Australian & Local Neighbours.
Turn inward, with this inspiring collection of stories from our homeland and around our local region. Featuring stories of Indigenous elders, threatened ecosystems in the Pacific, the effects of bushfires, and a whimsical animation set in Melbourne.
About the program.
Available to watch online 15 Oct - 14 Nov ‘21
$12 / $9 conc (passes available)
7 Shorts | 64'
See the cycles of devastation and rebirth in bushfires both here and abroad. Hear stories on art, life, riverways and footprints from local Indigenous elders. Across the Pacific learn about endangered birds and cultural heritage, or listen to the poetry of a Cook Islands atoll at risk of disappearing beneath the ocean. And just smile at a whimsical animation transporting a Melbourne tram to the seaside.
This collection of shorts encourages us to turn inward, inspiring with stories from our homeland and around our local region.
Showcasing homegrown filmmaking talent, our Australian and Local Neighbours shorts show the possibilities of creativity and connection as our world changes.
The Australian & Local Neighbours shorts collection is presented by our media partner, The Saturday Paper and 7am.
Films featured:
Ignis
No Distance Between Us
OUR ATOLL SPEAKS
Stories From The Smoke
Urbanlity
VAKA
Veins of the Country
Guardians of Ua Huka
The Films.
Ignis.
"Dear Gregory, We have spent countless hours sifting through our rubble only to discover there is nothing left..."
Shot on 16mm black & white, Australian filmmaker Ashleigh McArthur meditatively explores Gregory Roberts' process of turning bushfire ash into art, offering up a gift in memory of what was lost. Find out more on the EFFA Festival Hub.
No Distance Between Us.
Filmed in a unique window of time, before the fossil trackway was concealed and covered in tonnes of sand for conservation, this film explores the ancient and continued connection to Country experienced by Australia's First Nations people and their struggle for recognition of Indigenous knowledge. Find out more on the EFFA Festival Hub.
OUR ATOLL SPEAKS, Ko Talatala Mai Tō Mātou Wenua.
As climate change poses the biggest threat to our oceans, islands, diversity, Indigenous knowledge and conservation practices developed over thousands of years have something to teach us. This communal film poem meditates on the environmental knowledge of the people of Pukapuka/Nassau, an atoll in the Northern Group of the Cook Islands. Find out more on the EFFA Festival Hub.
Stories from the Smoke.
"We've dried and poisoned the Earth and now the air has turned against us..." A gut-punching honest reflection of a grandfather living in bushfire country, inspired by a First Dog on the Moon cartoon. Find out more on the EFFA Festival Hub.
Urbanality.
In this quirky animation, the city folk are about to get a wake-up call from nature. But, will they stop and listen? In a society driven by growth and development, we don't often take time to appreciate this wild, wonderful world we occupy. Getting stuck in the daily grind is all too easy, but sometimes all that’s needed to open our eyes is a helping hand. Find out more on the EFFA Festival Hub.
VAKA.
A small group of atolls in the South Pacific Ocean is at the forefront of climate change, both in terms of seeing the direct impact on their islands and in leading the way for change; VAKA introduces you to Tokelau, the first nation in the world to aim for 100% solar energy.
Find out more on the EFFA Festival Hub.
Veins of the Country.
‘We’re all part of that river, we drink one water from the one main rainfall. Everybody.’ Through this short film, senior Gooniyandi artist Mervyn Street shares his art and storytelling about the waters of the Warlibiddi/Margaret and Martuwarra/Fitzroy Rivers catchment, and their vital significance to the Country and people’s lives. Find out more on the EFFA Festival Hub.
Guardians of Ua Huka.
In this gentle short, Ua Huka guardian Tuhuna introduces you to his island home, the wildlife who live there, and the ancient, proud culture he is preserving for the next generation. Find out more on the EFFA Festival Hub.