FreedomFilmFest 2022 (FFF2022) will be back in action from Sept 9 to Sept 17 after a two-year absence to present 34 socially-themed films from around the globe that were produced right before and during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Films with varied and critical viewpoints on the Pandemik Dua Darjat or Pandemic of Inequality will be shown at the PJ Live Arts in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, as part of FFF 2022.
The Freedom Film Network (FFN), a nonprofit organisation that uses movies as a catalyst for equality for all and social and environmental change, is in charge of organising FFF2022.
True to the festival’s reputation of giving voice to the marginalised and unheard, this year’s edition will feature 12 Malaysian films supported by FFN that were made during the pandemic.
These include four films produced by FFN’s annual grant programme in 2021 and 2022.
Not to be missed are also influential films made by the communities themselves that include:
*Rasa dan Asa reveals the story of the working conditions of Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia and how they have organised themselves to support and be in solidarity with one another.
*Three films by young Orang Asli women filmmakers told from their own perspective and in their own voice about their identity and culture – Selai Kayu Yek, Klinik Ku Hutan and Rahsia Rimba. These films have premiered in a variety of film festivals, including the Native Spirit Festival (United Kingdom), Chuncheon International Film Festival (South Korea) and Asinabka Film & Media Art Festival (Canada).
*Baliu Kano Kai, which concerns the Punan Ba community in Belaga, Sarawak, who rise up when their ancestral lands are leased to plantation and logging companies by the state government. The film questions whether this is a new form of colonisation.
*Empangan Nenggiri: Suara Bantahan Orang Asli, about a dam being built on Temiar ancestral land in Gua Musang, Kelantan. The authorities claim that the majority of villagers affected by the project approve of it. This film shows that there is strong opposition from the tribe that has not been heard.
True to FFF tradition, all screenings will be followed by interactive discussions with the filmmakers or resource persons. Festival guests can look forward to exclusive behind-the-scenes stories, deep dives into the issues, and brainstorms strategic actions tosupport their causes.
Filmmakers and those who are interested in telling social or human rights stories through a film can avail themselves of masterclasses by distinguished world-class professionals on creative story-telling for documentaries, how to turn an investigation into a film, and how to use archive materials in films.
These speakers have worked in major documentary outfits including Doc Society, Al Jazeera, and the Sundance Institute Documentary Film Programme.
Get tickets for the event here!
