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Human Rights Film Festival Starts in Byron Tonight

The Human Rights Film Festival starts at the PigHouse Flicks in Byron tonight, with four sessions over four nights.

The Island President – Tue 13 June, 7pm
http://hraff.org.au/film-event/the-island-president-2

Australian Shorts – Wed 14 June, 7pm
http://hraff.org.au/film-event/australian-shorts-home-grown

International Shorts – Thu 15 June, 7pm
http://hraff.org.au/film-event/international-mixtape

Fantome Island – Fri 16 June, 7pm
http://hraff.org.au/film-event/fantome-island

Art is indeed a luminous language. When unbound by culture or borders, it becomes a powerful means of communication, transcending cultural, ethnic or linguistic differences. Harnessing such power, what sort of a world could be built when art is used to explore the difficult issues of human rights? This is the question that we at the Human Rights Art and Film Festival (HRAFF) 2012 seek to answer.

In its fifth year, HRAFF is designed to celebrate awareness, participation and inspiration, providing a shared site whereby artists, human rights organisations and the Australian public are united by their desire to contribute to social change. For eleven days in Melbourne, and then three weeks across the country, HRAFF will exhibit a selection of contemporary cinema, fine art and music, with the hope to engage and inspire.

HRAFF provides multiple platforms of engagement, aiming to advance and encourage education and debate among the broader community, whilst to showcasing and supporting Australian and international artists concerned with human rights issues. Whilst HRAFF is indeed global in scope, they privilege a particular focus on local content dealing with human rights and global awareness, and are committed to the inclusion of Australian content and the engagement with Australian issues. In particular, they promote works by or about indigenous Australia and aim to create a stronger and more cohesive human rights community around the country.

Designed with education and inspiration as its primary goal, the festival uses art as a vessel for linking human rights organisations with the broader community. The festival is committed to encouraging and facilitating the participation of new audiences: the traveling film festival targets marginalised communities; screenings in workplaces showcase the benefits of developing a human rights culture; and our education program travels the country engaging the next generation in the pertinent issues on human rights and global awareness. Recognising, however, that human rights issues can be overwhelming, HRAFF aims not only to raise awareness, but also to redirect the debate towards a more positive and productive outcome. The message they hope to transmit is one focused on change, inspiration, passion, creativity, inclusion, and most of all, of possibility.

HRAFF celebrates those artists who have chosen to delve into the complex and messy issues of human rights, motivated only by their desire to contribute a new, creative voice to the debate. They recognise too the businesses and organisations that have taken the challenging path to advance human rights, fair trade and environmentally friendly policies and practices. And finally, they pay tribute to our public, whose patronage demonstrates a shared desire to see human rights underscored in both the creative and public arena. The team at HRAFF envisions a vibrant human rights culture and community in Australia in 2012.

For more information go to their website

http://www.hraff.org.au

or to their facebook page and event page -  Human Rights Arts and Film Festival

https://www.facebook.com/humanrightsfest

Posted: Tuesday, June 12th, 2012 Under: Arts, Bangalow, Brunswick Heads, Business, Byron Bay, Environment, Music, News, People, Sources, Tweed Shire, activism, ballina, culture, education, entertainment, festivals, indigenous culture, youth. | Home |

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