Victorian town Maldon, renowned for its historical charm, introduces Vintage Shorts in 2024. This innovative festival extends a local and global invitation to filmmakers. It encourages them to delve into the essence of the old or vintage, to uncover and portray the inherent beauty in aged objects, homes, places, and individuals. Organiser Paul Kooperman said it's the festival is “About pening our eyes to the beauty, wisdom, history, and experience that comes with age, our wrinkles marking where our smiles have been." An early submission – The Op Shop directed by Lee Rogers – is available to watch online.https://www.vintageshorts.net/submissions
“Most renters can’t afford a lawyer, and most are not eligible for legal aid” says Noel Lim, founder of Anika Legal. Anika Legal, a social enterprise, is a free service for renters, supported by law students in internships and funded by universities who want to provide students with practical legal experience. Through innovative use of legal technology to make this partnership model viable, Anika Legal has assisted 750 renters to stay in safe homes. “We're excited to continue developing this technology to give more people access to justice” says Noel. https://www.anikalegal.com
Since 2015, a volunteer-run charity has donated 800,000 books to disadvantaged children. 123 Read Me’s mission is to provide quality books to children across Australia while raising awareness about the importance of reading aloud.“ When you’re struggling to put food on the table, children’s books are a luxury,” says founder, Melinda Shelley.This is where 123 Read Me comes in to empower children with access to quality books they might otherwise not be able to experience. “Just one book a day will help a child become confident, kind & clever.” More at https://123read2me.org.au
Schools can immerse their students in Australia’s unique ecological history through the Australian Dingo Foundation’s sponsorship program. Students can experience a tangible connection with dingoes, a native species present for over 5,000 years, integral to Australia’s diverse ecosystem. Kevin Newman of the foundation says the Toolern Vale team “...provides vital care for more than 50 dingoes, which wouldn’t be possible without sponsorships from schools. Every dollar helps secure the future of this intelligent and misunderstood species.” By sponsoring a dingo like Pumbah (pictured), schools can enrich their curriculum while contributing to dingo conservation, education and research efforts. https://dingofoundation.org
Interplast Australia & New Zealand (Interplast) is a not-for-profit organisation that has delivered over 26,800 life-changing surgeries in 25 countries. CEO Cameron Glover says their key point of innovation is training local medical professionals to take the lead themselves: “Countless lives have been made better and not just the people who have been operated on, but their families and the broader community have benefited.” Turia Pitt, a proud Interplast Ambassador, says she has “...a new-found respect for the surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses that travel to developing countries, with the ultimate aim of improving the quality of people’s lives.”https://interplast.org.au
Lance Kawaguchi, CEO, Cure Brain Cancer Foundation, says brain cancer is a global problem and needs global collaboration. The foundation is partnering with the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research to bring historic clinical trials to Australia. This is one example of how the foundation exemplifies ‘innovation’ as a pillar. Like all not-for-profits, awareness raising is also a critical element that requires eye-catching ideas - in Lance’s case, he’s undertaking a South Pole trek supporting 11 cancer charities globally. Ambassador Holly Mae Stearnes says the Foundation is close to her heart: “They’re doing remarkable work to help those in need.” https://www.southpoletrek4cancer.org/
