This event has been developed through Community Leadership program provided by Greater Shepparton City Council and supported through a number of cultural organisations. The festival will screen a selection of films from Asia, Europe, and Australia. All have been screened at international film festivals and have received awards or critical acclaim.
The project organisers are Rhea Verdijo, Joseph Farren, Michael Gray and Rhonda Chrisanthou. Films that are not in English are subtitled so people from all cultural backgrounds can enjoy the cinematic experience.
Event Information
Event: Shepparton Multicultural Film Festival
When: 23 October - 25 October
Where: Harder Auditorium, GOTAFE, Fryer St, Shepparton - Free parking available
Cost: $8 per session
Bookings Online: Eventbrite
More information: Email the Event Organiser: sheppmcff15@gmail.com
See Facebook for activity on this event
Session 1 Friday Evening, GOTAFE, 6:30PM
The UnMoving Mountain
A short film by the Victorian College of the Arts. Shown at Cannes and the British Film Institute, this is a short movie (6 Mins) about desire and its consequences. Australian, Fiction, Social, Youth categories
The Mongolian Bling
Apartment blocks have replaced traditional tents. Hyundai’s and Hummers have taken over from horses. And businessmen walk where nomads once roamed.
This is present day Ulaanbaatar, the country’s capital and the setting for Mongolian Bling, an intimate look at an ancient culture entering the 21st Century.
Told through the passion of young rappers, wisdom of traditional musicians and sights and sound of this bustling city, Mongolian Bling explores contemporary culture on the edge of the steppe.
From the slums of the Ger District to the top of the cities apartments, Mongolia is bouncing to a fresh beat, and a new identity is being created that properly reflects this dynamic country.
Shot over two Mongolian winters, a Mongolian summer and a few weeks in France, Mongolian Bling is a fresh look on an ancient culture.
Mongolian Bling, Australian, 90 mins. Documentary, youth, music.
Session 2 - Saturday Afternoon, GOTAFE, 1:30PM
Marina, 2012
Marina is a biographical film released in 2013 and directed by Stijn Coninx. A ten-year-old boy leaves Italian Calabria behind to follow his father to a distant and cold Belgium in search of a better life. Marina tells the amazing story of a little boy, against the background of the Italian migration to Belgium in the 50s.
Italy, 1948. Ten-year-old Rocco is growing up in a gorgeous but poor mountain hamlet in Calabria, until one day his father Salvatore decides to seek a better future for his family. He then leaves for the promised land, Belgium, where he strives to earn a lot of money in a short amount of time by working in coal mines, before returning to his home country. But very soon he sends for his family and they all move to Waterschei. Rocco becomes a migrant overnight, with all the consequences this entails. The greyish mining landscapes of Limburg, icy winters, racism, and a foreign language and culture all put a damper on the little boy's happiness. Rocco wants to be like other children, become someone and have a purpose in life. Against his father's wish and better judgement he seeks an escape through music and love. Rocco follows his heart and passion to fulfil his dream.
Session 3 - Saturday Afternoon, GOTAFE, 4:00PM
Little England, 2013
The action takes place on the island of Andros, where Orsa, 20 years old, and her younger sister, Moscha, live. Orsa is deeply in love with Spyros Matabes, a lieutenant, but she has never revealed her secret to anybody. On the other hand, Moscha dreams of leaving Andros and escaping women's fate of marrying sailors, who are usually away from their families. Their mother, Mina, who is married to a captain, considers love to be a trouble and, overriding their emotions, wants her daughters to make wealthy marriages. As a result, Orsa gets married to captain Nikos Vatokouzis, and Moscha to Spyros Matabes, a captain now with whom her sister is in love. The two women live in the family's duplex home and the forbidden love will harm their lives.
Session 4 - Sunday Afternoon, GOTAFE, 2:00PM
Mariquina, 2014
Mariquina, 2014, Dir. Milo Sogueco, Phillipines, 120 mins.
The film tells the story of Imelda (Mylene Dizon) and her search for the perfect pair of shoes for her recently-deceased father, famous shoemaker Romeo Guevarra (Ricky Davao).The search leads her to recall some of the good, but mostly bad memories of her family when she was still young. Those memories include her mother’s abandonment (Che Ramos), the downfall of their shoe-making business, the vital role his father’s close friend, Tess (Bing Pimentel) played in her upbringing and of course, her strained relationship with her own father.
Mariquina presents the theme that is so clichéd yet every one of us still ignores: forgiveness. And not just forgiveness to others but also to ourselves. Imelda lived her whole life having so much pain in her heart and anger towards her father. But once she learned the real meaning of forgiveness, everything became easy. Acceptance, gratitude and love came in.
Session 5 - Sunday Afternoon, GOTAFE, 4:30PM
Umrika, 2015
Fiction, Comedy, India, 98 mins.
As a young boy, Ramakant watches his beloved older brother Udai leave their small Northern Indian village for the much-vaunted “Umrika” in search of something bigger and better. Over the years, Udai’s letters breathe life into Jitvapur, inspiring new traditions, sparking community debate, and even providing the impetus for Ramakant to learn how to read. After a family tragedy, Ramakant uncovers a long-held deception about Udai’s whereabouts. He sets out for Bombay, determined to trace his brother’s path and unexpectedly finds himself charting his own. All the while, Ramakant inherits the tradition of inventing the letters detailing Udai's adventures in America.
Set in the mid-1980s, and provided color and contrast through global events and cultural phenomena, Umrika, anchored by Life of Pi star Suraj Sharma in his Bollywood debut, creates a touching portrait of one young man's march toward his own destiny. Writer/director Prashant Nair blends scenes of unmistakable warmth and a delightfully quirky comic touch with a sobering reflection on the palpable perils of chasing the American Dream.
Event Information
Event: Shepparton Multicultural Film Festival
When: 23 October - 25 October
Where: Harder Auditorium, GOTAFE, Fryer St, Shepparton - Free parking available
Cost: $8 per session
Bookings Online: Eventbrite
More information: Email the Event Organiser: sheppmcff15@gmail.com
See Facebook for activity on this event
This event is a Community Leadership Program provided by Greater Shepparton City Council