THE NGO INTERNATIONAL FILM & KNOWLEDGE FORUM

2024 FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

OCT 14 - 18
Melbourne, Australia

Principal Venues:

Royal Botanic Gardens | Library at the Dock | Treasury Theatre

Royal Botanic Gardens

Library at the Dock

Treasury Theatre

Auxiliary Venues:

Butterfly Club | Kitchen Quarters | APY Gallery | Mr TOD Cafe

* Kindly ensure to book tickets for each session/screening you are interested in, for purposes of attendance management.

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Venue: Treasury Theatre

Ceremony

OPENING CEREMONY

MONDAY

14.10.2024

10AM - 11AM

- Welcome note
- An original play by Christian Lollike
- Acknowledgement of country

Keynote speakers
- Reena Ghelani
- Kumi Naidoo
- Bwe Thay

- Welcome speech by City of Melbourne Rep
- 2023 & 2024 promotional videos
- Welcome speech by Taye Balogun, Festival Director

MC:
Gary Chan

Venue: Treasury Theatre

Screening

FILM SCREENING,
Q&A

MONDAY

14.10.2024

11:30AM - 1PM

Camp 32 -- 72'

Q&A with Bunhom Chhorn, Filmmaker & Media Expert

Meet: Treasury Theatre

Tour

Circular Economy Tour

MONDAY

14.10.2024

1PM - 2:30PM

Presentation on existing initiatives, proceeded by a tour of Melbourne's commercial organics processing facility in Degraves St

Facilitator:
Jordi McInerney, Manager Circular Economy: City of Melbourne

FULLY BOOKED!

Venue: Treasury Theatre

Knowledge Session

Cultural Integration vs. Multiculturalism

Should immigrants assimilate into the host country's culture, or should societies embrace multiculturalism? What are the pros and cons of each approach?

MONDAY

14.10.2024

3PM - 4:30PM

Panelists:
- Judy Gao, Strategic Communications & Finance Specialist
- Tasneem Chopra, Creative Consultant & DEI Expert
- Bunhom Chhorn, Filmmaker & Media Expert
- Dr. James Hodkinson, Senior Fellow: Warwick Institute of Engagement, WU
- Ramandeep Sibia, Comms Manager & Climate change activist
- Sarah Chong, Multicultural Community Leader & Activist
- Marjorie Raimundo

Moderator:
Benson Saulo, Diplomat, Finance & Trade Expert

Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens

Tour

Royal Botanic Gardens Tour

TUESDAY

15.10.2024

10AM - 12 NOON

Facilitator:
Andrew Laidlaw, Landscape Architect: Royal Botanic Gardens

*For all attendees.

FULLY BOOKED!

Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens

Knowledge Session

Climate Change and Its Impact on Biodiversity

What are the most pressing threats to biodiversity due to climate change, and how can we mitigate these effects?

TUESDAY

15.10.2024

2PM - 3:30PM

Mueller Hall

Panelists:
- Reena Ghelani, Assistant Secretary General on Climate Change and El Nino Response
- Tony Rinaudo, Agronomist & Missionary: World Vision
- Professor Arnold Dix, Scientist and Barrister
- Kumi Naidoo, Global Ambassador Africans Rising; Former Secretary General Amnesty International and Former Executive Director, GreenPeace

Moderator:
Professor Mimmie Watts, Federation University Australia

Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens

Knowledge Session

Immigration Policies and Human Rights

How can countries balance national security concerns with the need to uphold human rights and provide asylum to refugees?

WEDNESDAY

16.10.2024

2PM - 3:30PM

Mueller Hall

Panelists:
- Evelyn Tadros, Barrister
- Professor Mimmie Watts, Public Health, Policy & Immigration Expert
- Osai Ojigho, Director Policy Public Affairs & Campaigns: Christian Aid
- Anna Macdonald, Campaigner
- Nyadol Nyuon, Lawyer

Moderator:
Professor Paul Long, Educator: Monash University

Venue: Library at the Dock

Presentation

Climate Storytelling by Dr. Bhagi Siva.

This session uses relatable narratives to convey the emotional and human impacts of climate change, making it more tangible and urgent for audiences.

WEDNESDAY

16.10.2024

4PM - 5PM

The Performance Space

Dr. Bhagi blends captivating imagery and sound to explore the climate crisis and indigenous health practices, offering a visionary approach to inspire empathy and action toward a sustainable future.

Presented by:
Taye Balogun, Director: THENGOIFF, Film Director, Media Consultant & Educator

Facilitator:
Dr. Bhagi Siva, Medical Practitioner & Visual Storyteller

Venue: Library at the Dock

Screening

FILM SCREENING,
Q&A

WEDNESDAY

16.10.2024

5:05PM - 7PM

The Performance Space

Q&A with Tony Rinuado, Agronomist & Missionary: World Vision

Venue: Library at the Dock

Screening

FILM SCREENING,
Q&A

WEDNESDAY

16.10.2024

7:15PM - 8:30PM

The Performance Space

Ahmad Alive -- 37'

Q&A with Yusuf Omar & Aurelia Driver

Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens

Knowledge Session

The Impact of Climate Change on Public Health

Exploring how rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and changing ecosystems are affecting human health, including the spread of diseases and mental health challenges.

THURSDAY

17.10.2024

10AM - 11:30AM

Mueller Hall

Panelists:
- Dr Jenny Huang
- Angela Ashley - Chiew
- Wesa Chau
- Dr Walter, Dermatologist & Surgeon

Moderator:
Mary Ana McGlasson, Director: Centre for Humanitarian Leadership

Venue: Kitchen Quarters

Knowledge Session

The Gift of Nature: Edible Indigenous Plants & Nutrients

THURSDAY

17.10.2024

11AM - 12:30PM

Facilitator:
- Dr Sonya Rutherfurd, Nutritionist & Neurochemist

Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens

Knowledge Session

Integrating Indigenous Knowledge with Modern Science

How can traditional ecological knowledge enhance contemporary scientific research and environmental management practices? What can we learn from Indigenous practices in terms of sustainable living, resource management, and conservation?

THURSDAY

17.10.2024

1PM - 2:30PM

Mueller Hall

Panelists:
- Andrew Laidlaw, Landscape Architect: Royal Botanic Gardens
- Russell Taylor, CEO: EcoCARE
- Peter & Andrea Hylands
- City of Melbourne Representative

Moderator:

Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens

Workshop

Embracing Our Ecological Futures: Learning to Choose A Path

Our guest panelists will envision Melbourne's ecological future in 50 years, considering climate change, population growth, and the rights of First Nations peoples. Attendees will then join small groups to creatively explore and discuss these themes.

THURSDAY

17.10.2024

3PM - 4:30PM

Mueller Hall

Panelists:
- Melissa Pineda Pinto, Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne
- Hanh Nguyen, PhD student at the University of Tasmania
- Peter Symes, Botanical consultant, former curator of Cooktown Botanic Gardens & RBG Melbourne
- Freya Thomas, Senior Urban Forester: City of Melbourne

Moderators:
- Dave Kendal, Director: Future in Nature
- Pauline Marsh

Venue: Library at the Dock

Screening

FILM SCREENING,
Q&A

THURSDAY

17.10.2024

4PM - 5PM

The Performance Space

Q&A with Taye Balogun, THENGOIFF Director

Venue: Library at the Dock

Knowledge Session

Policy and Governance

What policies can support the integration of indigenous knowledge in ecological protection while considering the dynamics of immigration?

THURSDAY

17.10.2024

5:10PM - 6:30PM

The Performance Space

Panelists:
- Anna Macdonald, Campaigner
- Osai Ojigho, Director Policy Public Affairs & Campaigns: Christian Aid
- Peter Hylands
- Benson Saulo, Diplomat, Finance & Trade Expert

Moderator:

Venue: Library at the Dock

Screening

FILM SCREENING,
Q&A

THURSDAY

17.10.2024

6:40PM - 7:30PM

The Performance Space

The Ranch -- 35'

Q&A
- Stefan Raabe, Filmmaker
- Damian McLindon, Director
- Ben Smith, CEO of the Mornington Peninsula Community Center

Venue: Library at the Dock

Screening

FILM SCREENING,
Q&A

THURSDAY

17.10.2024

7:40PM - 9PM

The Performance Space

Q&A
- Verena Thomas, Director
- Jackie Kauli, Director

Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens

Workshop

Narratives for Change: How Storytelling Fuels Advocacy Success

Join global activist Anna Macdonald, who has over two decades of experience leading impactful international campaigns, in an interactive workshop on the power of storytelling in advocacy.

FRIDAY

18.10.2024

10AM - 11AM

Mueller Hall

Learn how shaping narratives can influence decision-makers, mobilize communities, and drive change. Through discussions and real-world examples, gain practical techniques for using storytelling to achieve advocacy goals. Leave inspired to craft impactful stories!

Facilitator:
Anna Macdonald, Campaigner

Meet: Royal Botanic Gardens

Tour

Greenline Project Tour

FRIDAY

18.10.2024

12 NOON - 3PM

Presentation on the Greenline Project, in relation to THENGOIFF 2024's themes: indigenous knowledge & ecological protection.

Sites:
• Yarra’s edge
• Turning basin (at Enterprize Park)
• Library at the Dock

Facilitator:
Luke Flanagan, Principal Program Manager: City of Melbourne

CANCELLED DUE TO BAD WEATHER

Venue: Library at the Dock

Screening

FILM SCREENING,
Q&A

FRIDAY

18.10.2024

4PM - 5:30PM

The Performance Space

The Migrants -- 50'

Q&A with Niels Boel, Director

Venue: Library at the Dock

Screening

FILM SCREENINGS

FRIDAY

18.10.2024

5:30PM - 9PM

The Performance Space

Under the Sand -- 10'
Dream It Big -- 30'
The Notebook -- 9'
Refugees can Change their Life with Cash -- 4'
Insects & Flowers -- 29'
Forgive Us Mother for we have Sinned -- 16'
2075 -- 5'
Junk-E -- 7'
Birds without Borders -- 13'
The Heat of Change -- 20'
Triggered -- 13'
Puzzle -- 4'
Architecture of Hope -- 10'
Understorey -- 7'
Cousin -- 6'
Oceans of Adaptation -- 7'
Thunder Love -- 12'
Change -- 2'
Shattered Chains: Reclaiming after ISIS -- 19'
Juggled Justice -- 12'
Broken -- 5'
The Voice of the Rooster -- 9'
In Limbo -- 18'
The Solution -- 5'
Mad Honey -- 24'
Water Ashes -- 3'
Listen -- 2'
Saralish -- 20'
Across the Himalayas -- 20'
Harvesting Dream -- 25'
The Royal Summit -- 15'
The Three Wishes -- 10'
Warpaper -- 5'
Wishing for a Colorful Atmosphere -- 4'
Lui -- 2'
Unpeeled -- 30'
Neither Living nor Dead -- 4'
Water is Coming -- 16'
The Western Yard -- 14'
Queue for a Dream -- 2'
Women of the Mangrove -- 15'
Dhwani -- 10'
The Silence After the Storm -- 11'
Mermaid -- 15'
The Fly Collectors -- 25'
The Bus -- 26'

Meet: Clifton Hill Railway Station

Tour

BIRRARUNG/YARRA WALKING TOUR

After of a week of amazing lectures, films and workshops it is time to get outside! Why not enjoy a 12 kilometre walk around the beautiful Birrarung/Yarra River in Melbourne and learn about its fantastic natural landscape as well as its fascinating indigenous and European history.

SATURDAY

19.10.2024

9AM - 3PM

Not only is the Yarra River the centre-piece of Melbourne it is also an extremely interesting and beautiful place. This walk will introduce you to the beautiful river and its history just upstream of the city. You will learn about the landscape, but also the challenging history of dispossession of the Indigenous people – which is closely associated with this section of the river. Also see the site of (reputedly) the world’s highest dive, one of the largest bat colonies in Australia, and eat at the historic boat houses.

Your guide will be Ian Rutherfurd, a geographer who not only knows the river well, but lives near it and swims in it regularly. The walk is 12 kilometres long and will start and finish at a railway station. There is a rough map of the walk below. We will meet at Clifton Hill railway station at 9.00am, and finish mid-afternoon.

Limitations:
- This is a 12 kilometre walk that includes some rough tracks, but it is not steep. Requires moderate level of fitness.
- Bring good walking shoes, a rain-jacket or umbrella, some water and a snack.
- It is important to let us know if you are coming so that we can book our lunch at the Boat House (which is very popular and busy).
- Start at Clifton Hill Station 9.00am, and finish at Collingwood Station before 4.00 pm.

Costs
The only costs will be lunch.
- Morning Tea at Fairfield Boat house
- Lunch at the Studley Park Boathouse

Facilitator:
Prof. Ian Rutherfurd