Message Sticks Indigenous Film Festival 2011

Overview

One of the best film festivals in Sydney flies gently under the radar. And (except for its opening night gala) it's all free. The Message Sticks film festival is back at the Opera House for four days in May, bringing you indigenous film from around the world. Beck Cole's opening night feature offers a story of redemption in Here I Am, while Shifting Shelter 4 presents the latest instalment in a Seven-up like series that has tracked four indigenous Australians in rural NSW since 1995. On the Ice has been screened at the Sundance and Berlin film festivals, and tells a story of two teenagers, a seal hunt and an accident.

The Australian premiere of Mexican And the River Flows On follows the push to build a hydroelectric dam near Acapulco, threatening local indigenous communities, while the festival's shorts program offers you a visit to pre-colonial Hawaii and some urban Australian drama. You don't need to be an expert on first cultures to check out this festival. You just need to be interested, intrigued or turn up.

Tickets to the free films can be collected at the Playhouse foyer from an hour before the event, limit two per person.