New short film competition tackles misconceptions around ageing

Individuals and community groups in Western Australia are being encouraged to take part in a short film competition that turns the lens on the topic of ageing.

Individuals and community groups in Western Australia are being encouraged to take part in a short film competition that turns the lens on the topic of ageing.

The Life in Pictures short film competition is a collaboration between the WA government, the, Revelation Perth International Film Festival and Screenwest, and aims to stimulate discussion about an ageing population and to celebrate the positive contribution of seniors to the community.

WA Seniors and Volunteering Minister Paul Miles said the initiative had been endorsed by the International Federation on Ageing and World Health Organisation as a way of challenging existing social norms around ageing.

A total prize pool of $20,000 is available across three categories (under 17, 18+ and 60+), and the winners will have their entries screened at Revelation Perth International Film Festival in July. The films will also be used to help raise awareness of ageing issues in the community.

“Society often values youth and beauty, while messages about ageing can focus on the negatives of getting older,” Mr Miles said.

“Research shows these negative attitudes can often lead to social isolation and have significant impacts on seniors’ health and wellbeing. People who view their own ageing negatively also tend to live on average 7.5 years less than people with positive attitudes,” he said.

“This competition will encourage everyone, the filmmakers and the viewers, to stop and think about how we view getting older. It will stimulate discussion about ageing in a positive way that values and shows respect to older people.”

The film competition, which is open to anyone in WA, aims to highlight diverse perspectives on ageing and to improve understanding of what it means to grow older in contemporary society.

The 2016 Juniper WA Seniors Champion of the Year, Jenny Davis, will also select an Ambassador’s Choice winner for each of the three categories.

Entries close 31 May.

For more information on how to enter visit the Revelation Perth International Film Festival

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Tags: ageing, film, film-competition, ifa, news-ccrn-4, paul-miles, reablement, wa-government, who,

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