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MyState BOFA Film Festival confirms speakers

Press release from MyState

MyState BOFA Film Festival has confirmed ‘A Tax won't Fix Climate Change’ and ‘The Screen is Mightier than the Sword’ as the two topics for the Big Ideas Debate series being hosted as part of the festival taking place between 23rd and 27th November.

The Big Ideas Debates will involve the screening of one live debate at the MyState BOFA Film Festival and one filmed/video-ed debate conducted during 2011 by the St James Ethics Centre in its IQSquared and Big Ideas series run monthly with the assistance of the ABC. These debates are available in video/podcast form once conducted live.

Key dignitaries and thought leaders confirmed for the debates include Major General (ret'd) Jim Molan, recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross from the Australian Government and the Legion of Merit from the United States Government, Jonathan auf der Heide – actor, writer, teacher and director of Van Dieman's Land (2009) and others (noted below).

A Tax won't Fix Climate Change: Thursday 24th November, 5.30pm

This debate will be held in Melbourne on 15th September, 2011 and will feature:

· Adam Bandt – Greens MP and Federal Member for Melbourne

· Sinclair Davidson – Professor in school of economics, finance and Marketing at RMIT University and Senior Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs

· Tim Flannery – writer, scientist and explorer

· Matthew Wright – author of Zero Carbon Australia Plan and 2010 Young Environmentalist of the Year

· Other speakers to be announced when confirmed

This debate will be recorded in September and then played at the MyState BOFA Film Festival (Thursday 24th Nov, 5.30pm) in front of a live audience, facilitated by Simon Longstaff.

The Screen is Mightier than the Sword: Saturday 26th November, 2.30 pm

This debate will be held live in Launceston as part of the festival and will be broadcast nationally via ABC Big Ideas programme and also webcast live on 26th November to the world. Confirmed speakers include:

· Marcia Langton – Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies, The University of Melbourne and actor in Here I Am

· Brian Rosen – President of Screen Producers Association of Australia, Chair of Screen Tasmania, film maker and philanthropist

· Major General (ret'd) Jim Molan – the Coalition’s Chief of Operations during a period of continuous and intense combat in Iraq, author of double best seller Running the War in Iraq, and "2009 Australian Thinker of the Year”.

· Jonathan auf der Heide – actor, writer, teacher and director of Van Dieman's Land (2009)

· Dr Natasha Cica – Director, Inglis Clark Centre for Civil Society, University of Tasmania, writer on culture and politics, including for The Age, The Australian and the Australian Financial Review.

· Other speakers to be announced when confirmed

Simon Longstaff of St James Ethics Centre will adjudicate the debate and the post debate discussion and voting. In addition to the support from ABC, University of Tasmania and AARNET/TasmaNet will provide the debate to the universities of Australia via the AARNET network.

FESTIVAL DATES:

Venue: Inveresk Precinct, Launceston, Tasmania

Dates: Wednesday 23 to Sunday 27 November 2011

Program: Five days of feature film, digital SLR shorts, debates, competitions, master-classes and gala events, plus Food, Wine 'n’ Film – a food and wine festival featuring the best produce from the region

Website:
http://www.bofa.com.au/

Tickets: Check website for details