Wild Spaces Film Festival

WILD SPACES FILM FESTIVAL 2005 NATIONAL PROGRAM LAUNCH
8th Sept - 22nd Sept

The 9th National Wild Spaces Film Festival has unveiled an excitingprogram of International and local films that are sure to inspire andentertain audiences across the country.

19 short films, animations and documentaries have been selected from overa hundred entries to screen nationally in over 20 regional centres andcapital cities during the month of September. From Alice Springs toDenmark, Stawell to Atherton, Wild Spaces is touring around Australia,screening a program of films to inspire and create an environment ofawareness.

From struggles for self determination in Burma, stories of survival fromwomen in Afghanistan post-Taliban, incredibly candid interviews withfactory workers in China, kids in remote Aboriginal communities buildingbikes from recycled materials, marginalised communities resisting a globalgiant over natural resources in India and the response to the drive forindustrialised fishing practices in a small community in Nova Scotia,Canada, this year's program is diverse and powerful.

The 2005 program features films that are not only well-crafted andinnovative but also delve into some fascinating complex issues facingcommunities around the globe and within Australia.

'Mardis Gras: Made in China' is one of several feature lengthdocumentaries to screen this year. The film takes a fascinating approachto worker's rights by follwowing the production, consumption and disposalof Mardis Gras beads from Fuzhon, China to New Orleans, USA. The Chinesefactory workers view footage of where the products they make end up ? inthis case, it's plastic beads for the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, meanwhilethe wearers of the beads are confronted to see footage of where and underwhat kind of conditions the beads were made.

It is the intention of the organisers to provide an experience for theWild Spaces audience that goes further than just providing an opportunityfor passive involvement in issues the films portray. We aim to inspire ouraudience into action and awareness: for people to see themselves as partof the solution to the current environmental and social issues that weface.

Festival Coordinator, Shelley Waterhouse, said today "We're excited to beable to present such a high calibre program of powerful films that aresure to appeal to a broad audience with an apetite for rarely seen,meaningful films."

Check out www.wildspaces.foe.org.au for a full program, dates and session times in your area.