Lockdown Movie Night raises $12,000 to get Afghan filmmakers to safety Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - September 9, 2021 Local organiser Stephanie Hunt watches Afghan film ‘Shereen’. IN the midst of the Taliban takeover of Kabul, Coffs Harbour local Olivia Jamison received an alarming email from her friend and filmmaker Max Walker. Having produced a hugely successful film, ‘Shereen’, about women in Kabul several years ago, Max was now desperately seeking help to get his fellow filmmakers and friends to a place of safety. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Olivia knew she had to act, but how? She went for a (COVID-safe) walk with her friend Stephanie Hunt, and the two brainstormed ways to help. Max had offered to make his film available for private screenings to raise money. But how was that going to work when so much of the country was in lockdown? The idea of a Lockdown Movie Night was born. “We set things up so that people would be able to watch the movie from home,” Olivia told News Of The Area. “Then it was a matter of getting the word out there.” This is where Dave Horsley and Kate Howat from Screenwave International Film Festival (SWIFF) fame came in. “Always supporters of the arts in general, and film in particular, Dave and Kate immediately saw the importance of this effort to help those filmmakers in hiding in Kabul,” said Stephanie. “With the breadth of their networks, they had the capacity to spread the word quickly and widely.” Dave, Kate, Olivia and Stephanie shared the event locally and across the world. “So many people were feeling helpless in the face of the nightmare unfolding in Afghanistan. “This small way to help people who might otherwise have gone unnoticed resonated and ticket sales came in from Coffs Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Canada, the UK and beyond,” added Olivia. The campaign raised over $12,000 in under a week. “The response was amazing,” said Stephanie. “We’ve all received texts and emails saying how powerful the film was and asking if there are other ways to help. “We are planning an encore screening.” In the meantime, anyone wishing to contribute to this cause can make a donation at https://chuffed.org/project/afghan-filmmakers-rescue-fund. By Andrea FERRARI Lockdown Movie Night, an idea conceived on a walk in Coffs last week. Max Walker on set with the star of the movie ‘Shereen’.
