Indigenous Film Festival 2019 in Bali

Kynan, a 14-year-old filmmaker from Kalimantan (Borneo), was one of the stars of the festival, supported by a powerful grassroots movement of a new generation of media activists using all possible media to communicate with local and global audiences. From Papua New Guinean filmmakers taking risks on political issues, to Ibu Onet using an orang utan puppet as an Instagram star to communicate with local audiences, to international productions such as Small Island – Big Song, showing the interwoven Austronesian culture from Madagascar to Easter Island.

Emmanuela Shinta, founder of Indigenous Film Festival

Emmanuela Shinta, a young activist from Kalimantan who has just spoken at the UN, founded the festival with David Metcalf.

Co-founders David Metcalf (New Zealand) and Ado-Kaliting-Pacidal (Taiwan) present “Musical Healers of Land”.

Getting organised: The force behind the new grassroots movement is organisations like the Ranu Welum Foundation in Kalimantan (founded by Emmanuela Shinta) or Wapikoni Mobile in Canada, which provides media technology and knowledge to indigenous communities in Canada and supports emerging filmmakers like Craig Commanda and Jani Bellfleur-Kaltush, who presented their films at the festival.

Craig Commanda and Jani Bellefleur-Kaltush in Q&A about their films and Wapikoni

Rizal Lanni comes from a mountainous area of Papua New Guinea that can only be reached by plane – he is one of Papuan Voices, an initiative of videographers in Papua – check out Rizal’s YouTube channel here . Yonri Revolt is a filmmaker and activist in Papua who also promotes archiving and presentation programmes (more here).

Rizal Lanni comes from a mountainous area of Papua New Guinea that can only be reached by plane – he is one of Papuan Voices, an initiative of videographers in Papua – check out Rizal’s YouTube channel here. Yonri Revolt is a filmmaker and activist in Papua who also promotes archiving and presentation programmes (more here).

Filmmakers as networkers: Hugo Metz works with many organisations and channels to give a voice to indigenous cultures around the world – check out the huge “If not us, then who?” youtube channel.here.

Multi-talent Charlie Hill Smith from Australia works as producer, networker & director in West Papua (trailer of his festival film here)

Music

Music is a powerful messenger, as two other festival films showed, both based on the Austronesian migration over 5000 years ago, rediscovering common roots in a deeply moving film Musical Healers of Land a film by Ado Kaliting Pacidal. Music is also the driving force in Small Island Big Song orchestrating musicians from Madagascar to Easter Island in a project by Bao Bao Chen and Tim Coles.

director Ado Kaliting Pacidal, director of “Musical Healers of Land”

Sometimes nothing is more powerful then the spoken word – as special guest Miliwanga Wurrben, grown up in the outback of Australia, showed in her welcome speeches. It all comes back to basics – an open heart – Thanks for a great festival.

Miliwanga Wurrben