Ubud hosts ‘social change’ film festival

Filmmakers, local communities, activists and movie-lovers will have a chance to get together and share their thoughts and ideas at the upcoming Global Social Change Film Festival & Institute (GSCFFI) to promote social change and intercultural understanding.

The GSCFFI will take place from April 13 to 17 in Ubud, Bali and feature a number of activities, ranging from workshops, screenings and classes throughout the year to support activist filmmakers and storytellers.

GSCFFI founder and director Cynthia Phillips said the festival and institute aim at promoting and inspiring film and media that entertain and engage audiences.

“The quality of storytelling is especially important for us, as is the potential of a film to reach a wider audience and inspire social action,” Phillips says.

“The inaugural GSCFFI in Bali is creating an international community of filmmakers and activists working for environmental and social justice and a support network for aspiring activist filmmakers everywhere.”

Themed “Women & Film”, the festival will showcase eight movies by filmmakers from Sierra Leone, South Korea, Australia, the US and countries from the Pacific Islands and the Middle East.

The films include Sara Terry’s Fambul Tok – a film about John Caulker, founder of the Fambul Tok, an organization in West Africa’s Sierra Leone that brings perpetrators and victims together in truth-telling and forgiveness ceremonies.

Michael Nash will present Climate Refugees, highlighting the displacement of communities around the world by climate-induced environmental disasters such as droughts, desertification, hurricanes, cyclones, fires and flooding.

Renowned Indonesian director/producer/screenwriter Nia Dinata is the GSCFFI Filmmaker Honoree and will host a workshop during the festival.

The 40-year-old has been recognized for bringing diverse social issues, from homosexuality and polygamy to the lives of trafficked women, into her works.

For instance, she captures the story of a Chinese community after the reform era in Ca Bau Kan (The Courtesan), homosexuality in Arisan! (The Gathering!) and the lives of women from different backgrounds and ethnicities who have all experienced polygamy in Berbagi Suami (Love to Share).

The GSCFFI will also award organizations for their tireless work in social matters. It will present the Women and Children Crisis Centre of Tonga (WCCC) the first GSCFFI Activist Award for their dedication in eliminating violence against women and children and promoting gender equality.

The WCCC helps victims and survivors of rape, sexual harassment, attempted suicide, child abuse, neglect, sexual abuse and sexual assault. It also provides 24-hour counseling, legal support, financial counseling, community outreach and awareness and research and communication.

EngageMedia will be presented the GSCFFI Innovator Award for its ground-breaking work in empowering social movements and activists in the Asia Pacific region.

EngageMedia centers its work on helping activists effectively produce and distribute content related to climate change, gender equality, poverty, globalization, social justice, indigenous rights, alternative energy and animal rights.

Also on the festival’s agenda will be a tour of the Green School, a school in Ubud, Bali that teaches students about sustainability and education.

Those who with movie industry aspirations might be interested in joining a documentary workshop held in Ubud and Jakarta, with Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated American filmmaker Jonathan Stack.

Emmy-winning writing/producing team Dee LaDuke and Mark Alton Brown will also come to Ubud after their seminars on the art of television writing and production at the National University of Singapore and NYU Tisch Asia in Singapore.