Life in Pictures Filmmaking Competition

What is ageing? Does it mean ‘getting old’? Is it ‘getting older’? Or is it simply ‘growing’? The Life in Pictures filmmaking competition is a unique collaboration between government, the arts and the community that's centered on stimulating discussion about ageing, celebrating achievements of those who are ageing and diving into cultures each who have a different perspective on what it is to age. Relevance in the workforce, finances, living in a cashless society, sex and sexuality, relationships to family and community, housing, health care, vulnerability to elder abuse and myriad other forces come into play. Like-wise the contribution people who are now seniors make and have made in building the communities we inhabit globally and locally are not always acknowledged or recognised. Their stories of triumph, achievement and of course struggle are forces that surround them and inform us. This film competition is designed to raise and enhance awareness of the rewards and challenges of ageing in the community. It provides a platform on which to build community discussion, reflection, education and interaction. It's aimed at all sectors of the community from the school aged to the mature aged and is designed to encourage creative approaches that may present positive – and potentially critical – perspectives of age and ageing in our community. With the diversity of the community base that embraces all nationalities and cultures from first Australians to new arrivals we hope that the films created for the competition will facilitate discussion, interaction and understanding about aspects of ageing, specifically focusing on the creative contributions of seniors in our community.