The formats of the films varied, from documentary style, to short films with storylines. The variety in entries was a great aspect of the competition and made judging difficult.
Among the judges for the films included esteemed film actor Trevor Jamieson whose latest roles have included the 2019 remake of Storm Boy and the well-received colonial set The Furnace, South Australian Film Corporation First Nations Industry Development Executive Nara Wilson and The commissioner for children and young people SA and Reconciliation co-chair Helen Connolly, as well as Reconciliation SA CEO Shona Reid.
Of being able to judge the contest, Nara said “It was such a privilege to be asked to judge the Reconciliation SA School Film competition for the first time. It is really inspiring to see such young people making films, and sharing their stories through screen, particularly around such important issues as Reconciliation, and that this is also being embraced so strongly by schools. I congratulate everyone who entered on their fantastic work, and look forward to seeing them go on to become the next generation of great South Australian filmmakers.”
Reconciliation SA is excited to announce the winner of the competition as being Westport Primary School, located in Semaphore Park. The video demonstrates the schools commitment to reconciliation, and taking action to achieve it by giving insight to the schools ongoing programs in which students can do activities such as woodwork to create a set pair of clapsticks.
The film also had crisp, stable footage with a number of impressive drone shots.
It is clear from the documentary style film that reconciliation is a concept at the heart of Westport Primary.
The runner up for the competition was Cardijn College Galilee, whose film demonstrated a clear understanding of the theme of reconciliation week for 2021, and also offered great insight into how much it means to the school community at Cardijn College Galilee.
There were seven other high quality entries that had to be considered, but unfortunately there was only able to be one winner and one runner up.
These schools efforts in reconciliation in education is key for a just and equitable society in the future. For more resources on reconciliation in education, please click here.