Human rights film festival seeking fresh takes on freedom

 

Landmark human rights film festival FreedomFilmFest (FFF) is seeking film grant proposals and completed films that celebrate the fight for freedom.

Over the last few months, Malaysia has been rocked by familiar controversies ranging from the banning of films, and the backlash against international artistes to even the seizure of rainbow-themed watches.

In this climate, FFF seeks film grant proposals and completed films that highlight the theme #WhyFreedom.

The festival organisers are looking for fresh and insightful takes on freedom that will inspire and challenge audiences to strive for peace, dignity, and human rights for all regardless of colour, religion, or creed.

Film grant proposals should be submitted by June 26, 2023, while the deadline for completed films is March 1, 2024.

The theme is a return to the festival’s roots.

Power of film

“Freedom was chosen as the name of our festival when we first started many years ago because there was a lack of safe spaces and opportunities for alternative perspectives that challenged the dominant mainstream narrative.

"We wanted to encourage Malaysians from all walks of life to harness the power of film to tell their own stories,” said Anna Har, co-founder of Freedom Film Network (FFN) and FFF.

“It has no doubt been a challenging journey for this small and independent film festival to survive within an ecosystem that is generally not supportive of alternative, marginalised, and human rights perspectives but it speaks to how resilience in defending our space for free expression is required and possible,” Har added.

The festival has produced a total of 64 social justice films over 20 years. The majority of FFF films often highlight marginalised and underrepresented communities.

It’s a feature that FFF co-founder Brenda Danker believes is vital to creating a new national narrative in Malaysia.

“These films are an important and crucial contribution to developing the national narrative.

"They allow missing narratives to be documented and included, paving the way for a more balanced and complete understanding of the nation’s untold social justice stories, leading to social action. Malaysia does need a new national narrative, where all communities and voices are included,” said Danker.

Storytelling skills

Over the years, the festival has evolved from merely providing film grants to equipping filmmakers with the skills to create an impactful plan to activate social action.

FFF is not the final destination of films produced by the organisation. Instead, it is a launching pad as films that are funded and supported by FFF travel throughout the country and to Singapore.

Every screening is accompanied by a moderated question-and-answer session with people who can help audiences learn and take action on the issues highlighted.

It has allowed many filmmakers to start their careers as social filmmakers and develop their storytelling skills through FFF’s network and mentoring opportunities.

For more information, those interested can visit here. - Mkini