Progress report for
The Arctic Film Festival
Achievement at a glance
The first annual Arctic Film Festival, put on by HF Productions and SocentCPH and hosted by Longyearbyen Kulturhuset, was conducted on September 14-15th as a two day event on the islands of Svalbard, the northernmost City in the world and a territory of Norway.Approximately 150 guests attended the first day of screenings in which 11 films showcased, all tackling narratives within the Sustainable Development Goals, with particular focus on #13 Climate Action. A total of 8 international filmmakers flew in to attend the event representing Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, the US, and Finland. All attending filmmakers participated in the full schedule of events.
A Filmmakers roundtable was held with filmmakers participating, moderated by Head of Production of HF Productions Benn Wiebe, with the focus of the conversation being how filmmakers identify SDGs and social impact within their narratives, and what they are doing to shift those projects from driving awareness to pushing tangible action items forward.
Approximately 150 guests attended the screenings of the 11 selected films out of an estimated 700 submissions. There was great engagement from the audience as full attendance stayed all the way through the proceedings and applause were awarded from the audience after each film, a very unique experience to see coming from a full audience.
After the screenings a networking and social event was held at a local establishment in Svalbard where conversations continued about the films which was attended by all the filmmakers, the festival team, and many audience members and local patrons.
Challenges faced in implementation
Working against local business hours. Considering the Arctic region host very few inhabitants, local business and public venues close early.Beneficiaries
Filmmakers, Audience and Local Partners
Actions
FILMMAKERS: Significant progress was made in the discussions as some filmmakers were educated on how their projects actually tackled areas within the SDGs they had not realized, and came to see how tangible impact can be driven by their projects whether it is fiction, non-fiction, animation, and experimental pieces.AUDIENCE: Learned about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and through Climate Change films learned more in dept about the social, economic and environmental challenges the regions faces.
LOCAL PARTNERS: Were able to gain visibility by partnering with this international event.