In partnership with the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, AACTA has announced a new initiative to highlight stories from the Chinese-Australian community.
The call out is for Chinese-Australians to share a story from their life on screen – it can be a funny, sad, heart-warming or a heartbreaking story – but one that speaks to the truth of their experience in Australia.
Participants must record their story directly to camera. Entries can be as short as 90 seconds, but no longer than 10 minutes. Family and friends may also be included in the video if they are connected to the story.
Once submitted, a selection will be chosen by a diverse committee of Australian writers, filmmakers, and “cultural trailblazers”. These storytellers will be flown to Sydney for the 2023 Unsung Stories Gala event next June, where their stories will be presented in front of a live audience, and live streamed around Australia.
A large collection of these stories will also then be housed in the online public archives of the AACTA for future generations to be able to view.
“With over 1.3 million Australians identifying as having Chinese ancestry, AACTA is proud to present our first initiative specifically for this community,” said AACTA director of programming and international engagement Sam Buckland.
“We all have a story from our lives worth sharing – stories that can inspire, educate and
enlighten the listener giving them a greater understanding of ourselves and our communities. We hope the stories shared help all of us to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of Chinese Australians of all ages, and also uncover some wonderful new Australian storytellers.”
Among the Unsung Stories committee is writer, cook and TV presenter Adam Liaw, who said: “Chinese Australians have contributed hugely to the Australian story since even before the gold rush, but our own stories have often gone unsung – or even deliberately erased.
“Filmmaking is all about digging into the truth of our societies and ourselves through storytelling, and I’m extremely proud to be involved in this brilliant initiative between AACTA and NFACR to tell the real stories of Chinese Australians that are being told all around us, every day.”
Submissions open today and close on January 22, 2023 (Chinese New Year). More info here.