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Advocacy

Commonwealth Shorts is a capacity building scheme to give emerging writers/directors the opportunity to make a film which highlights issues affecting them and their communities on the theme of relationships. The initiative is a partnership between Commonwealth Writers, B3 Media and CBA Worldview. The documentary and four dramas explore migration, indigenous rights and same-sex relationships. The five film makers: Kareem Mortimer from Bahamas, Lisa Harewood from Barbados, Jules Koostachin from Canada, Wanjiru Kairu from Kenya and Oscar Kightley from New Zealand, were selected from hundreds of submissions from across the Commonwealth and underwent an intensive development process with the project partners to produce the films.

The most recent screening of the films was at The Soho Hotel, London in March. You can watch the films here.

These films premiered at the Bristol Encounters Film festival in the UK in September 2013. The five emerging film makers from across the Commonwealth first gathered in Auckland, New Zealand in February 2013 for the launch of the five short films. The screening took place at Academy Cinemas, in association with Documentary NZ Trust and with support from the New Zealand Film Commission. This followed a film production lab in Auckland for the five film makers with eight writers/directors from the Pacific region.

News of the next phase of Commonwealth Shorts will be coming soon.