Advocacy through film……or Why a film festival about the third act of life?

It is simple - ageism. Our culture preaches the cult of youth and depicts aging as decline and frailty when in fact it is full of possibility, joy, and vibrancy.

We believe in the power of art to make social change; our medium is storytelling.

Older adults are underrepresented and misrepresented in our mass media – that needs to change. We are living longer and healthier lives and we need to show olders and youngers alike that aging is a dynamic process that unleashes new abilities and knowledge that we must share with our communities.

We counter the prevailing messaging in mass media and provide the opportunity for our audience members to explore all the facets of aging through great film and to participate in Q&A discussions with the filmmakers and subject matter experts. 

Olders face symbolic annihilation - the absence of representation of a group in mass media. Because we do not see ourselves represented in the media we consume, we start to believe that we don’t matter. This is compounded by the fact that what media is out there, is fraught with negative stereotyping and the medicalization of aging - leading audiences to fear aging.

But why film in particular?

Katerina Cizek, a Canadian documentary director puts it simply, “Filmmaking is the art of weaving together a good story. A good story grips our imagination and takes us on a journey of discovery, through emotions, places, facts and realities. A good story makes us care.” and, “Advocacy storytelling is about effectively communicating your message to the audience and encouraging them to act.”

It is important for film to put the “human” in “human rights” because seeing real people is what makes the audience care – whether they agree or not with the message. By focusing on character relationships within a story, the film has more power than the facts and figures would.

Through the power of storytelling and film, we aim to reduce stigma and isms and build resiliency.

An advocacy film or film-based event should also move an audience to action. This is what we are looking to do – have our audience join us in the fight against ageism and show the possibility and resiliency in the third act of life. This is how we advocate for change.

So, whether you attend the festival or not, join us in creating an age-positive culture shift!