hraff.org.au @humanrightsfest #StoriesThatMatter Melbourne 9–23 May | Canberra 23–25 May Contents 4 Introduction 5 Welcome 6 Film Program 6 Opening Night: 2040 8 Closing Night: Giant Little Ones 9 Centrepiece: Stop The Boats 9 Frontline — Conflict and the Global Movement of People 12 Indigenous Affairs 16 Girls to the Front — Gender Equality 20 Pride Pioneers — LGBTIQ+ Equality 24 A Fair Go — Economic Justice 26 Headliners / Global Issues 29 CineSeeds 30 Australian Shorts 31 International Shorts 32 Femme Shorts 34 HRAFF Goes West 36 Arts Program 42 Festival Ambassadors 44 Our Impact 45 Film Awards Jury 47 Opening Night Party 48 Special Thanks 49 Our People 50 Festival Sponsors 51 Tickets 52 Accessibility 53 Venues 54 Schedule Human Rights Arts & Film Festival Inc. Reg no: A0049847N HRAFF (ABN 41 028 224 880) is a Tax Concession Charity (TCC) and has Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) Item 1 status. © Copyright Human Rights Arts & Festival 2019 Cover and program design by Sweet Creative. HRAFF has been exempt from classification by the Classification Board. All screenings are restricted to people over 18 years except for CineSeeds and selected sessions to 15+ audiences. Please see the HRAFF website for more information on individual film sessions. WEL ON I Introduction Welcome CO ME INTRODUCT The Human Rights Arts & Film Festival #Female Pleasure embarks on a journey to was founded in 2007 to make human rights discover the remaining obstacles that stand in relevant, accessible and engaging to all the way of female sexuality in the 21st century. Australians through film, art, music and Frontline — Conflict and the Global forums. Since then we have grown to be Movement of People Australia’s largest public human rights event. Conflict and the global movement of people Our vision is to create a vibrant human rights continues to be a pressing international culture and community across Australia. human rights issue globally. The poignant We bring people and places to life through film The Distant Barking of Dogs, is an absolute engaging film, art and discussion and we put Evelyn Tadros Aleta Moriarty masterpiece which shows the confronting reality a human face to difficult issues. Chair CEO of conflict in the Ukraine, and what people risk Our audience has told us that year of year we to stay. We shine a light on those that are forced In 2040, my daughter will be 23. Consuming This year’s ambitious program is shining a light have helped made a difference. Over 90 percent to flee, with the rights and plight of asylum the daily news, it can be difficult to not feel on some of the greatest human rights challenges of people have undertaken action to improve seekers illuminated in Stop the Boats and overwhelmed with fear and hopelessness about of our lifetime, women’s rights; conflict and human rights after attending the festival. Journey Beyond Fear. her future. But to succumb to such feelings, would the global movement of people, through to only justify inaction, indifference and apathy. Indigenous rights and economic justice. During 2019 we will be presenting an exciting Pride Pioneers — LGBTIQ+ Equality program that will shine a light on some of the Why? Because in order to create the world We’re putting a human face to these difficult It’s been a challenging few years for LGBTIQ+ biggest human rights issues of our lifetime. that we want our children to inherit — one issues — putting the humanity back into human rights in Australia, with momentous change. which is peaceful, compassionate, equal, just rights. We have learnt that to really change the Indigenous Affairs This program stream aims to celebrate the wins and environmentally sustainable — we need world people must feel an emotional connection and highlight challenges that remain. Australia Australia has a long way to go in realising the to believe that such a world is possible. to human rights. This drives action. Our audience Says Yes covers the poignant and personal human rights for our Indigenous population. has told us that upon leaving the festival most history of struggle and perseverance that And HRAFF shows us that it is. Our opening This year we are delighted to present several of them have undertaken an action to improve propelled Australia to say Yes to marriage night film 2040 maps out a pathway for such films that explore Indigenous Rights. Highlights human rights. This, at its core, is what the festival equality. Becoming Colleen is about an 85 year a future. Risking Light gives us the courage include Wik vs Queensland, a powerful insight is about. Driving change. old transgender woman and how her small to resist fear and division. The stories at HRAFF into the 1996 High Court decision to grant community of Coffs Harbour comes together reveal that, despite our differences, we share So please join us in tackling some of the biggest co-existence rights to the Wik Peoples of Cape to support the pursuit of her greatest dream. a common humanity. They give us hope issues confronting us. York, and the dramatic political and cultural that, together, we can solve our most fallout; and Etched in Bone, which sensitively A Fair Go — Economic Justice We hope you enjoy the festival! intractable problems. explores the theft and return of human bones The economy and human rights intersect to Arnhem Land. So let HRAFF move you to act. We can do this. sharply in our program stream dedicated to We must do this. For our children. Girls To The Front — Gender Equality a Fair Go. The Panama Papers looks at the leak of documents that uncovered the astonishing Gender equality is essential for the achievement levels of tax evasion perpetuated by some of of human rights for all. Yet discrimination and the richest and most powerful people on earth. inequality persist. In 2019 we will proudly present Likewise, the award-winning documentary, Girls To The Front. Here we highlight powerful, Invisible Hands, exposes child labour and transformative voices fighting to improve gender trafficking within the supply chains of the outcomes, with highlights including, On Her world’s biggest corporations. Shoulders, which follows Nobel Prize Winner and Yazidi activist, Nadia Murad, as she becomes the international voice of her people. 4 5 HIGHLIGH T IGH Opening Night Film: N G G N T I S — — S N 2040 PE O O PE N S — — S I T N G G N IGH T HIGHLIGH “Gameau's noble motives and positive vibes Opening Night are hard to fault.” Thursday 9 May 6:30pm THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER ACMI Cinemas What could the future look like if we embraced the best CineSeeds What's your 2040? solutions available today? Damon Gameau (That Sugar Sunday 19 May Film) embarks on a personal journey to explore what the Join us for a 2pm future would look like by the year 2040 if we embraced ACMI Cinemas post-film Q&A with the best solutions already available to us to improve our special guests planet and shifted them into the mainstream. Structured Damon Gameau as a visual letter to his 4-year-old daughter, Damon Australia / 2019 / 92 mins / Gameau blends traditional documentary footage with English / Documentary dramatised sequences and high-end visual effects to create a vision board for his daughter. Festival Selection Berlin International Film Festival 2019 6 7 C T E NTR IGH N EPIE G G N C SI E / F / E O L C RONT LI N E Join us for a Q&A with director Simon Kurian and Julian Burnside Giant Little Ones Stop the Boats “An emotionally involving coming-of-age story Victorian Premiere “A national conversation on how Australia got so far removed Centrepiece Screening with a profound impact.” Closing Night from the international convention it signed in 1954.” Saturday 18 May Thursday 23 May 6:15pm OBSERVER 6pm ACMI Cinemas DOCUMENTARY AUSTRALIA FOUNDATION ACMI Cinemas Encore Encore Franky and Ballas are best friends, popular high-schoolers Stop. The. Boats. The three words that have distorted the very Thursday 23 May Thursday 23 May and swim team stars. When an impromptu sexual encounter meaning of seeking asylum in Australia. This raw and urgent 6:30pm Cinema Nova 8:30pm Cinema Nova forces them to confront their sexuality, Franky — still dealing 6:30pm Lido Cinemas documentary tells the story of how Australia used a three 8:30pm Lido Cinemas with the fallout of his father leaving his mother for a man — word slogan to demonise asylum seekers fleeing war and feels unsure of himself. Ostracised by homophobic schoolmates Keith Behrman persecution, condemning them to indefinite offshore detention Simon V. Kurian and pushed to come out of the closet by supportive friends and Canada / 2018 / 93 mins / and torture in prison camps on Manus Island and Nauru. Australia / 2018 / 80 mins / family, Franky feels pressure to pick an identity: straight or gay? English / Coming-of-Age Drama Filmed in secret and smuggled out on USB drives a few shots English / Documentary The problem is, Franky doesn’t feel like either label describes at a time, Stop the Boats documents the experience of seeking Festival Selection him, but navigates this while mending the relationships asylum as told by those who know it best: the detainees Toronto International most important to him. A sensitive and sophisticated film Film Festival 2018 themselves, including children and the award-winning with wonderfully evocative performances, particularly Kyle journalist Behrouz Boochani. Also featuring prominent human Vancouver International MacLachlan, Giant Little Ones is an exploration of identity rights activists including Julian Burnside and Malcolm Fraser. Film Festival 2018 and the importance of love without labels.