REFUGEE WOMEN – HISTORY’S SILENT HEROES
The International Premiere of Refugee Women – History’s Silent Heroes will take place on Saturday 19 August as part of the Brisbane International Film Festival. This free event is co-hosted by Multicultural Development Australia (MDA). Refugee Women – History’s Silent Heroes is a series of five-minute short films curated by the Sabanci Foundation in Turkey. BIFF is honoured to be hosting an onstage panel discussion, featuring three women with refugee backgrounds who are now based in Brisbane. Faiza Adan, Sara Yousif and Lyla Moshmosh will be joined on stage by Vanessa Fabre from MDA and Maxine Williamson, co-director of BIFF.
With its projects for social development and empowerment, the Sabanci Foundation has been a pioneer for 43 years working for the development of Turkey and seeking solutions to social problems through institutions, scholarships, awards and grant programs. The Sabanci Foundation is now using cinema to highlight social issues. By witnessing the tragic situations that refugee women are faced with through the lens of artists the Foundation believes it will prompt people to think more on and produce solutions about refugees. The opinion leader for the 2016 inaugural “short film, long impact” program was famous National Geographic photojournalist and humanist, Reza Deghati and he asked the creators to consider the following theme: ‘Refugee Women are history’s silent heroes. Please join us to give them a voice.’ The result is the series of short films screening at BIFF on Saturday.
Maxine Williamson, BIFF co-Director comments: “This is a wonderful opportunity for audiences to learn about the experience of displacement told firstly through the eyes of emerging cinematic artists from Turkey and secondly through the very personal accounts of the three Brisbane women who have arrived in Australia through refugee status. This is about changing the conversation about refugees ultimately through education and discussion and in this instance via the world’s most popular art form; cinema – as an accessible means to broaden people’s perceptions.”
SCREENING DETAILS
Film: Refugee Women – History’s Silent Heroes
Date: Saturday 19 August
Time: 12.15pm – screening commences, followed by on stage panel discussion with Faiza Adan, Sara Yousif, Lyla Moshmosh, Vanessa Fabre (MDA) and Maxine Williamson (BIFF)
Location: Palace Centro
Further details: http://biff.net.au/films/
Full Program and ticketing information at: www.biff.net.au
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About the Festival
The Brisbane International Film Festival runs from 17 August – 3 September 2017. The festival is co- directed by experienced film curator Richard Sowada and Brisbane’s Maxine Williamson, previously Film Director of the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and the Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival. The festival is made possible through the support of Screen Queensland via the Queensland Government and major partner, Palace Cinemas.
