The call for submissions to ReelOzInd! 2022 has been made, and while we await fantastic entries from filmmakers around Australia and Indonesia, we thought we’d ask some of our jurors what this year’s theme of ‘suara/voice’ means to them.
“This year’s theme for ReelOzInd! is voice, or in Indonesia suara, which is a fairly powerful yet personal theme to me,” said Novi Kurnia, a member of the ReelOzInd! family who has generously donated her time to serve on our jury from the short film festival’s inception back in 2016 through to 2020, returning after a short, one-year break.
“Voice is important because it embodies representation,” she continued, “Representations of numerous expressions of identity and how it intersects with our social standing in society.
“As we know, not everybody has the opportunity for their voice to be represented because mainstream media often times excludes such voices. Therefore, alternative media, especially in film format, has the potential to provide space for unspoken voices to be heard.”
Novi said she was “excited to see different voices from this year’s submissions – stories of women [and] other marginalized groups that are excluded due to race, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, physical ability, language literacy or immigration status” as part of ReelOzInd! 2022.
I’m hoping… more of these marginalised groups will have the opportunity to speak using film as their medium,” she continued. “I would also like to be able to see more journeys [in] both fiction and nonfiction categories, as well as further collaboration between Indonesian and Australian youth to illustrate the landscape of today’s diaspora.”
That profound sense of individualism also resonated with new jury member, writer and director Alex von Hofmann.
“This year’s theme… speaks to me because that’s what this is all about, as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
“Making films and telling stories is about sharing our unique voices,” von Hofmann continued. “That’s all there is, and as a filmmaker, that’s all you can do is basically bring your voice to a story.”
Fellow newcomer Ade Suharto was able to provide a different perspective on this year’s theme, tapping into her experience as a choreographer and dancer.
“In any creative work, as individuals it can often take time for us to find, harness and utilise our own voice within our work,” she said.
“We accumulate and learn so much from our inspiring community of peers and mentors. On this occasion and for this year’s theme of ‘suara/voice’, may it be a guiding principle and support filmmakers to create from their own internal space. Being vulnerable through process is often easier said than done.”
Through ReelOzInd! 2022, filmmakers have the opportunity to demonstrate what the theme of ‘voice/suara’ means to them through short film. Submissions are open now and will be accepted until 1 August; categories include animation, documentary and fiction.
A prize pool of $15,000 AUD will be on offer, judged by our highly talented jury of leading film professionals and critics from both Indonesia and Australia. A people’s choice award also offers viewers the chance to show their support for their favourite shortlisted films.
