|
Diversity Film Festival
Diversity Films
Tuesday 17, Thursday 19 & Sunday 22 June 2008
Platform (G34 9JW), STUC Centre (G3 6NG); Knightswood Community Centre (G13 3DD)
|
'A festival of international documentary films, including work made in Glasgow by groups working with Diversity Films. Presented in collaboration with Kingsway Health and Wellbeing Centre, Platform and Document 6 International Human Rights Film Festival.'
Approximate Attendance: 97
Background
Diversity Films CIC is a community interest company working to 'nurture, train and develop a new generation of filmmakers' within local communities, and although the organisation was only established a little over a year ago, they have already made an impressive fifteen films. The team at Diversity Films are committed to developing opportunities for local people to create short films and digital content for 'multi-platform distribution and exhibition, including local community screenings, TV and internet broadcast, mobile phones and international cinema screens.'
Over the past year, Diversity Films has been working primarily in the Greater Easterhouse and Scotstounhill areas of Glasgow, with partners Platform, Innerzone Youth Club, F.A.R.E. (Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse) and the Kingsway Health and Wellbeing Centre. They have also developed a range of volunteer opportunities and are able to provide space, support and equipment to help international filmmakers new to Glasgow back in to filmmaking.
The Diversity Film Festival, which was programmed as part of Refugee Week Scotland 2008, was an opportunity for Diversity to showcase films made by the various local groups and professionals they work with on a regular basis, as well as a selection of inspiring films from around the globe.
Overview of Event
The Diversity Film Festival took place in three parts, with two evening events during the week and a longer event on the Sunday afternoon and evening. The audience was given complimentary drinks and popcorn, and musical entertainment was provided by Russian jazz duo Electric Chicken Feathers. Over the course of the festival, over 20 films were screened by filmmakers from Scotland, Iran, Spain, England, Italy, Germany, Serbia, USA, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Here is a selection of the feedback from audience members:
'From short five minute to longer twenty minute film screenings I found I learned something new. I hear about the struggles of refugees but hearing their point of view opened my eyes to their world through their eyes.'
'Very much appreciated the content. Would suggest that Iraq in Fragments is long enough to warrant a night of its own? Thanks very much - a brilliant and hospitable night.'
In FOCUS: Bijan and Diversity Films
Meeting Iranian filmmaker Bijan, it is difficult to believe that he has only been living in Glasgow since August 2007. Over the last few months he has been working hard to learn fluent English, and this has no doubt been aided by his developing relationship with Diversity Films.
Scottish Refugee Council first put Bijan in touch with Diversity Films in November 2007, and since then he has been supported to continue with his work as a filmmaker. He spent the first few months subtitling three of his existing films so that they could be shared with a wider audience, and as a result all three were screened as part of this event. Abigail Howkins, co-founding director of Diversity Films, says that one of the great things about Refugee Week is that a lot of refugees are involved in the very making of it. It allows for positive images of refugees to be seen, instead of the negative ones, and there is an opportunity for many different cultures to be shared and celebrated through music, dance and film. Equally, Bijan sees investment in refugees as having a great deal of potential: "People who come here are very ambitious people and how they live is important to them. They have often put themselves and their family through danger in order to live as they want to. There is an enormous opportunity for this country in having these ambitious people here … Refugee Week can help give these people a position. If you help these people, you help this country."
Diversity Films commitment to investing in Bijan is echoed in their work with other international groups and filmmakers in Glasgow. Through Kingsway Eye, the filmmaking group they have established in Kingsway Court, a number of refugee women from Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Zambia have been learning filmmaking skills and participating in creating Get Real!, an on-going local community chat show project, whilst one of the longest-standing members of the group, Leo Saidenough from Russia, has honed his camera, sound and editing skills and volunteered on six of the films Diversity Films have produced this year, receiving training and mentoring from their professional film trainers.
Over the next few months, as well as continuing work with the filmmakers and community groups they have already developed projects with, Diversity Films is looking to roll out their filmmaking initiatives in to other areas of Glasgow and beyond. Bijan also has new projects in the pipeline, including a drama about an interpreter, which he is currently writing, and a documentary about exile from Iran. This is certainly only the beginning for Bijan and Diversity Films with the success of their collaboration so far paving the path for an inspirational future. |
|
|
|
