good.film
4 months ago
We can almost smell the celluloid in the air! The Adelaide Film Festival is South Australia's premier screen event, and the 2024 edition kicking off on October 23 will be no exception.
As loud & proud supporters of social impact entertainment, we’re beyond thrilled to become the new sponsor of the Change Award at this year’s Adelaide Film Festival! Established in 2020, the Change Award is bestowed on a film for its “positive or environmental impact and expressing new directions for humanity”. Definitely a sentiment we can get behind.
This year, the 5 films nominated for AFF’s Change Award cover pressing global issues like the scourge of fast fashion, the value of animal rehabilitation & environmental protection, the crisis of microplastics, and a true David & Goliath story of workers' rights.
Keen to know more? Here’s a mini-dive into each of these films and their vital themes.
For more info, head to adelaidefilmfestival.org
Directed by Ben Addelman and Ziya Tong
Impact Focus: Earth & Environment, Health & Wellness
What’s the story? All plastic breaks down to become “microplastics”... where it drifts in the air, floats in bodies of water and mixes with the earth. Even worse, plastic microfibres have now been found in human placentas, and even in our brains. Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics follows acclaimed science journalist Ziya Tong as she interviews scientists and conducts tests to lift the (Tupperware) lid on this deeply alarming global issue.
Why it’s nominated for the Change Award: It was a miracle product… until it wasn’t. Every molecule of plastic that’s EVER been produced is still floating around somewhere on Earth, from mountain tops to ocean trenches, just a lot smaller than before. As if that wasn’t scary enough, these millimetre-long specks of plastic are now turning up inside of US – from our lungs and blood to our breast milk and reproductive organs. And unless you’re Barbie or Ken, being full of plastic has huge and frightening ramifications on our public health. But there’s good news: Plastic People explores the progressive communities that are already finding ways to unwind the problem.
Directed by Petr Lom
Impact Focus: Earth & Environment, First Nations People
What’s the story? Profound and visually captivating, I Am the River, the River Is Me takes audiences on an immersive journey along the the first river in the world to be granted legal personhood – the Whanganui River in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Why it’s nominated for the Change Award: Yes, really – the Whanganui is the first river on the planet to be legally recognised as an “indivisible, living being” (and no, you can’t adopt it or marry it). While that seems extraordinary, after seeing this documentary you’ll wonder why we’re so far behind in protecting our sacred surroundings. Unpacking the river’s rich and fully evident history (or “life force” according to the Māori tribes who’ve lived by the Whanganui’s side for centuries), this is a film that ignites a sense of environmental urgency, to protect our planet’s vital resources – in all their stunning forms.
Directed by Stephen Maing and Brett Story
Impact Focus: Democracy & Society, Human Rights
What’s the story? Union is an electrifying documentary that captures the intense struggle to unionise Amazon. Following a fired worker’s fight against the corporate giant, the film explores the power of collective action – and the internal challenges that could make or break their movement.
Why it’s nominated for the Change Award: Who doesn’t love a David vs. Goliath story? And there may be no bigger Goliath than a global behemoth valued at over 2 trillion US dollars. Winner of the Special Jury Award for Art of Change at Sundance, Union has all the hooks of the best real-life screen stories (hidden camera footage and compelling, brazen interviews both feature here). The film’s superpower? Chris, the fired Amazon worker whose burning sense of injustice is fuelled by the determination to fight back. If you’ve ever felt cranky when your Amazon package gets lost in transit, multiply that by about… oh, 2 trillion.
Directed by Sally Aitken
Impact Focus: Animal Welfare, Mental Health
What’s the story? Every Little Thing follows retired teacher Terry Masear over a hot Los Angeles summer as she takes in and rehabilitates injured hummingbirds. With stunning close-up photography woven through the backdrop of Masear’s storied life, this film is a meditation on human-animal relationships, our capacity for care, and our desire for healing.
Why it’s nominated for the Change Award: When you consider cuddly creatures that can provide us homo sapiens with a sense of healing and purpose, birds may not be the first species that pop to mind (unless beaks and claws are your jam). But the visually stunning Every Little Thing puts forth the concept that compassion is an enriching force, no matter where it’s directed. Described as “a densely layered meditation on love, resilience and letting go,” you’ll be inspired as this “nature doc” beautifully unpacks how the past trauma in Terry’s own life dissolves, all in the process of getting these feisty little beings back on their feet… or should we say, wings.
Directed by Kosai Sekine
Impact Focus: Arts & Culture, Earth & Environment
What’s the story? Straddling the catwalks of Paris and the landfills of Kenya, Dust to Dust follows ethereal Japanese fashion designer Yuima Nakazato as he plunges into a new collection with a radical reimagining of fashion materials. The big question – can haute couture be conjured out of the polluting flames of dumped fast fashion?
Why it’s nominated for the Change Award: You might pop your unwanted threads in a local recycling bin and walk away feeling good – but do you ever think about where they go? The truth is, there’s no recycling program on Earth that can keep up with the monumental scale of our discarded clothing, which are often burned in massive piles, at huge environmental cost. Kosai Sekine pulls at that thread (sorry) to unravel the truth behind fast fashion, and follow a genius at work. Dust to Dust not only confronts the impact of western ‘recycling’ programs, it’s also a celebration of the cultures that keep traditional local textiles alive, and a race against the clock as Nakazoto transforms discarded clothing into a new, sustainable material that’s worthy of the fashion world’s elite.
Whether you’re a nature lover, a fashionista or an avid recycler, we think you’ll agree that’s quite a slate, no? And while these vital stories cover vastly different ground, they share a spirit of urgency and change that we’re super proud to get behind.
This year, for the first time, Adelaide Film Festival has established a jury to bestow the winning film with the $5,000 Change Award prize, including grassroots campaigner Aira Firdaus, marine biologist Anita Thomas, and AACTA-nominated producer Bonnie McBride. We want to acknowledge these leaders in environmental, social and cultural change – and wish them luck in choosing the winner : )
We’ll see you at the Festival!
For more info, head to adelaidefilmfestival.org