The NGO International Film Festival is coming to Melbourne, Australia for the first time this October. This one-of-a-kind festival brings together storytellers, civil society practitioners, educators and government representatives to discuss and share solutions for global challenges. Previously held in Rome and Nairobi, the NGO IFF is proudly being supported by the City of Melbourne, and registrations are open now.
Festival director Taye Balogun explains “NGO IFF is a completely unique convening that aims to showcase and disseminate human-interest stories that are themed around the Sustainable Development Goals. This year, we received nearly two and half thousand film submissions, from 126 countries and we will be screening around 50 films, both in and out-of-competition. These are films designed to not just entertain, but to provoke our minds for change. Global goals require global solutions, and this can only be achieved when the artist’s knowledge is harnessed and welcomed on the table. We believe the power of film can inspire change and create action across the globe.”
Championing the importance of advocacy, research and campaign through films and storytelling, NGO IFF is expected to host thousands of NGOs, filmmakers, development partners, UN agencies, consultants, governments, academia, conservationists, social-impact enterprises, tertiary and secondary school students along with the general-public. Through film screenings, practical workshops, expert seminars, practice-led knowledge sessions, and networking events, the festival aims to foster an environment for vibrant exchanges and robust learning and discussion, targeted at promoting international development.
This year’s festival themes will focus on “Immigration, Indigenous Knowledge, and Ecological Protection”. These themes encapsulate the complex narratives of our time, calling us to explore, understand, and collectively strive for a more inclusive, culturally rich, and sustainable future.
Opening night will feature a short original play centred around Indigenous knowledge, ecological protection and immigration, written for the event by acclaimed Danish playwright and theatre director, Christian Lollike and will feature local actors.
Other confirmed international attendees include academic and science expert, Ian Redmond; Amnesty International former Secretary General and Greenpeace International Executive Director, Kumi Naidoo; Nobel Prize nominee and International development expert Victor Ochen; award-winning Japanese actress Akiko Iwase; Golden Globes member and media expert Tina Christensen and United Nations Assistant Secretary General on Climate Change for the El Nino, Reena Ghelani, and more guests are being confirmed every day as the festival program gears up to be released. International film jury members also include activist and advocacy leader Anna Macdonald; migration and diaspora expert, Dr Kirstie Kwarteng; Associate Professor David Girlingfrom the University of East Anglia in the UK; film director and producer Bunhom Chhorn; global development and migration policy researcher Themrise Khan; senior humanitarian consultant, Avishan Chanani; human rights expert, lawyer, and civil society leader Osai Ojigho and film journalist, programmer and analyst Tambay Obenson.
“This is a convening like no other” adds Taye. “We are disruptive and interactive, a space to shop for knowledge. Films will screen daily at two principal venues: Treasury Theatre and Library at the Dock, and knowledge sessions will be held in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Pop-up talks in restaurants, as well as curated tours facilitated by the City of Melbourne’s Climate Change and City Resilience branch and University of Melbourne scholars. Everything we are doing is about bringing together the most powerful, influential thinkers and leaders from around the world to foster environments that make it easy to share their findings with each other. Let’s debate and let’s invent new plans for our fragile planet and its people.”
The NGO International Film Festival 2024 will take place 14-18 October. Guests and sessions are being added all the time, please register your interest to receive details of the program and session prices as soon as details are finalised.
FREE REGISTRATION OPEN NOW: thengoiff.com
Note Festival Director Taye Balogen is in Melbourne and available for interviews.
Please visit our EPK for stills, detailed biographies etc. or contact us for interview or comp requests or additional information.
Taye Balogen at The NGO IFF
director@thengoiff.com +614 26 479 735
Register Your Interest To Attend
The NGO International Film Festival 2024 is supported by the City of Melbourne
