To coincide with the annual 16 Days of Activism Campaign, UNDP, UNFPA, UN Women and UNICEF in collaboration with Nayanaya Pictures, Women of the Sun, the Department of Arts and Culture, Department for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, the Films and Publications Board (FPB), and Foreign Missions such as the Jamaican High Commission, British High Commission and the Department for International Development (DFID) hosted a 16 Days of Activism Film Festival entitled ‘From the Bedroom to the Battlefield’.  Films from across the continent and the world, with subject matter relevant to UNiTE goals listed below, were screened.

Local and international filmmakers and directors were present to speak about their work. Community members and youth from across Gauteng  Province engaged in workshops and seminars addressing themes as diverse as “gender and filmmaking”, “misogyny and masculinity ”, “children and pornography”, “rape and corrective rape”, “the youth and media”, “the role of NGO’s and civil society in ending violence” and even “environmental degradation” as a form of violence, were held. The vision behind the festival is a future of 365 days of activism and an end to violence on all levels. The hope is to take a travelling version of the festival across the 9 provinces and the continent.

The festival took films out of cinema houses into cultural spaces in pursuit of truly independent and active campaigning. The historic Market Theatre in the Newtown Cultural Precinct in Johannesburg was the hub of the festival with other screenings taking place at venues such as the Ditsong Cultural History Museum in Pretoria, Alexandra Thusong Recreational Centre, Yeoville Recreation Centre and at The Kliptown Youth Project Outdoor. Visit www.unitefilmfestivalsa.co.za/home.html  or contact info@unitefilmfestivals.co.za