As Worlds Divide is screening at the Environmental Film Festival Australia (EFFA) in Melbourne on Sunday, October 14th at 8pm. This will be followed by a Q&A with Producer and Director, Rob Henry; moderated by Dr Alexander Cullen from the University of Melbourne.

Book your tickets online via ACMI, by clicking this link: EFFA tickets. Whilst there, we recommend browsing the EFFA 2018 program, as there are many inspiring people sharing their stories to keep our planet safe.

Thank you for the ongoing support for our Mentawai film and their cultural education program.

We hope to see you at EFFA.

For all those who have seen the As Worlds Divide film, given support or followed the progress of this Mentawai, social impact project over the past ten years, check out this short video update from the community:

We greatly appreciate your ongoing support and donations. For further details about this cultural education program, including monthly progress reports, visit our Indigenous Education Foundation (IEF) website.

In other news, As Worlds Divide has now received awards at numerous international documentary film festivals, including most recently the Deauville Green Awards’ Golden Green Trophy. Further announcement regarding upcoming film festival screenings will be posted here or on our Facebook page over the coming month/s.

Last week we attended the Indigenous Celebration Festival in Ubud, on Bali Island. It was incredible – a testament to the united strength of Indigenous peoples and the unique and everlasting value of their cultures. We travelled with 8 Mentawai students and teachers from the YPSM cultural education program, and two ‘sipatitik’ tattoo artists – all from Siberut Island.

Whilst celebrating their own Indigeneity – through cultural performance, workshop and exhibition, the Mentawai team were also captivated and deeply inspired by the music, dance, song, story and pride of so many different Indigenous groups and cultures from across the Asia-Pacific. This truly was a sight to behold, for all of us. A short video:

Thank you so much to event organisers, David Metcalf and Shinta Emmanuela, for bringing this vision to life and enabling the Mentawai team to take part. Also, to Suku Suku Tatau and the international tattoo artists who helped bring the two Mentawai sipatitik to Bali.

If you would like to know more about the Mentawai’s community-based initiative to prevent the loss of their Indigenous culture and knowledge, please follow along at iefprograms.org/programs or sukumentawai.org/en Thank you for your ongoing support and to all those who have made a donation. The impacts of this are profoundly positive. The future looks bright.

Again, thank you to everyone who has purchased the As Worlds Divide film over the past few months. The proceeds / donations received are already being utilised and bringing positive impact to Mentawai’s Indigenous community.

Inspired by the level of support shown by people all around the world, the Suku Mentawai Education Foundation have been fortifying their program by further developing the curriculum material to be taught within their program. Their aim is to have the program’s cultural education booklet complete by June, 2018.

During November and December 2017, with support from Mentawai Government education departments, the team have been presenting their Indigenous education program at junior and senior schools throughout Siberut – discussing the importance of Mentawai culture and knowledge of their forest environment. The students are responding with great pride and enthusiasm and are keen to participate in the Suku Mentawai program as an extracurricular activity.

The Foundation’s cultural education division have also begun identifying and training teachers for three program locations in Siberut’s southern districts, where the program is being commenced. Beyond this, they’ve also begun expanding their socialisation activities throughout schools in Siberut’s central regions. The aim is to begin Mentawai cultural and environmental classes here in July, 2018.

The team at the Suku Mentawai Education Foundation are grateful for your support. Without your purchases / donations, their program would not be where it is today.

For further updates and to continue your support, go to www.iefprograms.org

Masurak bagatta

Thank you to everyone who has given support to our WAFSAC drive and the Mentawai’s cultural education program. With less than 1 week remaining to purchase your copy of the As Worlds Divide film, we thought we’d share with you how far and wide the voice of Mentawai is being heard.

Last week we launched a creative Billboard concept together with our wafsac PR sponsor, The Hallway, at one of Melbourne’s most iconic locations. A powerful statement displayed across JC Decaux’s ‘The Wall’ at Flinders Street Station.

We’ve now had WAFSAC interviews air on Channel 7’s Sunrise, Channel 10’s The Project, Channel 9’s Today Show, and on national radio stations Triple J’s Hack and SBS Indonesia (in Indonesian language).

Feature articles have been published in a range of news medias from WHO magazine to Jakarta Post, Jakarta Globe, Mongabay Indonesia, and She Explores. We’ve also received a great deal of support from national and international surf medias such as Swellnet, Coastal Watch, Surfers Journal and via a host of key influencers. Not forgetting the incredible prize opportunities donated by Pitstop Hill Mentawai and Mentawai Ecotourism.

All the while, utilising the funds raised through WAFSAC – your generous support, the Suku Mentawai Education Foundation have been actively expanding their team, organising a new office, scouting locations to host their program and continuing to formally introduce the program to the wider community and government officials. Read about this and more in their progress reports.

If you haven’t already purchased the As Worlds Divide film and/or are perhaps looking for a few Christmas stocking fillers, please download a copy today. The gift of a powerful documentary, attached to a very meaningful cause:

Watch a film, save a culture. #wafsac