Migrant Voices Films is a new initiative by Migrant Voices to produce and showcase films on migrant workers and migration, as well as to develop a centralized repository for such films with an emphasis on local as well as foreign independent films.

The Migration Film Festival is a platform developed for to showcase these films to the public. The pilot event was held in December 2007 at the now-defunct Pitch Black Movie Cafe and the two sold-out screenings attracted the interest of both audiences and film makers.

This year, the Migration Film Festival will be co-presented with The Substation as part of SeptFest, an arts festival held every September to commemorate The Substation’s anniversary. It will be held on Saturday, 11 September 2010 at The Substation Theatre and will comprise of 3 screenings featuring a total of 7 local short films and 1 foreign feature film.

Objectives

> To generate interest in migration and migrant workers
> To provide a platform for local and foreign film makers to showcase their films
> To encourage more film makers to produce films on migration and work with migrant

Motivations

In recent years, there have been many films done on migration and migrant workers, especially in Singapore by local film makers. The Migrant Voices Films Repository that is being set up will give their films greater exposure as it will be a one-stop-shop for people who are interested in the issue. It is not meant to be an agent or distributor, but more of a catalyst between the film maker and his or her audience. It is also to form a kind of co-operative where filmmakers can share ideas, best practices, challenges and collaborate on films related to migration and migrant workers. It will also be easier for film makers interested in the topic to engage community partners such as HOME and TWC2.

The Film Festival is one of the avenues for us to showcase these works to a public audience and will be one of the first in Singapore to be organized by a community arts group. Through this Film Festival, we want to achieve a multiplier effect by encouraging more film makers to produce more socially-driven content with migrant workers and migration, knowing that they will have a platform to screen and market their films.

Through the MVFilms - The Substation partnership for Moving Images, the film makers also expose themselves to artistic critique, which will allow them to grow as artists as well.

For our migrant community partners, we give greater and more periodic exposure of their causes, especially through documentaries done in partnership with them. To the arts and community-at-large, the repository will offer exposure to new films as well as create awareness of social commentaries with real subject matters on the issue.