Program in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution, Committee on Gender Equality and Diversity, Faculty of Arts, Asian Religious Connections Research Cluster and ADR in Asia Research Cluster presents:
Film Screening with Producers of “Glimpses into the Spirit of Gender Equality” (Kyle J. Schmalenberg & Laura Friedmann)
Filmmakers: Nava Kavelin, Kyle Schmalenberg & Laura Friedman
Moderators:
Shahla Ali, Faculty of Law, HKU
David Palmer, Department of Sociology, HKIHSS, HKU
Date: 24 March 2021 (Wednesday)
Time: 11:00 AM (HK time)
Delivery: via Zoom
Details and registration:
All are welcome. Please register here and the Zoom link will be sent to you prior to the event.
In 1995, at a global conference concerning the rights of women, governments from around the world agreed on a comprehensive plan to achieve global gender equality, known as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
25 years later, this film offers glimpses into advances made towards gender equality in Baha’i communities around the world. As women are afforded their equal place in society and as women and men increasingly join together to solve the world’s greatest challenges, humanity’s future prospects grow brighter.
Laura Friedmann is a Colombian-born, Toronto-based filmmaker, creative producer and media professional passionate about championing diverse content and using film as a tool for education and social justice. She has traveled to over a dozen countries and led creative projects with a variety of not-for-profit organizations, grassroots film initiatives, and served on the board of directors of Breakthroughs Film Festival for five years. Laura recently completed the Creators of Colour Incubator offered by CaribbeanTales Inc where the film she is producing, Tenaya, won the Audience Choice Award. Her credits include CBC, YesTV, Bell, and Special Olympics Canada. Laura was awarded a partial scholarship for the “Media Leadership Lab” with WIFT Toronto, was co-creator and facilitator at the Native Film & Storytelling Institute and is currently in post-production on a United Nations documentary on gender equality along with advancing a slate of other projects.
Nava Kavelin is the CEO and co-founder of Ninth Mode, a production company dedicated to developing original content that grapples with themes of social significance through a hopeful lens. She is currently developing a slate of animated films, a drama limited series, and a podcast that will be released this summer. Prior to her work in film and television, she worked at the United Nations, researching and writing about the role of youth in building vibrant communities, the dynamics of gender equality, and the impact of media on public discourse.
Kyle Schmalenberg is a Toronto-based producer and director who has made short and feature-length documentaries, short films, and digital series. Schmalenberg founded and is the executive director of Wrapped Productions Inc. which recently produced Glimpses into the Spirit of Gender Equality for the 25th anniversary of the United Nations 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. His commercial work has been featured on CBC, by the United Nations, with AirMiles and Special Olympics Canada. He was co-creator and facilitator at the Native Film & Storytelling Institute and is also the writer and co-director of Tenaya, TIFF’s The Big Pitch competition Audience Choice Award winning project. He is also pursuing a Master’s in Counselling and Psychotherapy.
This event is organised with the support of the Program in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution at the Faculty of Law, as well as the HKU Committee on Gender Equality and Diversity of the Faculty of Arts, the Asian Religious Connections Research Cluster, and the ADR in Asia Research Cluster at the University of Hong Kong.