Ntaria (Hermannsburg) from 2-8 October
Media
This year's Festival will be hosted by the Indigenous Remote Communications Association (IRCA), in partnership with Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA), and the community of Ntaria (Hermannsburg).
This annual festival is a major industry event celebrating the achievements and building the capacity of the remote Indigenous media sector. Each year the Festival location alternates between remote desert and coastal communities, including Djarindjin on the Dampier Peninsula of WA (2012), Umuwa SA (2011), Thursday Island in the Torres Strait (2010).
The festival brings together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media practitioners from across Australia to participate in a packed program of nightly video screenings, daily skills workshops, industry forums, AGMs, the Remote Media Awards presentation, culminating with a concert finale featuring local musicians and cultural performances.
The Festival will be broadcast live throughout the week over the 8KIN CAAMA Network and across other regional radio networks across the country, including PAW, 5NPY, TEABBA, TSIMA and the National indigenous Radio Service. The Festival represents a huge media opportunity, bringing together talent and creating content for remote sector platforms including ICTV, IndigiTUBE, social media and online podcasts. We invite other media - NITV/SBS, ABC, Land Rights News, Koori Mail etc – to attend.
This year, over 200 delegates are expected to attend, primarily from the four Central Australian media organisations – PAW Media, PY Media, Ngaanyatjarra Media and host RIMO CAAMA. We also expect large contingents from Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association, Pilbara and Kimberley Aboriginal Media and other RIMOs.
The Festival plays a key development role for the remote Indigenous media sector, creating opportunities for producers, broadcasters, trainees and supporters from all regions to network and share their stories, skills and inspiration. It celebrates the unique value of remote community media for language and cultural maintenance, information sharing, meaningful employment and empowering communities through self-representation. Digital Media Skills workshops will provide hands-on training opportunities in areas such as: radio documentary production, animation, video editing, music development, new media production, and online content production.
IRCA and ICTV will hold industry forums with membership and stakeholders around sector issues and opportunities and conduct their Annual General Meetings during the Festival.
The Festival will also hold events open to the Community. An Opening Night Concert will showcase the wealth of music talent in the region. Four nights of screenings curated by ICTV will showcase community video productions from the year, culminating in a Closing Night Awards Ceremony to celebrate the achievements of remote producers and recognise their important contribution to the Indigenous media industry. Closing Night will also feature local cultural performances and screenings
The Festival Program included the following elements:
- OPENING CEREMONY AND CONCERT (open to the public)
Featured regional bands & Opening Welcome to Country - NIGHTLY FILM SCREENINGS (open to the public)
Each evening ICTV screened a selection of 'best of' remote video content produced during the year. - CLOSING NIGHT AWARDS AND CONCERT (open to the public)
Featured awards, film screenings and cultural performances - SKILLS WORKSHOPS
A number of key workshops ran each day. Delegates nominated which skill area was of most interest and benefit to them. - INDUSTRY FORUMS
Each day IRCA will facilitated Industry Forums enabling information sharing, consultation and awareness raising around key issues currently relevant to the sector. - REMOTE MEDIA AWARDS
The Remote Media Awards was presented on the final day of the Festival. - AGMs
Both IRCA and ICTV conducted their AGMs during the Festival week.
Location
We were thrilled to hold the 2013 Festival at Ntaria (Hermannsburg) in Western Arrernte country. Located 124km south-west of Alice Springs, this is one of the most picturesque areas of Central Australia set amongst the rolling hills of the MacDonnell Ranges.
The town of Hermannsburg was originally established as a mission by German Lutheran Missionaries in 1877. The National Heritage Listed Historic Precinct in the centre of town will be the main location for the festival.
Now known as Ntaria, the community is located within the MacDonnell Shire and has a population of 700 people. It has a vibrant arts community well known for its watercolour paintings, pottery and music.
It is famously known as the home of renowned landscape artist Albert Namatjira who inspired the Hermannsburg School of watercolour painters. More recently, Ntaria has also become known for its Pottery and Ladies Choir.
Ntaria is also the home of singer/songwriter Warren H Williams, a Red Ochre Award recipient and regular CAAMA radio broadcaster.
The Korparilya Horse Races, a local community event, will be taking place during the weekend of the festival. Other nearby attractions include Palm Valley within the Finke Gorge National Park.
Services and facilities located in Ntaria include: two shops, post office, bank agency, service station, public phones, coin operated laundry, church, police station and health clinic. Permits are not required for festival attendees to visit Ntaria community.
There is mobile coverage available in the community on the Telstra 3G network only.
Please note: there is no alcohol permitted in Ntaria.
