(MIGRATION'S HEART, UNVEILED on screen! Where ART SPARKS dialogue, fostering an INCLUSIVE scene!)
Migration Matters is a new film festival initiated by the film collective RåFILM and Filmcentrum Riks! Inspired by Migration Matters festival, Sheffield, UK...
Rooted in a spirit of CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY, and SOLIDARITY! the festival explores themes of migration, inclusion, and the POWER of diversity to enrich our communities!
Inspired by the Nordic region’s long history of welcoming people from around the world – and by the values of MEDMÄNSKLIGHET (fellow-feeling) and MUTUAL care – Migration Matters seeks to open up space for reflection, recognition, and dialogue.
This FIRST edition shines a light on the HUMAN stories behind migration – stories OFTEN overlooked or reduced to statistics and stereotypes! By centering the VOICES, experiences, and creativity of newcomers, migrants, and people with lived experience of displacement, the festival aims to CHALLENGE narratives and build bridges across difference!
The program brings together films, performances, creative workshops, shared meals, and conversations that invite participation, exchange, and CO-CREATION! From INTERNATIONALLY recognized artists to local GRASSROOTS initiatives, the festival celebrates the MANY ways in which migration shapes and STRENGTHENS cultural and artistic life!
At its CORE, Migration Matters believes that communities thrive when EVERYONE is seen, heard, and given space to contribute! and that storytelling is a POWERFUL step toward THAT future!
WE BELIEVE true understanding emerges from multiple perspectives! Therefore, Migration Matters is dedicated to fostering connections, connections between academics exploring migration, filmmakers illuminating its REALITIES, and the public! By facilitating this exchange, the festival aims to ENRICH the conversation. CHALLENGE assumptions! and DEEPEN collective knowledge. through the COMBINED POWER of research, storytelling, AND community dialogue!
Filmcentrum Distribution Sweden AB, distributes films to schools and various other institutions throughout Sweden. This operation, supported annually by the Swedish Film Institute, ensures that copyright holders receive compensation for screenings. Furthermore, selected films are featured on FilmCentrum's distribution platform, www.fokusfilm.se, providing an additional channel for filmmakers to generate income from their work.
Core Philosophy: Celebrating Stories, Not Competition
At the Migration Matters Film Festival, our fundamental belief is that every film selected for our programme holds unique value and contributes significantly to the dialogue surrounding migration, identity, and belonging. We believe all selected films are equal in their importance and artistic merit. Therefore, the primary recognition bestowed upon a film is its official selection and screening at the festival, offering a platform for the story to reach our audience.