Multi-award winning arts and social organisation In Place of War has announced CREATE Film Festival, a unique project that explores creativity in sites of conflict through the eyes of some of the world’s most daring and innovative filmmakers.
The festival features four events across Manchester, DR Congo, Kurdistan, Hip Hop and Women, and the programme includes twelve screenings of feature length and short films. Each event also includes an opportunity for discussion and sharing stories as well as Director Q&As, live music and food.
Co-curated with local Manchester communities In Place of War has worked in partnership with Film Hub NWC, part of the BFI Film Audience Network, to put together a festival programme that features a mix of emerging and established filmmakers.
The first event in the festival programme is Kurdistan, an exploration of Kurdish communities. The event, at Z-Arts, includes a screening of Forgotten Chords (2007) by Kurdish filmmaker Soran Mardookhi, which takes audiences on a journey to discover the power and magic of music. Supporting films include Dyab and Finding My Legs (2016) by Alan Amin, who will be joining the event for a Q&A. Audiences will also experience authentic Kurdish delicacies and live music.
CREATE Film Festival will also present a night dedicated to Hip Hop communities around the world, with a screening of Rampage (2006) by world-renowned artist and film-maker George Gittoes, who will be joining the event at Ruby Lounge for an exclusive Q&A. The Australian Peace Prize winner will discuss the film, based on Miami’s notorious Brown Sub ghettos, and working with communities in places of conflict, including Afghanistan. Also screened on the night will be Hip Hop, Mi Desahogo (Hip Hop, My Release) (2014).
Co-curated with the Congolese communities of Manchester, DR Congo will feature a screening of Virunga (2014) at St James’ Church. A powerful combination of investigative journalism and nature documentary, Virunga is the incredible true story of a group of courageous people risking their lives to build a better future in a part of Africa the world’s forgotten. Also screened at the event will be La Belle At The Movies (2015) and Away From Home (2014).
Rounding-off the festival will be a women-only screening that explores some of the most inspiring female-led artistic movements happening in sites of conflict and post-conflict today. Working closely with the Syrian women of Manchester, the event will feature the screening of The Trials of Spring (2015) by Gini Reticker, which follows the journeys of three Egyptian women from the early days of the 2011 Arab Spring as they set out on a search for freedom and justice in a country gripped by a dangerous power struggle. Also screened at the event will be I Too Have A Name (2012) and Colours Of Resilience (2014).
In Place of War, part of the University of Manchester, works across the world in zones of violence and disruption, such as the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America. It supports artists and creative communities living in sites of war, revolution and conflict to build powerful networks, create social change through creativity and demonstrate the value of the arts to public space, public life and public debate.
CREATE film festival will be In Place of War’s first exploration of film as a way to engage and audience with diverse culture and communities across Manchester.
Ruth Daniel, In Place of War, comments: “We are delighted to add a film festival in unconventional community settings across Manchester created in collaboration with our diverse refugee and youth communities to our programme of production across the year, which includes our annual music programme at UK festivals and curation of events across the world. It’s been a pleasure working with communities across Manchester and the world to curate a stunning line-up of films celebrating creativity in places of conflict across the world.
Nicky Beaumont, Film Hub NWC, comments: “ Film Hub North West Central are pleased to support the CREATE Festival. Film is a great medium for bringing communities together. The films and events organised by In Place Of War provide a wonderful opportunity for people across Greater Manchester to discover some inspired film making coming from places more usually associated with conflict than creativity.
Create Film Festival
Saturday 4th June – Sunday 10th July 2016
Saturday 4th June, 3pm-9pm
Kurdistan
Z-Arts, FREE
Tickets: http://www.z-arts.org/see-whats-on/
Thursday 16th June, 6pm-11pm
Hip Hop
Ruby Lounge, FREE
Tickets: http://bit.ly/23UFWNH
Saturday 2nd July, 4pm-9:30pm
DR Congo
St James’ Church, FREE
Tickets: http://bit.ly/23UFWNH
Sunday 10th July, 12:30pm-5pm
Women
Rethink Rebuild Centre, FREE
Tickets: http://bit.ly/23UFWNH
For further information please visit: http://www.inplaceofwar.net/
