Two-hundred-and-twenty students, parents and teachers attended the third International Short Film Festival 2019 that was held on August 3rd at the Paradise Cinema in Port Moresby.
Hosted by the Social Communications Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, the ISFF19 dwelt on the theme: ‘Safe family, happy family’.
Sir John Cardinal Ribat, Archbishop of Port Moresby, spoke of the underlying power contained in media.
“The media is important, and it is wonderful that young people can use it to address the issues affecting themselves. They are struggling to be part of a safe and happy family environment,” said the Cardinal.
The festival went on to showcase short films from different countries and films created by young students during their attendance of the four Media Education Seminars (MES) held earlier this year. The presentations also included highlights of the media seminars and the Chat Room sessions, held in collaboration with NBC Tribe FM. The films screened opened up brief discussions on the issues presented.
Dr Catherine Nongkas, Principal of Don Bosco Technological Institute, Boroko, raised her concerns on the issue of family violence and abuse.
“Violence is a very serious issue and we cannot be a bystander. This cycle has to be broken in order for violence and abuse to end,” she said.
Representatives of each of the MES participating schools spoke on their experience and the topics they learnt. Certificates and appreciation were then given to students, animators and media persons.
Prizes were awarded to the schools for the films screened. The first place prize, a SONY RX 100 camera, was awarded to Jubilee Catholic Secondary School for their 4-minute film entitled, All for Love. Limana Vocational School emerged second for their film The Changed Hand while the film Saving Family, produced by De La Salle, was third.
“We learnt a lot about film making - correct shots, a story line, story board and how to ensure that the film connects with the audience through our emotions,” said Evelynne Sepa, a Jubilee student. “Above all we learnt about team work, commitment and patience which contributed to the success of our film.”