Festival to show films

National

THE 10th annual PNG Human Rights Film Festival will open for the first time in Alotau, Milne Bay today as part of the 16th National Kenu and Kundu Festival.
According to the UN Human Rights office, this will be the final location for the film festival in Alotau,
The film festival comes to Alotau under the leadership of Film Festival patron, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, Davis Steven.
During his keynote address at the festival opening in Port Moresby on Oct 17, he stressed the need for the event to “target the next generation of Papua New Guineans and to reach out to those beyond”.
Affirming that the Government was committed to human rights, Steven highlighted the potential impact of the festival, saying: “The more we reach out, the more we will see more awareness, and more support, and good leaders coming to Government.”
Under the theme: “Stand with me for rights in PNG”, the film festival will be opened by Milne Bay administrator Asha Numa and will be held today from 6pm-8pm and Sunday 7pm-9.30pm at the National Kenu and Kundu Festival Grounds. Entry is free.
Among others, the festival will feature the film, “Gwala is life”, a film made by local non-governmental organisation, Eco Custodian Advocates on traditional forms of conservation in the Bwanabwana Islands, and “Unheard voices”, a film on maternal and child health in PNG launched by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in partnership with the Health Department at the film festival in Port Moresby.
On behalf of the film festival committee, the UN Human Rights office and WHO are collaborating with the National Kenu and Kundu Festival committee and the Milne Bay Tourism Bureau in Alotau.
“Through the film festival, we are looking forward to engaging with the public in Alotau and boosting discourse and action on critical human rights issues impacting Milne Bay,” human rights officer Alithia Barampataz said. Meanwhile, according to the Milne Bay Tourism Bureau the three-day event will showcase the finest craftsmen and women in canoe (kenu) and kundu making, cultural dress, artifact and traditional dancing and exchanges from across the four districts of Milne Bay.