The annual festival has released its programme for this year
The UK’s leading global change film festival is set to return with an urgent programme exploring a range of subjects.
Amongst these include new cinema exploring female empowerment, how to address social inequity and the growing move from climate awareness to direct climate action.
The annual festival, which is due to take place from 18-29 September and is now in its twelfth year, will open on Scottish Housing Day with Push– a vital investigation into the global forces that are turning housing into a commodity and making accommodation in cities across the world unaffordable for their citizens.
The festival will also host a very special preview screening of Ken Loach’s new feature Sorry We Missed You, exploring the heavy toll of the gig economy and zero-hour contracts on people’s personal and family lives.
Supported by Engender Scotland, Sisters Strand celebrates women’s empowerment in all its guises, and places women at the forefront of social change.
Reflecting Take One Action’s commitment to championing female and indigenous talent, over 60% of films at the festival are directed or co-directed by women; over a third of films are directed by filmmakers from the countries in which the films take place, with voices from a host of different countries being represented.
Tamara Van Strijthem, executive director of the festival, said:
“Take One Action was set up in 2008 to bring people together, nurture conversations and empower audiences to be the change they want to see in the world – starting from Scotland. At a time when the very notions of solidarity, equality and environmental responsibility are being eroded, providing a direct and accessible connection to contemporary issues through inspiring stories of change feels really crucial.”
The festival’s patrons are film director Ken Loach and screenwriter Paul Laverty. It is funded by Screen Scotland, the Bertha Foundation and Edinburgh City Council. This year’s partners include Oxfam Scotland, Mercy Corps, Engender, UNISON Scotland, Christian Aid Scotland, Global Justice Now, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Moving Docs (Creative Europe), the Scottish Documentary Institute, Glasgow City Council, and the department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh.
For a full programme and to find out more, visit the festival’s website here.
