wfn.org | BWNS -- Women scoop awards at Baha'i-inspired film festival

[Baha'i World News Service <bwns@bwc.org>]

Baha'i World News Service
See the story with photographs on the BWNS site at http://news.bahai.org
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Women scoop awards at Baha'i-inspired film festival
SYDNEY, Australia, 9 November 2005 (BWNS)--A movie from a child's
perspective about the equality of the sexes won the "best film" award at
the Baha'i-inspired "Harmony Film Festival" held in Australia's biggest
city on 22 October 2005.

The Australian-made movie by Bita Haidarian, a Los Angeles-based
filmmaker, tells the story of an eight-year-old girl whose father
refuses to let her to swap her household chore (dishwashing) with her
brother's (lawn mowing) because mowing is "for boys."

The girl takes matters into her own hands and ends up with a humorous
and telling result.

More than 600 people attended the festival, which had "woman" as its
theme. Entries came from 25 filmmakers of diverse religious and cultural
backgrounds and from countries including Australia, Japan, Spain,
Russia, and the United States.

The films ranged from a gentle coming of age exploration ("32EE") and
broad-based slapstick comedy ("Footsteps Femme Fatale") to documentaries
about genocide in Sierra Leone ("Mussu") and female alienation in Russia
("The Glass Island").

The judges were from the film industry. They included documentary
filmmakers Peter Butt and Mitzi Goldman, movie director Mojgan Khadem,
film and television journalist Susan George, and actor Nick Tate.

Eight of the 14 finalists were female directors, a gratifying result
according to festival director Mehrzad Mumtahan.

"We chose 'woman' as the 2005 theme to draw attention to the issue of
equality and the important role women can play as peacemakers in our
troubled world," Mr. Mumtahan said.

"To have the majority of the finalists be female is an incredibly
positive result. It shows that we're not just about words and platitudes
-- but really making a difference."

Mr. Mumtahan said the festival was inspired by the Baha'i belief that
the arts have a great capacity to awaken and uplift the heart. He said
filmmakers can proclaim widely the message of peace, and encourage
people to discuss vital issues relating to harmony and unity.

Entrants in the festival were advised that a useful starting point in
their exploration of the 2005 theme was "The Promise of World Peace," a
message issued in 1985 by the Universal House of Justice that
highlighted an important relationship between the role of women and the
establishment of world peace.

"The emancipation of women, the achievement of full equality between the
sexes, is one of the most important, though less acknowledged
prerequisites of peace," the message said.

"The denial of such equality perpetrates an injustice against one half
of the world's population and promotes in men harmful attitudes and
habits that are carried from the family to the workplace, to political
life, and ultimately to international relations," it said.

(For more of the statement, see http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/uhj/PWP
)

 Shideh Faramand's six minute comedy "In Time" won both the "audience
choice" and "achievement" awards. The film takes a humorous look at the
social pressures on single women to get married and start a family.

Ms. Faramand said her inspiration in filmmaking was to "make an impact
on the world."

"They say the soul of society can be seen through the arts and we can
see that its moral stance is so degrading. I would like to create its
new soul," she said.

The award for the "most original concept" went to Anis Fanaeian for his
film "Remember Tomorrow," a film about a successful professional woman
who chooses motherhood and the joy of having and raising children over a
successful career.

One of the judges, documentary filmmaker Peter Butt, said the Harmony
Film Festival is building a new paradigm for the film industry,
providing a new platform for filmmakers to share with the world their
hopes and dreams of a new civilization.

"You're talking to the grassroots and you're inspiring people to roll
out new ideas to impact upon society," Mr. Butt said.

"It may not be from tonight that there's a big change, but it's the
practitioners (filmmakers) that have the greatest impact."

The festival, now in its second year, was organized by a three-person
team comprising Collis Ta'eed, Naomi Hall, and Mr. Mumtahan.

The festival films have already been seen in other Australian cities, in
New Zealand, and in Israel, and will soon be screened in other
countries.

For more information on the festival, see http://www.harmonyfilmfest.com

(Reporting by Farnaz Fanaian and Sabour Bradley.)