The Campfire story rolls along quietly, slowly sometimes, but all the same, assuredly. I feel as excited today about it as I did when the concept first came into focus back in late 2006. So it seems fitting now to provide some kind of update on how things work and where they’re going. There are further plans for 2010, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The Campfire concept

Our tag, “films on films, faiths on film” points to what we’re about.
Our mission is two-fold:

As a prominent figure in the Arts in Australia, Robyn Archer, speaking recently in Canberra for the Manning Clarke lecture, said

So, if there is no economic or environmental certainty and no formal faith either for many, can I make a case for Art as a pathway for spiritual survival?

I’d like to support her case because I love the arts; but it’s too an all-too-easy ‘out’ for those who’ve given up on religion.

Whether you’re looking inward or hiking outward, the goal is always psychological: to open your mind and to challenge old ways of thinking.

Films, for me, have allowed a kind of travel of the mind. My Peter-Tammer-inspired experience at VCA, including the “doco club” screenings every Tuesday night, opened my eyes to a world of ideas I could never have imagined.

Films have improved my understanding of others and how they see life. That can only be a good thing.

Films have both deepened my faith and brought me into places where I needed to go back and re-examine and question what I believed more deeply. Surely that must also be beneficial.

Decent films, as with all decent art, have the potential to be a vehicle for travel of the mind.

And what’s decent art? That’s the kind that becomes deeper and more revealing with each subsequent viewing; and long after viewing, continues to play on in one’s mind – asking, answering and enlightening…

… a little like a travel, really.

As the world financial crisis deepens, it's refreshing to remember that life is not about money, or the value of our earthly possessions.

Birds still sing in the morning,
trees continue to grow,
life emerges from places out of view.
The Source of life continues to pulse and provide spiritual and physical sustenance,
if we'd only stop to appreciate it.

Whatever financial challenges lie ahead for our struggling world, may it cause us to take stock of what really matters.
Instead of hunting for life in material gain, may we seek out life beneath the surface.

You know about fast food.
Perhaps you also know about slow food.

Well, along with slow food came slow travel, slow shopping, and slow design.

The internet is a truly remarkable place, with so many exciting things happening everywhere around the world.

This is great news for filmmakers, and for those of us who believe that short films can make our world a better place. I’ve added links (see our links page for fuller description of each) to a few sites that I’ve come across just in the last week.
Pangea, Media that Matters, Slum-TV and One world TV

Julie Rigg interviewed Nicole Kidman recently about her involvement in a new film, Margot at the Wedding. As they discussed the ‘smaller, riskier films’ that Nicole tends to do best at, I was struck by what she said:

Just a quick note to say that the films are in, our 'faith respondents' are busily writing their short reflections, and we hope to launch later this month.

Stay tuned!

Dear Tali,

It’s been a little while since I wrote. So sorry – life is getting so busy these days.
There are so many things to deal with I sometimes wonder where to start. I get overwhelmed. I heard a rumour that you were a bit, too.

In fact, it’s about being overwhelmed that I wanted to write to you about.
I’m sure there’ll be psychologists in years to come – if they’re not already doing so – who’ll have fancy names for what we experience when we go online: being google-eyed, web-weary or having you-tube fatigue (only I’m sure they’ll use latin names).

I’m especially thinking about creating for online.

I hate when you think you’ve created something original – a painting, a poem, a short film, a website – then you go online, and you find that tens, hundreds, maybe even THOUSANDS of people have already had similar ideas before you! It can be soooo depressing.