TIFF Industry
 
After years of continuous work in promoting Romanian cinema and welcoming international guests to meet national productions and their filmmakers, in 2015, the festival rounded up its industry activities under one umbrella. TIFF Industry is open for talents from the region through Transilvania Pitch Stop (TPS) - a tailor made workshop for feature fiction films wrapping up with a public presentation and one to one meetings, and Transilvania Talent Lab (TTL) - the hands-on programme dedicated to emerging talents. TIFF Industry hosts a series of masterclasses, lining-up experts in audience development and script writing, and organizes closed screenings for industry members and special screenings of the newest Romanian films, in the presence of filmmakers.
 
Previously, the festival hosted the launch of the new platform #FEEDback (Film Eastern Europe Dialogue, 2015), regional editions of The Pitch, in partnership with ShortsTV, and LIM (Less Is More), the European platform for project development of limited budget feature films created by Le Groupe Ouest.

Education

The festival also developed a strong educational platform for children, through EducaTIFF (awarded Best Educational Project in Romania, at Education Awards Gala, 2011 edition), and teenagers, through Let's Go Digital! The intensive workshop gives teenagers the opportunity to cover all the steps of filmmaking under the supervision of film professionals and using modern equipment.

TIFF Unlimited

Unlimited.tiff.ro, launched in 2019, is the first streaming service (SVoD) launched by a film festival in Romania and the only product of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. The platform gives access to acclaimed auteur driven productions, arthouse gems, genre films.
 
InfiniTIFF
 
The festival has initiated a platform for new forms of audio-visual storytelling that connects cinema lovers and artists with cutting edge development in virtual reality and interactive cinema.
 
Visit the Official Website for more information

#23
Krakow Film Festival is one of the oldest events in the world dedicated to documentary, animated and short feature films. It core consists of three competitions of equal rank: documentary film competition, short film competition and national competition. During the eight festival days, the viewers have a chance to watch about 250 films from Poland and from around the world. They are shown in competition sections and in special screenings. The festival is accompanied by exhibitions, concerts, open-air shows and meetings with artists. Every year, the festival is visited by approximately 900 Polish and international guests: directors, producers, festival programmers and numerous Krakow audience.

Over the years, not only the event's programme changed, but also the standing of the festival itself. The importance of the Krakow Film Festival is asserted by the fact that it belongs to a prestigious group of festivals accredited by, among others, International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), European Film Academy (EFA) and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Thanks to that it is the only Academy Awards documentary feature films qualifying festival and one of the two Academy Awards short films qualifying festivals in Poland. Krakow Film Festival is also among renowned festivals recommending short films and feature documentary films for the European Film Awards.

It is in Krakow where the eminent Polish documentary film makers began their careers: Krzysztof Kieślowski, Wojciech Wiszniewski, Andrzej Fidyk and Marcel Łoziński. It was here where the great authors of Polish animated films made themselves known to the world: Ryszard Czekała, Jerzy Kucia, Julian Antoniszczak, Piotr Dumała and Zbigniew Rybczyński, the winner of the Academy Award for his film "Tango". In the international competitions, apart from recognised documentary and animated film makers, many other artists participated and won the festival laurels, including the ones whose names are widely known in the world of feature film: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Werner Herzog, Zoltán Huszarik, Jaromil Jireś, Claude Lelouch, Patrice Leconte, Mike Leigh, as well as the winner of the Academy Award —Jan Svěrák.

The history of Krakow Film Festival reaches back to 1961, when it was still called Polish Short Film Festival, and presented the achievements of the native cinema. Three years later, the international festival was added to the Polish festival, and the event changed from a nation-wide one into an event of international standing. In 1998, for the first time the award for lifetime achievement in documentary and short film, called the Dragon of Dragons award, was given. In 2001, the festival's name itself was changed, and since then, it functions as Krakow Film Festival, whose subsequent editions are held at the turn of May and June.

In 2007, in addition to two previously existing competitions — the national and international ones, the third competition appeared for the first time, namely, the competition including ten of the best feature-length documentary films (currently, 10 medium-length and 10 feature-length documentary films). However, the popularity of the section "Sounds of Music" inspired the organisers to organize a new competition in 2013 – 2020 — the music documentary competition DocFilmMusic.

Within a few years, many new offers appeared in the festival programme. Since 2006, the festival is accompanied by Krakow Film Market, dedicated to film industry professionals. Every year, there are numerous non-competing screenings, which have already managed to take root in the festival schedule, such as "World Stories", "Somewhere in Europe", "Festival Award Winners", "Sounds of Music", "Panorama of the Polish Films", "Short Matters!", "Music Video Night", "Student Etudes Night", "Kids&Youth", "Doc+Science".

Within the frames of the festival, there are also concerts and exhibitions and numerous debates and meetings with film makers and representatives of the partner film festivals (among others, from Leeds, Jihlava, Uppsala, Chinese Guanghzou, Tampere, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Kiev and Berlin).

Visit the Official Website for more information

#24
VIENNA SHORTS is the international short film festival in Vienna that annually in spring makes around 300 films from all over the world accessible to the audience and the international industry in the best possible way – whether in the cinema or in the museum, whether in digital or virtual space.

The festival is a qualifying event for the Austrian Film Award, the British Film Award BAFTA, the European Film Award and the Oscars® and is one of two EU-funded film festivals in Austria. It is active in numerous international collaborations and was honored in 2014 with the Bank Austria Art Prize, the highest endowed award for art and cultural organisations in Austria.

VIENNA SHORTS (until 2016: Vienna Independent Shorts) was launched and is still run by the non-profit organization INDEPENDENT CINEMA in 2003 with the aim of presenting independent films and promoting talent. The association organizes film screenings, mediation programs and short film events throughout the year and has been based in the creative cluster Q21 in Vienna's MuseumsQuartier since 2007.

Visit the Official Website for more information

#25
Since June 2018, "Un Soir...Un Grain" has launch the BRIFF, which aims to bring together audiences and professionals around feature films and to make Brussels a key event in the international festival calendar.

Visit the Official Website for more information
#26
Queer East is an LGBTQ+ film festival that showcases rarely-seen queer cinema from East and Southeast Asia. Seeking to amplify the voices of Asian communities in the UK, the festival explores the forces that have shaped the current queer landscape in Asia, and aims to encourage more inclusive narratives. The third edition of Queer East Film Festival takes place in London from 18 to 29 May 2022.

Recent global events, from Covid-19-related anti-Asian attacks once again reminded us how vital fair and authentic racial and sexual representation is for our society. Film is one of the most direct and accessible mediums able to shine a light on issues and situations that people just weren't aware of before.

By showing films that people might not otherwise get a chance to see, we can provide a platform for under-represented Asian and diasporic communities to share their history, stories and what it means to be Asian and queer today. Advancing LGBTQ+ rights requires a collective approach, and we think it is important that Queer East plays a part in this, as a joint force together with many other allies. Together, we can work on tackling the inequalities both outside and within the LGBTQ+ communities, and ensure the full diversity of the queer community is well reflected through the power of cinema.

Visit the Official Website for more information
#27
The Festival of Human Rights Film is an initiative that is part of the San Sebastian, Space for the Culture of Peace project. The aim is to promote greater awareness, as well as encourage debate and provide greater information to citizens about human rights, by promoting, through the cinema and other cultural and artistic expressions, the values of solidarity, respect for life, peace, freedom and social justice, among other things.

Feature Films Official Selection

A selection of feature films and documentaries, movies for kids and youths, aimed at making spectators aware of the need to protect human rights. A sample of some of the year's most important titles, all candidates for the Audience Award to the Best Feature Film.

Short Films Official Selection

A selection of international shorts on any human rights-related subject to one of which 150 youngsters will be granted with the Youth Award for the Best Short Film (€3,000).

Amnesty International Award

A jury consisting of members of Amnesty International and professionals from the audiovisual world will grant to a feature film the Amnesty International Award.

Other activities

Every year a variety of parallel activities completes the Festival film programme, like exhibitions, musical performances, dance and roundtables.

Visit the Official Website for more information
#28
IndieLisboa International Film Festival focuses on the exhibition of works that fill the void of film circulation shaped by the mainstream production and exhibition dominating the market. Every year, showing more than 270 films, IndieLisboa attracts audiences and film professionals from all over the globe by giving them the opportunity to discover recent films from emerging talents and to rediscover reputed authors. The festival sections also comprise themed programs, shining a light on relevant affairs, aiming for a conceptually and geographically diverse selection.

IndieLisboa's main sections are competitive programs composed by world, international or national premieres. With few exceptions, all selected films have their national presentation at the festival. IndieJunior, the children/youth section of the festival, is crucial for boosting local film literacy levels in this range of public and for the shaping of new audiences. The festival also aims to draw a spotlight on the discovery of Portuguese recent films through its national competitions and industry-oriented activities.

IndieLisboa is also a festival that focuses on a program designed specifically for the industry (audience of film professionals, filmmakers, producers, sales agents, programmers, critics, etc.). This industry core, parallel to the screenings program, is composed of workshops, masterclasses, debates, a script-writing lab, a film fund, a pitching forum, screenings of works in progress and also several networking events, among other activities. The industry center is consistently and continuously expanding, actively contributing to the dynamics of a more diverse film exhibition and distribution network.

Competitive Sections
International Competition


Section presenting first, second and third works never publicly shown in Portugal. These films were finalized in the year in which the festival takes place or in the previous year. In this section, feature and short films compete in separate programmes.

National Competition

The National Competition brings together Portuguese feature and short films that have, for the most part, their world premiere at the festival.

Silvestre

Showing works by young filmmakers and renowned authors, this section finds the norm in its singularity. Under the wing of Silvestre we have shown works that reject consecrated formulas, which awaken new languages ��and whose rebellion mirrors the spirit of the festival.

Brand new

Competitive section comprising films by Portuguese young filmmakers. Some directed their film in a school context; others were fearless enough to direct a first film regardless of any support. Portuguese cinema continues to affirm surprising new voices that the festival wants to support and show.

IndieMusic

The link between film and music is at the epicentre of this competitive section. IndieMusic embraces films about musicians and bands from around the world, often immersing themselves in the historical, political and social contexts that accompany musical movements. These little revolutions find a mirror in the night programming of concerts and parties – IndiebyNight.

IndieJúnior

This key section of the festival is dedicated to younger viewers. IndieJunior aims to contribute to the aesthetical and cultural education of children and youngsters through an artistic and playful experience, differentiated from their habitual consumption of moving images, whether on television or in the commercial cinema circuit. Film programming is complemented by a set of workshops, cultural activities and creative spaces especially designed for the little ones, their families and schools.

Other Sections
Retrospectives


Retrospective section dedicated to looking at the past of cinema, providing rediscoveries that contribute significantly to the enrichment of the contemporary gaze.

Director's Cut

New films that plunge into the memory of cinema as its main inspiration and films that rework the cinematographic visual heritage. The section unfolds in a Director's Cut In Context, featuring works in which the heritage of those who made the history of cinema is materialized.

Mouth of Madness

This section presents films that tear language and genre boundaries without taboos. Disconcerting films, controversial themes, and works that are best understood (and digested) under the sign of midnight.

Special Screenings

This section comprises the opening film, the closing film and other theatrical releases and thematic programmes.

IndieByNight

During all the days of the festival, the official themed party known as IndieByNight happen, always with a strong connection to the films of the IndieMusic section.

LisbonTalks

IndieLisboa's parallel activities, which include masterclasses, talks, meetings and classes, are a space open to critical discussion, reflection, learning and reformulation of ideas around the cinematic practices and the Portuguese and international professional environment.

Visit the Official Website for more information
#29
The 52nd edition of the Festival has been rethought as a digital version to provide the public and professionals with a privileged access to the audacious and singular works selected this year.

Every day, new films will be made accessible online for 72 hours, subject to availability (500 viewings per film). The films will be geolocated in Switzerland and launched according to a programme schedule at three points during the day. The public will be able to choose between one-off access (CHF 5) or an unlimited pass at a special rate (CHF 25).

It will be possible to buy tickets or an unlimited pass from April 14th on our website.

Visit the Official Website for more information
#30
The UK Asian Film Festival (UKAFF) is the longest running South Asian film festival in the world produced by Tongues on Fire Limited. Founded in 1999 by Dr Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE and Mrs Harvinder Nath, UKAFF is internationally recognised for showcasing the work of acclaimed talent in cinema and award-winning filmmakers.

Visit the Official Website for more information

#31
CPH:DOX – Copenhagen International Documentary Festival

CPH:DOX now launches INTRO:DOX, a brand-new initiative welcoming emerging filmmakers from all over the world, working on their first or second non-fiction feature.

While supporting emerging filmmakers, who were hit disproportionately hard by the pandemic, to open new doors, meet potential partners and establish a strong foundation for their careers, INTRO:DOX wishes to bring together a new, confident generation of storytellers to join and thrive in the established industry ecosystem, but also to help reform it, so it reflects the needs of the new generation of young audiences.

On top of a new, discounted, full-access accreditation, INTRO:DOX will open the CPH:INDUSTRY 2023 programme with a full day of introductory sessions on Sunday, March 19, 2023. With a bundle of curated, interactive sessions, the aim of the programme is to share know-how with newcomers on how they can best utilize the extensive industry programme of the festival, and provide them with essential tools for new professional talent to join and thrive in the documentary industry.

The day will culminate in a networking drink at our bustling festival headquarter in Kunsthal Charlottenborg in Copenhagen. The evening is dedicated to celebrating emerging filmmakers, serving as a great opportunity for our newcomers to build a support network among each other and the rest of the professional guests attending CPH:DOX.

Tereza Simikova, Head of Industry & Training at CPH:DOX, said:
"At a time when traditional cinema is finding it hard to compete with newer forms of media, the industry as a whole should be doing all that we can to include the emerging, digital native generation of storytellers. We are eager to discover strong talents of the future, while motivating the industry to move closer to young audiences, by speaking their language".

Visit the Official Website for more information

#32
Versatile, international, inspiring

...that's the festival programme at FILMFEST DRESDEN. Every year in April, the festival presents the best short films from around the world in Dresden and attracts more than 20,000 visitors, including around 500 accredited guests.

Since its early days, the International and the National Competitions have represented the centrepiece of the festival programme. In their 12 separate screening programmes, roughly 80 films from up to 20 countries world-wide flicker across the silver screen. Each year over 2,000 fiction and animated films from more than 90 countries are submitted for nominations to the competitions. The films submitted may not be more than two years old and no longer than 30 minutes. At the end of each festival the juries pick the best films in the various categories and award a total of eight Golden Horsemen and prize money amounting more than € 67,000.

In addition to the competitions, the festival also has an extensive selection of special programmes focusing on a wide range of subjects and countries, as well as retrospectives and children's films. This also includes a series dedicated to a specific area each year with several film programmes dealing comprehensively with it. Up to 230 films are screened annually in the special programmes.

The festival section etc. - events.trainings.connections with masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions, talks, exhibitions and receptions supplement the film programmes and are aimed at both accredited media professionals and interested members of the public. The festival library, which is open each evening together with the concerts and parties provide opportunities for amusement and diversion as well as to exchange opinions and information.

In addition to the festival itself which is held annually in April, the post-festival tour and the open-air tour each summer have established themselves as important mainstays for FILMFEST DRESDEN. These events permit prize winning shorts to also reach larger audiences beyond the festival itself. Numerous additional programme cooperative events also pursue this aim as well as national and international presentations. Each year these events are visited by about 7,000 spectators.

Visit the Official Website for more information


#33
Founded in 1982, ITFS ranks among the world's most important events for animated film in all its aspects, and with its intersections with visual effects, architecture, art, design, music, science, games, et al. Every year, it attracts up to 100,000 visitors and industry professionals from all over the world with the best of high-quality animations and interactive works.

ITFS is organised by Film- und Medienfestival gGmbH established in 2000, who have made it their business ever since to promote high-quality media content and create outstanding film and media events, so as to achieve a sustainable strengthening of the creative industries in the Stuttgart region.

ITFS is an Oscar-qualifying festival which offers directors, production companies and distributors as well as talent and all further professionals from the animation and games industries a platform to present their films, interactive and transmedia works as well as VR and AR projects to an interested, wide audience and a large number of industry representatives. The competitions and film programmes screened at Innenstadtkinos are the heart of the festival. A total of up to 90,000 € in prize money is awarded by international expert juries in currently twelve competition categories.

"FMX – Film and Media Exchange" as well as "Animation Production Days" (APDs), Germany's most important market for animation co-production and financing, take place at the same time. Thanks to the special combination of a film festival, a specialist conference and a financing market, the events have evolved into a unique platform for the financing and development of animation projects, attracting up to 6,000 industry visitors to Stuttgart each year.

The ITFS Open Air on centrally located Stuttgart Schlossplatz is one of the audience highlights of the Stuttgart region's cultural schedule, offering barrier-free access to animation and games content of high quality. Continuously, new and exciting event formats such as the GameZone are developed for ITFS. One of the many ITFS highlights is the German Voice Actor Award with well-known actors and actresses as well as comedians.

Visit the Official Website for more information

#34
Concours de Courts is an international festival offering the opportunity for short film makers to win several prizes. The Competition is divided into several stages:

First, amateur or professional filmmakers respond to our call for entries.
Then, after the selection by people from the film industry, 2 public screenings are organised. The world of short films then becomes accessible to the greatest number of people.
Finally, the prizes are awarded at the closing ceremony. The jury is made up of leading film professionals.

History of the Festival Concours de Courts

A Festival organised by students

It is within the framework of an academic project set up within the Master 2 Administration and Management of Communication (AGCOM) at the University Toulouse 1 Capitole, that we have been proposing for 19 years now, the realization of a large-scale cultural festival. Initiated in 2003 by Serge Regourd, President of the Culture, Communication and Heritage Commission of the Occitanie region, the Festival Concours de Courts, supported by the association "Réseau Com", is organised this year by a team of 8 students committed to ensuring its smooth running.

The values of this international festival

Promoting short films and their directors

The Festival keeps on reinventing itself with each edition. Its main mission is to highlight the short film. Indeed, it is an under-represented film genre. The Festival gives amateurs and professional videographers on an international scale the opportunity to win various prizes.

Democratising knowledge and access to short films

Each year, the free nature of the event attracts a large audience and democratises access to short films. The public actively participates in the competition by voting for the winning short film.

Visit the Official Website for more information

#35
MIFF is a not-for-profit organisation that has been continuously running since 1952, making it the leading film festival in Australia and one of the world's oldest film festivals, alongside Cannes and Berlin. Presenting a curated global program of innovative screen experiences and the world's largest showcase of exceptional Australian filmmaking, MIFF is an accessible, iconic cultural event that provides transformative experiences for audiences and filmmakers alike.

MIFF has had an essential role in putting Melbourne on the national and international cultural map. It has also been a key player in building a sense of community and connectedness in Melbourne. The festival has an innate appreciation of its famously loyal audience, all of whom come to MIFF for bold, entertaining and adventurous programming, the delight of the shared festival experience, and to discover something new about themselves or the world around them.

MIFF's vision for the future builds on the festival's role at the centre of Melbourne's cultural life and, in particular, its success in generating both social and economic capital for Melbourne and Victoria. Complementing MIFF's highly anticipated festival program is MIFF's renowned industry program that includes an investment fund (the Premiere Fund) and the director's development program (Accelerator Lab). MIFF's finance market (37°South) brings the national and international screen industry to Melbourne during the festival and celebrates Melbourne as a centre for screen business. MIFF also supports emerging arts and culture writers through its annual Critics Campus program, and takes the film festival experience to regional Victoria through the MIFF Travelling Showcase.

MIFF will continue to innovate and build on its decades of achievements to ensure that Melbourne remains the cultural capital of Australia, and that MIFF continues to be Australia's largest and most significant film festival in terms of international profile, audience size, and the quality and breadth of its festival and industry programs.


Visit the Official Website for more information

#36
The world's best new films come to Sydney this year for 12 days and nights of inspiring and entertaining premieres, talks and parties. Join us and be among the first in Australia to see the greatest, strangest and most exciting work that cinema has to offer.

Sydney Film Festival takes place at its flagship venue the State Theatre, as well as cinemas in the CBD, Newtown, Cremorne, Randwick, Western Sydney and more, screening films you won't usually find in the multiplex. 12 films are selected for the Official Competition, which celebrates "courageous, audacious and cutting-edge" cinema with a $60,000 cash prize. Sydney Film Festival also presents eight other cash awards over the course of the festival. 

Sydney Film Festival is supported by the NSW Government through Screen NSW; the Federal Government through Screen Australia and the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund (an Australian Government initiative); and City of Sydney the Festival's Principal Local Government Partner. Sydney Film Festival also runs the Travelling Film Festival year-round, taking the best of international and Australian cinema to 22 regional centres around the country.

Visit the Official Website for more information
#37
Doc Edge Festival

An Academy Awards® qualifying international documentary film festival held annually in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and online nationwide. It showcases the best films from New Zealand and around the world and includes the Doc Edge Awards, celebrating excellence in filmmaking and the Doc Edge XR Exhibition, a showcase of digital interactive storytelling featuring top international and local VR, AR, installations, and digital stories.

Doc Edge Schools

An educational programme for students from Year 5 to Tertiary that connects school students with documentaries from NZ and around the world. Doc Edge Schools offers screenings during the annual Doc Edge Festival and a Virtual Classroom platform for schools across the country.

Doc Edge Industry 

Learning and connecting opportunities for media professionals. Doc Edge Forum is an industry event that brings together local and international film, TV and other media professionals. It offers seminars, panels, masterclasses, and networking opportunities. Doc Edge Pitch is a documentary pitching forum for shorts, features and TV series. Doc Edge Clinics is a professional development programme for filmmakers. Doc Edge Market is a virtual platform to connect NZ films with buyers, festival programmes, distributors & sales agents.

Good Pitch Aotearoa NZ

Good Pitch is a worldwide programme that amplifies a film through a strategic impact. Developed by Doc Society and Sundance Documentary Institute, Good Pitch brings together documentary filmmakers with foundations, NGOs, campaigners, philanthropists, policymakers, brands and media around leading social and environmental issues — to forge coalitions and campaigns that are good for the partners, the films and society. Doc Edge is proud to be the host of Good Pitch Aotearoa New Zealand.

Visit the Official Website for more information
#38
Artists and creatives have always been at the vanguard of social change – we turn to them to hold a mirror to the uneasy truths of our times and reflect our stories. Sometimes those stories are uncomfortable and challenging, sometimes inspiring and hopeful - all of them have a place at the
Human Rights Arts and Film Festival.

It was December 2006 when we held our very first meeting with a bunch of friends around my kitchen table, covered with butcher's paper and textas, brainstorming what Australia's first human rights arts and film festival might look like. Our aim was simple - to make human rights relevant, accessible and engaging to all through art and film.

We wanted to cut through the politics. We wanted to challenge the assumption that you had to identify with a particular political party, come from a particular social or economic class, or be of a particular religion or ethnicity or race to believe in human rights. We wanted to open up the discussion beyond the lawyers and the academics. We wanted to show people that human rights are about being human – they are the basic minimum standards for how we as a society should treat one another as human beings, so that we can live a life of dignity. And there's no better medium to communicate our humanity than through art, film and storytelling. 

Since then, that is exactly what we have done. And sometimes watching these films show us that we humans are capable of doing terrible things to each other – whether in the name of power, politics, religion or race. 

Since that day of brainstorming around the kitchen table, we have screened over 600 films from all over the world – stories that transcend our different cultural, ethnic and social backgrounds and our different political, religious and philosophical beliefs and allow us to connect and understand one another. We have hosted more than 500 local and international speakers, featured music, poetry, theatre, and art created by around 300 Australian and international creatives, welcomed more than 1,000 volunteers and 100,000 audience members to HRAFF in Australia. 

Visit the Official Website for more information

#39
More than 1400 experimental films submitted and reviewed for award selection by the jury. The festival will present several films from these. Please click on the links below to find out more about our program and the awards and also more information about the festival.

Check out our program for 2023
Also visit the Official Website for additional information
#40
The mission of Big Eyes, Big Minds (BEBM) is to educate, enrich, and inspire kids ages 2 to 18 through age-appropriate, high-quality films.

We believe that diverse and imaginative films can broaden world-views and encourage critical thinking. We also seek to cultivate film appreciation and inspire creative expression through the craft of filmmaking. Each year, BEBM connects thousands of children, youth, parents and educators in Singapore and St. Louis (USA) to the best animated, live-action and documentary films from around the globe. The BEBM works closely with schools and cultural institutions to bring thoughtfully curated film programs and workshops to young people in diverse communities.

BEBM was founded in 2010 by filmmaker, author, and educator, Mabel Gan. The Singapore International Children's Film Festival is the first and only children's film festival in Singapore. In the U.S., Big Eyes, Big Minds is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

Visit the Official Website for more information