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, 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.
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).
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.
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
more on the film program here
The next Indigenous Film Festival will be in Kalimantan August 9th to 11th 2019, more here.
Support indigenous filmmakers by donation to Ranu Welum Foundation in Kalimantan here
(see also article Bumi Hijau und Swadaya)