BOFA is a celebration of fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to screen based story -telling which inspires positive change. An innovation for 2012 was a Make a Difference Day on Sunday 11th November, which was a day of film and fun, with many free activities and sessions for individuals and families, focussed on the theme of making a difference.

BOFA 2013 will continue and expand on this aspect of the festival. The Make a Difference short film competition will also be conducted again in 2013 with entries opening in March.

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Highlights of Make a Difference Day 2012

BOFA offered short film-makers of all ages the chance to show us in three (3) minutes a story (real or imaginary) about making a positive difference. $8,000 worth of prizes were offered by Jackson Volkswagen, UTAS, Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning and Launceston City Council. The winners in the Open, Youth and Student categories were announced at the Make a Difference Day.

The Make a Difference Day on Sunday 11th November featured the following events, sessions and free offerings:

• 10 am FREE
  Screening of They Found a Cave, a Tasmanian children’s film made 50 years ago in Tasmania, based on Nan Chauncey’s beloved book. Bring your children along to enjoy the magic of a film classic which has lost none of its charm. Q & A session at the end of the 60 minute screening. (QVMAG Inveresk, Meeting Room)
• 10am – 12.30 pm FREE
  3things is a global movement that asks the simple question, ‘What are 3things you can do to help change the world?  Ideas uploaded to 3things site. Free music from around the world on stage during the morning courtesy of Migrant Resource Centre. (Festival Hub, QVMAG Inveresk)
• 10 am – 12.30 pm FREE
  screenings of the best short films from the Make a Difference Day competition. (Festival Hub, ScreenZone, QVMAG Inveresk)
• 10.30 am
  Road to Robaix. Don’t miss this insiders look at the classic ride over cobbles, a true Sunday in Hell. A must for bike riders of all ages. (Tramsheds Theatre, one BOFA session ticket, available from Box Office at QVMAG Inveresk)
• 10.30 am
  Bonsai People. An inspirational film about the changes brought about in the lives of third world families by tiny micro-credit loans. Q & A. (Nualla O’Flaherty Theatre, QVMAG, one BOFA session ticket, available from Box Office at QVMAG Inveresk
• 11am FREE
  The Power of One. Join Bryce Courtney (to be confirmed) and Niall Doran (co-founders of Bookends Trust) to see how you and others like you can make a difference in your own lives and for the environment. Bryce will talk about his book (and movie) Power of One and how this led him to support Bookend’s work with schools on environmental projects. Niall will screen segments from Bookend’s latest interactive episodes as their adventurer paddles around Tasmania and works with local schools to collect and measure debris on beaches.(QVMAG Inveresk, Meeting Room)
• 12.30 pm FREE
  Presentation of the awards to winners of the Make a Difference short film competition with viewing of the winners 3 minute long films. There are prizes for: BOFA Make A Difference Open Award $5,000 donated by Jackson Volkswagen; BOFA Make A Difference Australian Youth under twenty five Award, $2,000 donated by UTAS and Launceston City Council; BOFA Make A Difference Tasmanian Grade 9-12 Students Award, $1,000 donated by Tasmanian Centre for Global Learning. (Festival Hub, QVMAG Inveresk)
• 12.30 pm A Common Purpose. In apartheid South Africa a large group of Africans are charged with having a common purpose to murder a policeman. This film uses never before seen footage to explore the work of lawyer Andrea Durbach in saving the lives of the defendants. Q &A with Andrea Durbach and the film maker, Mitzi Goldman. (Nualla O’Flaherty Theatre, QVMAG, one BOFA session ticket, available from Box Office at QVMAG Inveresk)
• 2.30pm FREE
  Tag Town Mobile phone game for the teens, gamers and families. Based on the Inveresk Precinct, players look for clues downloaded to their phones and take pictures with the phone camera to win points. Join developer Michela Ledgewick who will explain how the game was developed then you just take off and play! (Meet at QVMAG Inveresk, Meeting Room)
• 2.30 pm FREE
  Big Picture discussion ” Social Media does more harm than good” with prominent Australian speakers like high profile comedian, author and broadcaster Catherine Deveny, who recently appeared on the SBS programme Go Back to Where You Came From and who is a well known user of social media. Supported by news clips and other visual material, the host, Simon Longstaff of the St James Ethics Centre will challenge the panel on the various  facets of socila media’s role in creating good and bad outcomes. Southern Cross and Telstra will film the debate and the audience Q&A uploading it live to the internet viaYouTube. The live audience and online viewers will have the opportunity to vote for which view was most convincing using SMS. (Festival Hub, QVMAG)
• 4 pm
  Writers Forum ” So you want to be a writer?” Hosted by Hobart writer and commentator, Natasha Cica, script writers (Shayne Armstrong and S.P. Krause of Bait 3D), authors (Dale Campisi, editor, Island magazine ) and film makers (Mitzi Goldman and Andrea Durbach, A Common Purpose) talk about the challenges of writing in all its forms and of getting the story out to the world. Q&A audience participation. (Meeting Room, QVMAG, one BOFA session ticket, available from Box Office at QVMAG Inveresk)
• 4.30 pm
  Chasing Ice. Beautifully filmed, Chasing Ice travels the world looking at the impact of global warming on the ice caps, ice-bergs and the animals who live there. Q & A. (Nualla O’Flaherty Theatre, one BOFA session ticket, available from Box Office at QVMAG Inveresk)
• 2.30 pm
  War Witch. After her entire village is wiped out by warring troops a young African girl becomes the girl-friend of the gang’s boss. Her harrowing story, whilst that of thousands of child soldiers, is also a story of hope and fortitude. (Nualla O’Flaherty Theatre, QVMAG, one BOFA session ticket, available from Box Office at QVMAG Inveresk)
• 5.30 pm FREE
  Girl Walk All Day. End the festival with this upbeat dance film whilst enjoying a drink in the Festival Hub. Frustrated with ballet lessons the “Girl” takes to the streets of New York, meets some very strange street people and brings the city alive with her energetic modern dance. Watch and enjoy or get up and dance! (Festival Hub, QVMAG)