Stories from Quick Reads and Film
Film Shows How a Malaysian Tribe is Stopping Loggers from Destroying their Land
Sunset Over Selungo is a 30-minute film documenting how the indigenous Penan tribe is defending the remaining rainforest of Borneo island in Malaysia. Borneo is the largest island in Asia. The film was made by independent British filmmaker Ross Harrison
An Election Film Week in Lebanon to Say #NoToExtension of Parliament Term
What better than the seventh art to mobilize? In another effort to push for Elections in Lebanon and prevent an extension of the Parliamentary term #NoToExtension, Lebanese NGO Nahwa Al Muwatiniya (meaning Towards Citizenship) held an “Election Film Week”. Six works from Chile, Iran, China, Ghana and the US, varying between documentaries...
China Blocks Beijing Independent Film Festival
Beijing authorities blocked an annual independent film festival from opening on August 23, 2014. The move is seen as a sign that Beijing is tightening ideological controls. According to indie director Huang Wenhai, the shutdown was “the darkest day in the history of Chinese independent film.” Started in 2006 by independent art critic Li Xianting,...
Beatriz’s War: East Timor's First Feature Film
A Guerra da Beatriz (Beatriz’s War) is the first feature film from East Timor. It is about Indonesia's occupation of East Timor from 1975 to 1999 and its impact on the Timorese society. According to the producers of the film, it was “made guerrilla style by the men and women...
Yasmine: Brunei's First Feature Film
The film Yasmine is notable because it is Brunei's first feature film. It is about a young woman who wanted to be a champion of silat, an indigenous martial arts from Brunei. The film has been well-received in various international film festivals.
A Documentary That Allows Transgender People's Voices to Be Heard
Though gays and lesbians are gradually gaining more acceptance in Puerto Rico, the same cannot be said yet of transgender people. That is why a film like Mala Mala, a documentary in which trans people speak freely about their stories, is so important. The film, directed by Dan Sickles (@dan_sickles) and...
China: Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case
Another documentary about Chinese dissent artist Ai Weiwei has been released, following Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012). Beijing Cream has Hilary Chassé's review on the upcoming – Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case.
Haiti: “Excalibur of the Caribbean”
Machetes are ubiquitous and versatile…in the case of Haiti, machetes were common weapons in the struggle for independence. Haiti Innovation blogs about a short film profiling a Haitian machete-fighting instructor.
VIDEO: “Same But Different” Kids With Disabilities Tell Their Stories
Eight British children with disabilities and medical conditions tell their stories in Same But Different, an award-winning documentary by David Barnes. It is a collection of short portraits of children who describe their lives, their strengths and weaknesses.
Serbia Mourns British-Serbian Legend Timothy John Byford
Author, actor, educator, television and film director Timothy John Byford died in Belgrade on May 5, 2014, after a long illness. Born in Salisbury, England, Byford spent most of his life in Belgrade, where he moved in 1971 and later became a naturalized citizen of Serbia. As news portal InSerbia...
Hong Kong Movie Star Boycotted by Mainland Chinese
The conflict between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese on issues such as birth tourism, shortage of infant formula milk and the recent child's pee and poo has continued to fermented. Mainland Chinese netizens are mobilizing to fight back. The latest move is to boycott Hong Kong movies star Chapman To,...
Japan's Citizen Media Meet at Mikawa Medifes 2014
Citizen media makers in Japan are gathering in the Mikawa region of Japan's Aichi prefecture this weekend for the 12th annual citizen media conference Mikawa Medifes 2014 [ja]. Dozens of sessions about civic media will be held at the Kariya City Cultural Center from May 3 to 5, 2014. Themed in...
Colombia: Free Cinema Festival in Bogota
El próximo ocho de mayo se llevará a cabo en Bogotá, un festival de cine libre que tiene como antecedente 3 versiones realizadas en la ciudad de Barranquilla.
Documentaries from 29 Countries Are SIMA 2014 Finalists
These are films we want to watch! 37 powerful documentary films from 29 countries have been selected as finalists for the 2014 Social Impact Media Award (SIMA). The stories are from: South Africa, Switzerland, Zambia, the UK, Russia, India, Israel, Chile, Western Sahara, the US, Lebanon, Cambodia, Syria, Burkina Faso,...
Documentary About South Sudan National Football Team's First Coach
Roving Bandit reports about a new documentry titled “Coach Zoran and His African Tigres”: A new documentary, about the first ever manager of the first ever South Sudanese national football team. His name is Zoran, and he swears like a trooper. It's an entertaining story, filmed in 2012 and set...
“Happy” Video Exposes the Other Side of Rio de Janeiro
Inspired by the “worldwide contagious happiness” that was sparked by Pharrell Williams’ viral music video “Happy“, as can be seen in hundreds of dancing videos from around the world, Brazilian group of video-makers Jeitinho Carioca (“Shit Cariocas Say”) has created a local version for Rio de Janeiro with a satirical tone. Besides showing people...
South Korea: 6th Grader's ‘Frozen’ Tribute Video
Disney's Oscar-winning animated film ‘Frozen’ is immensely popular in South Korea; it has become the second most-watched foreign film as of last weekend by crossing 10 million admissions. Korean fans have posted lots of parody images, as well as Korean artists who have chimed in by singing the movie's catchy hit song...
16 Women Rocking Chile
A photo essay in the website Sentidos Comunes [es] highlights 16 outstanding Chilean women who “are the protagonists of the public agenda in the next five or ten years.” The list includes photographer Paloma Palomino, politician Karol Cariola, journalist Isabel Plant, filmmaker Dominga Sotomayor, and illustrator Fran Meneses.
Venezuelan TV Station Didn't Air Oscars for the First Time in 39 Years
Your oscar speech can help save lives in Venezuela. Speak Up! #OscarsForVenezuela #Oscars2014 #SOSVenezuela pic.twitter.com/38EAZ32mtu — ¿Sabías que? (@sabiastuque_) March 1, 2014 Given the rumors that the Academy Awards Ceremony would include artists’ messages regarding the protests in Venezuela, the event was not aired [es] by Venevisión, the biggest television...
10 New Documentaries at the Luxor African Film Festival
Tom Devriendt lists 10 documentaries to look out for at the Luxor African Film Festival: The third edition of the Egyptian Luxor African Film Festival again has a wide-ranging programme scheduled for next month. Selected films will be showing in different competitions: Long Narrative, Short Narratives, Short Documentaries and Long...
Video: Why Young Nigerians Leave Home
Nigerian netizen Kola Olaosebikan uses YouTube to address, among other topics, the question of why young Nigerians are running from home: This video addresses moving back to nigeria, why i left nigeria, brain drain in nigeria, and issues impacting youth and progress in nigeria all wrapped up in a nice...
