The Reel Short Film Festival being held in February 2007. It’s held by Youthtown and is a chance for people aged 13-18 years to make a film (fiction, documentary or animation) for other young people.

Movies with a Message
This year a special category has been created with a world flavour. Have you got something to say of global importance? This category covers films or documentaries that deal with themes such as the environment, discrimination or war and peace.

Films entered into this category will be judged by a representative from The Global Education Centre and will be eligible for a prize pack including movie tickets, fair trade chocolate and a year’s subscription to New Internationalist Magazine.

So what is a Movie with a Message and what is a global issue?
You don’t need to travel overseas to make a film with a global message, the same issues are right here in Aotearoa New Zealand. We live in an interdependent world. What happens in our local community is affected by global factors and vice versa. For example, that t-shirt you’re wearing was probably made by a teenager in a sweatshop in China. Or another example: bullying at your school and war in Iraq – they’re different but they are both issues of violence.

Stuck trying to think of what a global message is?
Basically, what we are talking about is a film with a bit of meat to it – that makes some kind of social commentary. Think: Fahrenheit 911(war, politics, corruption and media), An Inconvenient Truth (climate change) or Super Size Me (multinational corporations and health). There are also fictional films that address important themes: The Constant Gardener (drug companies, poverty, and corruption) or Traffic (racism). There are also home-grown examples such as Once Were Warriors (domestic abuse, sexual abuse and colonisation).

Inspiration and Information

For inspiration from other young people, check out the Media that Matters Film Festival. It is a festival of a whole lot of films made by young people in the USA, covering a whole lot of different issues that, well, matter.

A good global website about issues is TakingITGLobal which has information and contributions from young people all over the world.

For more information about entering the Reel Short Film Festival, contact Rebecca at Youthtown - mail Rebecca@youthtown.org.nz or ph 09 379 5430 (ext 806).

Closing date for submissions is 14 Feb 2007.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 1st, 2006 at 1 November 2006 and is filed under Just Focus Site News.