The Human Rights Arts & Film Festival Launches Full Program #HRAFF #Melbourne #geekgirl

FESTIVAL OPENS WITH PAUL SIMON DOCO UNDER THE AFRICAN SKIES
15 – 27 May 2012

The fifth Human Rights Arts and Film Festival (HRAFF) will open on Tuesday 15 May with the highly anticipated documentary Under African Skies by award winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger.

Twenty-five years have passed since Paul Simon broke a UN cultural ban and entered South Africa to make the album Graceland. The album would go on to be a global phenomenon, salvaging his career while also polarising audiences. To mark this anniversary, Simon returns to South Africa to reunite with the Graceland musicians, and clear the air with his greatest critic, Artists Against Apartheid founder Dali Tambo. Under African Skies pays homage to this time.

Eleven days later, Jon Shenk’s The Island President will close the Festival. This is the story of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced. Having brought democracy to the Maldives after thirty years of despotic rule, Nasheed is now faced with an even greater challenge. As one of the most low-lying countries in the world, a rise of three feet in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives enough to make them uninhabitable. The Island President captures Nasheed’s first year of office, culminating in his trip to the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009. At the screening there will be a live video Q&A with the former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed.

With 15 Australian premieres, other highlights of the 19 film program include: award-winning documentary At Night They Dance which sheds light on the chaotic world of Egyptian belly dancers working in downtown Cairo;  based on the award-winning comic novel (Paco Roca, 2007), Wrinkles is an animated feature film about Emilio, who, in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, is sent by his son to live in an aged-care facility; Beer is Cheaper Than Therapy is a poignant documentary which examines the psychological distress suffered by numerous soldiers, offering a voice to those who are all too often lost in the discourse of war, the veterans themselves; and Australian feature film Fantome Island by Sean Gilligan which looks at Joe Eggmolesse, who at the age of seven was taken from his family, put on a train, and sent to a leprosarium on Fantome Island, located off the Queensland coast. Many years later, he returns to confront the memory of his childhood on the island, to pay tribute to those who lived and died there and to inscribe his own unique story into official Australian history.

FORUM - Extreme Reactions to Creative Expression
Sat 19 May, 5pm – ACMI, The Cube. Free Entry
Facilitator Richard Watts (3RRR) along with Ajak Kwai (singer/songwriter), Jeff Daniels (filmmaker) and Khadim Ali (artist) will discuss the cultural politics of extreme governmental responses towards creative expression.

FORUM – Off the Wall: Is Street Art an Appropriate Medium to Voice Human Rights Issues?
Wed 23 May, 5.30pm – Kaleide Theatre, RMIT. Free Entry
Public discourse surrounding street art is dominated by the continuing debate about cultural legitimacy and notions of ownership of public space. Yet, such discussions conceal one of the most important functions of street art, the creative freedom to be powerfully political and socially current. Partake in a lively discussion with facilitator Fiona Hillary along with Lachlan Macdowall (artist), Boo (stencil artist), Tom Civil (graffiti artist) and Kate Shaw.

FORUM - Flights of Fancy: the Ethics of Travel
Sat 26 May, 5pm – ACMI, The Cube. Free Entry
For many Australians, travel has become cheap and accessible. Yet, as the world keeps shrinking, and our mobility increasing, the decisions we make, be it as a high-flyer, a backpacker, or even a volunteer, have consequences on the world around us. Hear what facilitator Jeff Jarvis (International Research Unit Monash), and a panel including Jane Crouch (Intrepid), Andrew Abel (Surfing Assoc. of Papua New Guinea), Adam Pesce (filmmaker) and Dimity Fifer (Australian Volunteers International) have to say.

MUSIC – Rhythm & Rights
Sun 20 May, 1.30pm–7pm – Abbotsford Convent.
Move your feet, shake your body and feel the beat at HRAFF’s annual Rhythm & Rights event.  Tinpan Orange headline a full day of musical entertainment including: Sol Nation, The Hacketts, Alwan Bridgett, Cains Teame, Ersie Wadaiko, Rindo Musiki Manjaro, Leigh Woodburgess, Danny Al Sabbagh with Khaled Khalafalla as MC.  Taking over the Abbotsford Convent for one day only, the program consists of an exciting range of performers coming together over their shared commitment to the promotion of human rights culture through musical expression.

Art exhibition - Echoes of Others: Illuminating the gaps amid translation
Thu 17–27 May, 11am–5pm (Tue-Sat) 12pm–5pm (Sun) – No Vacancy, QV Building.
Human rights issues have become increasingly visible, broadcast through a variety of media, whose dissemination of information makes possible greater accessibility and detail. On the other, the inconsistencies of such technological access around the world continue to reinforce the widening gaps that exist between people and places. Whilst communication should be crisp and clear, it is, too often, broken, frozen and distorted, as the process of translation allows for interpretation, re-interpretation and, more often than not, misinterpretation. The work exhibited explores echoes both materially and conceptually, as voices are silenced, images fade and meaning is reconstructed.

Artists: Alexia Germain, Marliène Blain, Louis Philippelèvesque, Anita Belia, Baden Pailthorpe, Brad Haylock, Dinalie Dabarera, The Keiskamma Trust, Lex Randolph, Louise Hunter, Minela Krupic, Nasim Nasr, Sue Kneebone and Veronica Grow.

LISTING DETAILS
WHAT: The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival
WHEN: Tuesday 15 – Sunday 27 May 2012
WHERE: The Forum Theatre, ACMI and Abbotsford Convent
MORE INFO: www.hraff.org.au

Out the Window: capture Los Angeles in two minutes #freewaves #riders #LA #geekgirl

OUT THE WINDOW
http://www.freewavesopencall.org/

What do you know about Los Angeles?   Want to share your knowledge on TV?

Submission deadline  March 1, 2011
Freewaves is seeking two-minute artists-activists-storytellers’  videos about places in Los Angeles (home, street, hood) to show to I million riders per day on all 2,200 Metro buses in L.A. County in June  and September-October, 2011. On Transit TV we will show animations,  documentaries, narratives and experimental videos about, by and in Los  Angeles.

Entry Form

Gerry Gafney reviews the recently launched #Melbourne #bicycle share scheme #geekgirl

Recently Melbourne launched a bicycle share scheme. The uptake so far has been low. There have been suggestions that this is due, at least in part, to the launch taking place in winter.

However, an important factor is that in Australia it is mandatory to wear a helmet when cycling, and the scheme does not provide helmets. The first photograph contains, to my mind, both question and answer. The tag is “Short trip? Why not take a bike?”. At the bottom right is a “safety first” image of an encased head, showing precisely why it is inconvenient to take a bike for that short trip.

I don’t want to join the debate about whether bicycle helmets should be mandatory, but for those not familiar with the debate, it can be summarised as follows:

Advocates of mandated helmets state that individual cyclists are offered some protection in the event of an accident. Opponents point out that cycling rates go down when helmets are made compulsory, that accident rates increase when cyclist numbers decrease (essentially because more cyclists leads to better awareness among drivers as well as better socialised behaviour by cyclists themselves), and that significant health benefits to society are accordingly sacrificed when fewer people ride. At the end of the page there are some links you might want to follow, but let me warn you in advance that the topic is muddy, and that there is considerable vehemence on each side.

In any case, I was in Melbourne for a day to listen to Mikael Colville-Andersen, a Danish film-maker and photographer who runs an extremely popular cycling blog called Copenhagenize, and whom I interviewed recently for the User Experience podcast. He was in Melbourne as part of Victoria’s “State of Design” festival.

More:  Short trip? Why not take a bike?

SOYA (Spirit of Youth Awards) #geekgirl

SOYA (Spirit of Youth Awards)
Entries close: Monday August 9
www.soya.com.au

SOYA, the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards, is Australia’s largest grant program for emerging creative talent.

Each year, for the past seven years, SOYA has awarded a film maker $10,000 in cash and flights from Qantas, and a mentorship with a leading filmmaker. This year’s mentor is producer Jan Chapman (The Piano, Lantana), and they’re on the lookout for emerging film makers, animators etc. (aged 30 and under) they can support as they develop their business.

All you have to do is enter via the website by sending through some information and attaching a few images of your work. A producer will view it and be in touch within a few days to request more information if you are selected for the next round.

Finalists will be announced in October.

Gallery 9 Presents ‘Ad Astra’ Exhibition

21 July – 14 August 2010 :: Sydney, Australia

Ad Astra, by artist Adam Norton, reflects on the desire for space travel, and contains a series of paintings comparing past individuals and present agencies involved in Space exploration, both physically and imaginatively.

For more information visit www.gallery9.com.au

Tortuga Artists Road Trip – #Sydney – April 23rd

Start Time: Friday, April 23, 2010 at 6:00pm
Location: TORTUGA STUDIOS
Street: 31 Princes Highway, St Peters, Sydney, NSW

Description.Steeped with promise, danger and diesel, the open road snakes into the distance, a strap of liquorice writhing in the sun. It holds the allure of a destination unknown, punctuated by the roar of the road train, strings of redneck towns like gaudy necklaces, and the steady beat of the motor as you head outback…

ROAD TRIP
A Tortuga Studios group show
Over 35 emerging and established visual artists, photographers, sculptors, installation artists, multi-media, projection and film artists let loose in an inner city warehouse to explore a destination unknown.

Live music from La Mancha Negra and Glitch Jukebox
Opening night: 23rd April 2010 6pm – 10pm
Exhibition runs: 24th April – 2nd May 2010 By Appointment

Garth Knight, Jesse Cox, Jess Cook, Sam Ash, Johnny Bell, Elise Vaughn, Mini Graff, Will Coles, EARS, Shabnam Hameed and Madeleine Hetherton, Valentina Schulte, Perran Costi, Peter Strong, Jacq Sherry, Rachael Lafferty, Anthony Sawrey, Brian Paisley, Dillon MacEwan, Sergio Abugattás Tenaud, Pierre Cavalan, Jo Shand, Terry Archer, Alien Proof Construction, Marty Jay, Claire Conroy, Jess Pickford, Nicole Goldspink, Mark Swarz, Brent Reid, Ganbold Lundaa, Darian Zam, Azelia Maynard, Sarah Harvie, Andrea Davies, Kassandra Bossell, Justin Maynard, Alasdair Nicol, Hiske Weijers
and more…

Electrosmog Festival – International Festival for Sustainable Mobility

Electrosmog Festival – International Festival for Sustainable Mobility
Various Locations :: March 18 – 20, 2010

Revolving around the concept of Sustainable Immobility, the festival will introduce and explore this concept in theory and practice. The festival aims to realise the fundamental promise of the information age that communication technologies can replace the need for physical mobility, and thus both contribute to ecological stability as well as a more rewarding both deep-local and translocal life-style. The festival asks audiences and presenters to travel no further than local/regional boundaries to attend.

http://www.electrosmogfestival.net/

From Sometimes Love Beth, an adventure in postcards.

The humble postcard celebrates its 140th birthday in October 2009*, the month we publish From Sometimes Love Beth, a compendium of all things postcarderly by author and artist Beth Sometimes.

On the eve of 2008, Beth set herself a challenge to send a postcard to somebody or something every day for the next year. From her new home in Central Australia, her mostly handmade cardboard communiqués radiated throughout the country and beyond – to friends, exes, strangers, mountains, stars and just about anything she wanted to reach out and touch.

Some postcards she raced, others she designed to make posties blush, while other focus on Beth’s experiences working with indigenous Australians in the Central Desert. Each contains a piece of writing of some significance; moments in time and personal reflections that create their own poetic narrative as public and exposed as a postcard itself.

Collected are the best of the postcards and 20 challenges to inspire readers to set off on their own postal adventures (tear-out postcards are included so there’s no excuse). This is a uniquely celebratory book that explores the themes of isolation and connection, brings people together and influences by delight.

Beth Sometimes

Author and artist Beth Sometimes – pictured above – will be on a publicity tour and available for interview in Adelaide (1-5 October), Newcastle (6 October), Melbourne (7-8 October) and Sydney (9 October). She is also available to write articles on anything to do with postcards.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Shirley Hardy-Rix, at shirley@hardyrix.com.au or 0412 057 288.

GG: It’s really an awesome book and you should get a copy, oh and one for a friend too !

(GREAT GIFT IDEA for 09)

ISBN 978-0-9806378-0-9, RRP is $29.95.
To purchase a copy online, visit the Affirm Press website: www.affirmpress.com.au

The Melbourne Bicycle Film Festival x

To promote Melbourne as a city for cyclists, The Melbourne Bicycle Film Festival are looking for films up to 1 minute long that promote road harmony between all users. The films must contain a recognisable City of Melbourne location, feature cyclists wearing helmets, using a bell and contain one of eight scenarios that represent barriers to road harmony.

First prize is $1000 and a $250 voucher from Open Channel and the use of the clip by the City of Melbourne as part of their safe cycling campaign. Short listed entries will be screened before Bicycle Film Festival sessions at the Palace Kino Cinemas 26 – 28 November.

Visit www.ambiguoushorse.com for more information.

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places, urban Melbourne metro life via a Dada vehicle

WORLD PREMIERE
Melbourne International Arts Festival, Arts House and Store Room Theatre present The Dictionary of Imaginary Places
Created and Directed by Anna Tregloan
Thu 15 – Sun 18 October

“Anna Tregloan’s mesmeric performance installation gave us a compelling taste of what an experimental agenda can achieve.” The Age

Have you ever overheard a conversation on the train and been transfixed? Did you let your mind wander? Did you fill in the gaps? Perhaps you invented the entire life story of the characters on which you eavesdropped? Under the acclaimed direction of Anna Tregloan, The Dictionary of Imaginary Places captures the complexity of urban life in a Dada inspired work where transcribed conversations, rants and whisperings uttered by everyday commuters on Melbourne’s metropolitan rail network are reinvented into a unique and seductive piece of theatre.

Unpredictable, roughly hewn and surprisingly tender, this work will showcase the topsy-turvy daily grind as four consummate performers take up the challenge of clowning their way through the abyss between what we assume about someone, what they believe of themselves and what might just be possible.

The Dictionary of Imaginary Places expresses not only the imagination of theatre, but also the imagination that dwells in every individual making for a precious night of theatre and a train ride in a truly unique world.

Director: Anna Treglaon. Producer: Todd MacDonald, Sound Design: David Franzke. Lighting designer: Niklas
Pajanti. Performers: Chris Brown, Rita Kalnejais, Heather Bolton and James Wardlaw.

Event information
Venue: Arts House, Meat Market 5 Blackwood St, North Melbourne
When: Thu 15 – Sun 18 October
Time: Thu and Fri 8pm, Sat 8pm and 4pm, Sun 2pm and 6pm
Duration: 65 minutes no interval
Tickets: Full $35 / Groups (8+) $31.50 / Concession $27.00
Bookings: www.artshouse.com.au (03) 9639 0096
or www.melbournefestival.com.au 1300 136 166