CHAN:
The Human Rights Arts & Film Festival is on again in Australia. Since its timely debut in 2007, it has met with unprecedented success. The idea for the festival was born in the hearts and minds of two young Melbourne professionals, driven by a passion to popularise the issue of human rights. Our Melbourne team takes a closer look.

STORY:
The 2007 Australian Human Rights Arts & Film Festival brought together a diverse range of music, art, and films from around the world. Over 200 films were submitted this year alone, many of them full-feature films. According to the founders of the festival, the power of film is that it “gives these rather abstract issues a human face and a human story.”

Co-founder of the festival, Evelyn Tadros, who is also trained in human rights law, says the emphasis is on inspiring audiences to take action.

[Evelyn Tadros, Festival Co-founder]:
“We try to motivate people in a variety of ways. Film and art are very engaging mediums, so I think that by people engaging in these films [and] viewing the art work, they are automatically engaged in a dialogue of some type or broad understanding of what is going on and what these stories are. I think what we try and do, also, is heighten the passion or the inspiration that people might have from seeing these films and transform and translate that into action.”

The other co-founder, Naziath Mantoo, a budding filmmaker, says that films and art can be stepping stones to overcome apathy and empower young people to act.

[Naziath Mantoo, Festival Co-founder]:
“We try to get them over that leap, over that stepping stone, that human rights doesn’t have to be law books or even like campaigns and protests. It is something that happens in all aspects of human life and I guess that’s what we are trying to do. So with having a human rights art and film festival it is not just about the film and art, but it is about what happens after you go and see a film and after you look at the art.”

So far, it seems that the festival’s message has resonated very well with most viewers.

[Richard Besley, Lawyer]:
“I think that it is so important that these stories get told in the Western world. They are the stories that I want to hear and they can be, you can pick the odd things up on TV, but to have a festival like this where they all get lined up… it’s a treat but it’s just so important that these stories get told and there is a forum for that to occur.”

After finishing in Melbourne, the festival will travel to other major cities in Australia.

NTD, Melbourne, Australia.