[Oceania-video] Seditious Intent: online short film collection

[and]

Hey all,
a first small taste of http://engagemedia.org is now available with  
the launch of the Seditious Intent compilation. Engagemedia, for  
those that don't know of it yet, will be an online video distribution  
site for social and environmental justice content from australia,  
southeast asia and the pacific. You can read more about our aims and  
what the site will be able to do here <http://www.engagemedia.org/ 
about-us>.

Check out the seditous intent collection and let us know what you  
think. Hopefully we'll be opening the site up for public access in  
the next month or two.
Cheers.
And.

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SEDITIOUS INTENT Short Film Collection

Online now at http://www.spinach7.com/si/

17 short films - some sad, some funny, some gentle, some illuminating  
– from the slick to the raw and edgy, ranging from fiction, faction,  
animation, claymation, subverts to adverts - they make up the  
exciting web-based SEDITIOUS INTENT short film collection site.

The collection is the result of a call to filmmakers across the  
country to "create a short film (from 30 secs - 5 mins) that responds  
in some way to the Australian Government’s draconian new anti- 
terrorism laws”.

When we initiated the project, we knew it wouldn't prevent the anti- 
terror laws from being implemented. However, 'SEDITIOUS INTENT' is  
aimed at keeping the discussion alive and enabling filmmakers to  
participate in actions that provoke debate that leads to change.

We have partnered with EngageMedia*, a group distributing video  
stories about social justice and environmental issues in Australia,  
Southeast Asia and the Pacific. We are proud to be their first  
collection.

Background
It all started back in October 2005. The Australian Government wanted  
to set tough new Anti-Terror laws, which included laws that would  
affect the expressions of the creative community.

So, we decided to spark a response from the Australian filmmaking  
community. The first message was sent out on the 31st October 2005.

Back then, sedition was going to be part of the laws and 'seditious  
intent' was defined as an intention to effect any of the following:

* to bring the Sovereign into hatred or contempt;

* to urge disaffection against the Constitution, the Government of the

Commonwealth or either House of the Parliament;

* to urge another person to attempt, otherwise than by lawful means,  
to procure a change to any matter established by law in the  
Commonwealth;

And it seems the lobbying by Australia's creative community has had  
some impact. The Government has made some amendments to its Anti- 
Terrorism Bill 2005. Though still highly problematic, sedition must  
now be linked to the urging of force of violence, in order for it to  
be a crime. See the web page about terror laws for more details.

* EngageMedia is a website currently in development that aims to  
provide a distribution platform for independent video productions. It  
will be a space for critical documentary, fiction, artistic and  
experimental video works from South East Asia, Australia and the  
Pacific region focussing on environmental and social issues.  
Seditious Intent is a taste of what is to come. http://engagemedia.org