SBS celebrates Youth Week 2017, turning ideas into short films for TV
Friday, 31 March 2017
In celebration of National Youth Week (Friday 31 March to Sunday 9 April), SBS has launched the second annual SBS National Youth Week Film competition, a collaboration with the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) and the Department of Social Services (DSS), to give young people the opportunity to share their story on national television.
The five winning short films premiere on the SBS network today (Friday 31 March), on SBS VICELAND, NITV and Food Network, and will also be available to watch online.
The film competition encouraged young Australians from across the country, aged 15 to 24 years old, to submit a 30 second film pitch online at SBS Learn illustrating their unique identity.
After several rounds of judging, five winners were chosen to attend a week-long filmmaking and storytelling workshop in Melbourne last month. At the end of the workshop, each winner turned their short film idea into reality.
The entry period was open for three weeks during November last year, with more than 100 entries of aspiring storytellers, dreamers and change-makers.
Clare O’Neil, Director of Corporate Affairs, SBS, said: “We’re incredibly proud to launch this fantastic film competition for the second year in a row. It’s great to see young Australians with a diversity of backgrounds express their unique identity and distinctive stories through film – exploring topics like racial prejudice, homelessness, and Indigenous storytelling. The competition is a great opportunity to share the stories and perspectives of these young Australians with the broader community.”
Jan Owen AM, CEO, Foundation of Young Australians, said: “FYA believes in the power of storytelling. Young Australians have creativity, energy and courage in spades, and are passionate about creating a more equitable, fair and inclusive society — this year’s five winners are a testament to this.
“We’re excited to be collaborating with SBS and DSS on this opportunity for a second year running, creating an opportunity for young people to challenge the status quo, discuss the big issues and contribute to and drive social change on a national platform.”
The five winners are Aliko Nomoa, 16 (QLD), Amy Marks, 20 (VIC), Amy Warner, 17 (NSW), Grace Morgan, 17 (TAS) and Mfaume Kakozi, 18 (NT).
SBS also congratulates the five runners up: Brian Gatheru (QLD), Faida Mushegero (NT), Nikhil Autar (NSW), Sam Raad Shaba Al Auty (NT) and Sophie Mununggurr (NT), and the six highly commended entries Chloe Hayden (VIC), Forest LIN (NSW), Jeremiah Phillip (QLD), Kena Mallender (NSW), Rhiannah Maddocks (VIC) and Ryan Etlis (VIC) for sharing their stories as part of the 2017 SBS National Youth Week competition.
In addition, SBS Learn has published ‘SBS Youth Week Teacher Notes’, free online teacher resources mapped to the national curriculum. The SBS Learn resources provide teachers and educators with easy-to-follow discussion guides and activities to use while screening the five identity-themed films to students in years 7-10.
For more information, please visit sbs.com.au/learn/youth-week
-Ends-
Follow the conversation with #SBSYouthWeek
Notes to Editors
The five winning short films:
All short films playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd0sYhqUtnFRCtt8zuUyuJ-cqGDKwWrpG
Aliko Nomoa, 16 year’s old, Thursday Island, Torres Strait, speaks Kalaw Lagaw Ya, Torres Strait Creole and English.
Film synopsis: Home isn’t just where Aliko Nomoa’s heart is “â it’s where his soul and spirit are too. Through his Youth Week film, Aliko is seeking to give the world beyond Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait, a glimpse of what connects him to his culture.
Aliko’s film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc9ST58Pdss&list=PLd0sYhqUtnFRCtt8zuUyuJ-cqGDKwWrpG&index=2
Aliko’s feature story: http://www.sbs.com.au/feature/aliko
Amy Marks, 20 year’s old, Melbourne, speaks English.
Film synopsis: Amy opens up about life as a young person with a disability. She hopes to stop people from jumping to the conclusion that living with a disability is either extremely tragic or inherently inspirational.
Amy M’s film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOM35FdIN2Q&list=PLd0sYhqUtnFRCtt8zuUyuJ-cqGDKwWrpG
Amy M’s feature story: http://www.sbs.com.au/feature/amym
Amy Warner, 17 year’s old, Sydney, speaks Chinese Mandarin and English.
Film synopsis: Amy dreams of a world without labels. Through her Youth Week film, she explores the impact of stereotypes as she has experienced them.
Amy W’s film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP8Nw6BPcNc&list=PLd0sYhqUtnFRCtt8zuUyuJ-cqGDKwWrpG&index=5
Amy W’s feature story: http://www.sbs.com.au/feature/amyw
Grace Morgan, 17 year’s old, Hobart, speaks English.
Film synopsis: In Australia on any given night around 26,000 Australians between the ages of 12 and 24 are homeless. In this poignant film, Grace expresses her own experience of homelessness through poetry.
Grace’s film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toupPDfn6Eo&index=4&list=PLd0sYhqUtnFRCtt8zuUyuJ-cqGDKwWrpG
Grace’s feature story: http://www.sbs.com.au/feature/grace
Mfaume Kakozi, 18 year’s old, Darwin, speaks Swahili and English.
Film synopsis: Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo 18 years ago, Mfaume fled war and spent a large portion of his life in a refugee camp in Malawi before settling in Australia. As we discover in this short film, he also really loves to make music.
Mfaume’s film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlaehyJhiio&list=PLd0sYhqUtnFRCtt8zuUyuJ-cqGDKwWrpG&index=3
Mfaume’s feature story: http://www.sbs.com.au/feature/mfaume
The videos are also available on SBS Learn.
About SBS and SBS Learn
SBS is Australia’s multicultural and Indigenous broadcaster and holds a unique place in the Australian media landscape, inspiring all Australians to explore, appreciate and celebrate our diverse world and in doing so, contributes to a cohesive society.
SBS Learn forms part of the wider SBS Outreach program which aims to extend the reach and impact of SBS and its content. We achieve this through innovative collaborations and the creation of initiatives and resources that stimulate informal learning, engage communities and provide opportunities for schools to utilise SBS content for education. SBS Learn launched in November 2015 and is an online hub housing all SBS Outreach initiatives including resources supporting My Grandmothers Lingo, The Boat, Go Back to Where You Came From and most recently First Contact and Servant or Slave.
For more information visit sbs.com.au/learn
About the Department of Social Services
The Department of Social Services (DSS) provides a range of social policies and programs that respond to people’s needs throughout their lives. This includes our work to improve the lifetime well-being of migrants and refugees settling in Australia by responding to their specific needs, encouraging their independence and participation in the Australian community. We support a productive, harmonious and diverse society for all Australians.
For more information visit https://www.dss.gov.au
About the Foundation of Young Australians
FYA is the only national independent non-profit organisation dedicated to all young people in Australia. We believe young people are not a problem to be helped or solved. They are ambitious, creative and capable of rethinking the world and solving tomorrow’s problems today. Delivering a range of initiatives (co)designed with young people, FYA aims to develop the skills, networks and ideas of young Australians so they can create a better future.
For more information visit www.fya.org.au