The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival

The 7th Human Rights Arts & Film Festival (HRAFF) has announced its 2014 program of films, art and forums. The Festival opens in Melbourne on 8 May and then tours nationally to Sydney, Alice Springs, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Darwin.

Direct from the 2014 Academy Awards, where it was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category, the Festival's Opening Night film, The Square, takes audiences right to the heart of a movement, a country and a people committed to the ideals of freedom and human rights. Assembled from footage filmed in, alongside and after the Egyptian Revolution, Jehane Noujaim's film follows a small band of Egyptian activists united against their corrupt government. Weaved into a stunning narrative of struggle, The Square will be an unforgettable Opening Night experience. Following the film, ticket-holders are invited to kick on at the Kelvin Club for the Festival after-party with complimentary drinks, food and entertainment.

The Closing Night film is the 2014 Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning Rich Hill, a documentary that explores the challenges three adolescent boys face growing up in a deteriorating town. As they navigate the hardships of poverty, broken families and mental illness, along with the regular challenges of being a teenager, their belief in a brighter future makes this an extraordinarily moving film. A Q&A with director Tracy Droz Tragos will follow the Closing Night screening.