Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival

The Central Victorian Indigenous Film Festival celebrates National Reconciliation Week from May 27 to June 3. The program includes a  range of films, videos, activities and discussions in local venues and online.

Yandoit Cultural (Uniting Church Rd, off High St, Yandoit) will feature a series of bush food short films set on Djaara Country, plus a feature film, The Last Daughter on Sunday, June 2. The evening will start with a smoking ceremony, prepared by Yandoit resident Erica Higgins. This will be followed by a series of bush food short films, created by Auntie Julie McHale, featuring local indigenous youth and teachers on Djaara Country sharing knowledge and secrets of Australian bush foods. Created to accompany Auntie Julie’s tucker boxes and filmed in her private garden, these short films, produced by local filmmakers, People Pictures, are warm intimate descriptions that reveal the quality and uses of these unique plants.

Doors open at 4.45pm on Sunday 2 June. Entry is by donation. Bookings: yandoitcultural.org/ or email to ycfcpg@gmail.com

In Glenlyon, the Forest Film society will screen Sweet As, at the Glenlyon Hall. Sweet As is an uplifting coming-of-age road movie by Nyul Nyul / Yawuru director Jub Clerc. With problems on the home front, 15-year-old Murra is on the verge of lashing out. That is, until her policeman uncle thwarts her self-destructive behaviour with a lifeline: a “photo-safari for at-risk kids”. On the safari trail, the teens learn about fun, friendship and first crushes, as well as the forces of ‘reality’ that puncture the bubble of youth. Doors open 6.30pm for 7.15pm screening. Cost is $10 for non-FFS members.

The full program is available at https://www.bendigo.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-05/CVIFF-2024-flyer.pdf