Young filmmakers explore the role of family in the ChildFund Connect Family Film Festival

Sydney, Australia, 29 November 2013:  The international 2013 ChildFund Connect Family Film Festival has launched this week, involving young filmmakers from Australia and around the world. More than 700 children from Australia, Brazil, Ecuador, Laos, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka and Vietnam submitted films for the festival, exploring the theme of 'family' and the role it plays in their lives. Over the next few weeks, film festival events will be held in all seven countries with the participation of the children, their families and communities. The young filmmakers were involved in every part of the production process, from scripting to storyboarding, acting and editing. From over 100 short films produced by the children, 25 semi-finalists were selected and, of those, 12 finalists are being screened at the events. Children will vote on these 12 films in the categories of Best Story, Best Acting and Best Film Technique. The Family Film Festival is part of  ChildFund Connect , a global education program that uses multimedia technology to help Australian children connect and learn with their peers in developing countries. Nigel Spence, CEO of ChildFund Australia, is thrilled at the diversity of videos received this year and the imaginative content produced by the children, many of whom are only of primary school age. "We received a wide range of entries from children in each country, with topics ranging from the light-hearted - such as the tale of a dinosaur who can't find his family - to hard-hitting subjects including family migration, domestic violence and alcohol abuse. "The impact of family is clearly felt in the lives of children, both in Australia and developing countries, reminding us of the importance family members play as role models, educators and influencers." Australian primary schools, including Point Clare, Barraba Central, Manilla Central, Glen Waverley and Warruwi, have films included in the festival. In other countries, the program was run through schools and children's clubs in ChildFund-supported communities. Films from the 2013 ChildFund Connect Family Film Festival will be available for viewing at:  www.youtube.com/ChildFundAustralia  and  www.childfundconnect.org/family-film-festival The films will also become a DVD resource for children in Australia and in the participant countries to learn about the role of families in different communities. For more information on ChildFund Connect, visit  www.childfundconnect.org

ChildFund Connect Family Film Festival - Event Schedule

Australia

• Barraba and Manilla Central Schools in NSW got together on 26 November to screen the films at a local theatre
• Point Clare Public School in NSW will host a school event on 3 December
• Glen Waverley Primary School in Victoria will host a school event on 4 December
• Warruwi School in the Northern Territory will host a school event in late December

Laos

• 2 events will be held in Nonghet in late December after the Hmong New Year celebrations

Sri Lanka

• 1 event will be held in Puttalam bringing together all participating schools on 2 December

Vietnam

• 1 bigger community event will be held in Hoa Binh on 8 December
• 2 smaller events will be held in Cao Bang and Bac Kan in mid-December

Timor-Leste

• 1 event will be held in Suai on 3 December
• 1 event will be held in Bobonaro on 5 December

Ecuador and Brazil

• Both countries are scheduling events in December