The Veterans Film Festival will hold the Australian premiere of The Camouflage Closet, a documentary about trauma and recovery among nine LGBTI veterans.
The film is a community-based project to bring awareness among medical providers, veterans, and the LGBTI communities, specifically uncovering each individuals unique experiences of serving under LGBTI-related military policies.
“The festival aims is to spotlight fascinating stories and up-and-coming talent from around the world” said Festival Director, Tom Papas.
“The Camouflage Closet is an insightful documentary” made by director Michael Nedelman and producer Heliana Ramirez, the film unfolds in nine vignettes. This project incorporates the firsthand perspectives of LGBTI veterans, who were provided with cameras, tools, and training to create video narratives.
The collaboration of Stanford School of Medicine and the Unites States Department of Veterans Affairs, which produced this captivating documentary, also produced LGBT Veterans Educational Resource material to accompany the short film.
The Camouflage Closet fosters discussion about future opportunities for research, growth and advocacy in addressing health issues amongst LGBTI veteran's .
The Camouflage Closet has screened at a variety of venues including the National Queer Arts Festival, the San Francisco Veterans Film Festival, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Stanford University, and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA). Audience feedback at these screenings has suggested that prior to seeing this film, viewers felt they had limited knowledge about LGBTI veterans.
“It is our hope that this ground breaking expose will support a deeper understanding of the needs and strengths of LGBTI veterans”, said Papas.
Screening: The Camouflage Closet - Friday, 14 October 2016 at 6:30pm
Venue: BAE Systems Theatre, Australian War Memorial, Canberra
Tickets available on line here
Media Contact: Tom Papas, Festival Director - Mob: 0407 295 520
About Veterans Film Festival
The Veterans Film Festival (VFF) presents an annual program that showcases the human experiences of our serving and ex-serving military personnel and their families. We also include stories about the influences, impact and complex situations before, during and after war.
The ‘Red Poppy Awards’ represent the high point of our festival program, with awards going to the Best Australian Feature Film, Best International Feature Film, Best Australian Short Film and the Best International Short Film.
The VFF is curated by a not-for-profit creative enterprise that engages, entertains and educates audiences by showcasing films made by creatives of all ages, cultures and abilities around the world.
Source: Courtesy of the Veterans Film Festival
