For this program, we started off by welcoming back the 2025 Hurtigruten Scandinavian Film Festival this July and August which once again presents the best new cinema from the Nordic region . One highlight in the program that we were excited to review was ‘Odd Fish’, a tale of dreams, identity, and acceptance. This feel-good film follows childhood friends Hjalti and Björn, who run a seafood restaurant in their hometown during the summer. They dream of keeping the restaurant open year- round, and when an unexpected opportunity arises, Björn reveals to Hjalti that she is a transgender woman and will be known as Birna from now on. These changes test their friendship, and both must face life with a new perspective to preserve what matters most. We then turned our attention to ‘Here Comes the Dykes’, a brilliant and thought provoking short documentary that recounts the alternative history of photography by JEB (Joan E. Biren) with lesbians as central protagonists in The Dyke Show, produced by The New Yorker films. ‘Here Comes They Dykes’ is streaming for free so check it out and then do yourself a favour and dive into the world of Joan E Biren a.k.a JEB as well, you will not be disappointed. We finished up by highlighting some of the many diverse First Nations films on offer this NAIDOC Week. Running from July 6 to 13, NAIDOC Week marks a powerful milestone in 2025 with 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience. This year’s theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy which celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of First Nation young leaders, the vision of their communities, and the legacy of their ancestors. Along with a great selection of free content streaming on DocPlay and SBS on Demand, we also featured an encore presentation of our interview from October 2024 with Jon Bell, the writer/director of ‘The Moogai’, a ground breaking First Nation’s horror thriller film that debuted at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival winning the Audience Award for Best Feature, premiered globally at the Sundance Film Festival, and won the prestigious 2024 CinefestOZ Film Prize Award.
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