REELise Film Festival
REELise is a new not-for-profit youth empowerment program. Supported by some of Australia’s leading filmmakers, REELise is designed to turn the tables on cyberbullying.
One of the biggest issues facing youth today is cyberbullying. One in five Australian teens are cyberbullied every year. Cyberbullying is a significant contributor to teen depression, and one in five adolescents are likely to experience depression by the age of 18. Many try to deal with the problem alone feeling ashamed or embarrassed and powerless to change their situation. Today’s weapon of choice for the bullies is the mobile phone. This program turns that weapon into a tool for building. It is possible these days to produce video material of remarkable sophistication, using an ordinary mobile phone as camera, sound recorder, and even editing system. Students working with REELise will learn to get the most out of the technology they carry in their pockets, and through this, to find a space for their creativity to grow. Instead of being isolated, they can find connections, instead of being silenced, they can find their own voice, and even an audience to hear it.
REELise aims to empower youth to find their voices and inspire change using the power of mobile phones. The program will also work to build awareness about cyberbullying and issues impacting youth mental health and enhance and connect the support network available to young people. The pilot program will target students in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and offer a free mentoring program and youth film festival.
REELise is supported by some phenomenally talented and highly awarded filmmakers acting as mentors to the program’s participants, including Rowan Woods, Duncan Thompson, Jacquelin Perske, Lindsay Moss, Pauline Findlay, Alexandra Edmondson and Rodrigo Vidal Dawson. Between them, they have expertise in writing, directing, cinematography, acting, and all kinds of film and television production and transmedia storytelling.
Festival Director Karen Hamilton was able to get the program started when she won the East Ideas competition last April. Supported by Woollahra Council, marketing firm Litterini+Clark, and Eastside Radio, the competition encouraged Eastern Suburbs residents, students and community groups to offer ideas to improve their neighbourhood in under 150 words in order to win a package to help make their idea a reality. Karen’s vision was to mentor kids aged 12 – 18 to express themselves creatively using the technology most teenagers have with them at all times – their mobile phones.
Karen has been thrilled to see such a creative community response to a problem that affects too many teenagers. She also points out how fortunate we are to live in an area where such talented and experienced people are available: “This will give our local youth a unique opportunity to see the power of storytelling. While young people are very technically savvy, I think they don’t always realise the impact their stories can have. We are lucky to have so many people in our community who can show them how to shape their creativity, and communicate their special points of view.”
The launch of the REELise Film Festival will be at Paddington Uniting Church (395 Oxford Street, Paddington) on 22 August, 7 – 10pm.
Entry is free and all are welcome, but please RSVP by 9 August to info@reelise.org.au to reserve a place.
