We are delighted to announce the WINNER of the Golden Crocodile inaugural award for most outstanding short film goes to:
MACHINE BOYS by Karimah Ashadu
HD digital film, colour with 5.1 surround sound. 8 minutes 50 seconds
You’ve heard of the Golden Lion in Venice and the Golden Bear in Berlin, well there is now a Golden Crocodile born from the rainforest and river lands of Papua New Guinea, East Sepik Province!
“Presenting films under the starlit sky of the jungle creates a truly enchanting experience. The enthusiastic response from audiences in the villages of the Sepik region to Machine Boys made it a standout winner of our inaugural Golden Crocodile award. The excitement and fascination the film sparked is unforgettable.” – Shiva Lynn Burgos and Skinder Hundal, co-curators of Sepik River Film Festival #06
Ashadu’s narrative depicts the fierce masculinity of the warrior-like okada, the illegal motorcycle taxis risking life, limb and freedom to earn a living in Lagos. The film’s aesthetics highlight the individual styles of the riders who maneuver their machines in creative geometries and dream of a less risk intensive future clinging to their spiritual faith.
The discerning audience of the Sepik River Film Festival, Papua New Guinea was captivated by their experience with the experimental films from the Akeroyd collection, drawn in by the unique narratives and world perspectives presented. The decision to award the Golden Crocodile to Machine Boys was influenced by a combination of audience reactions and the curators’ insights, reflecting the live responses observed during each screening.
“I am over the moon to hear Machine Boys by Karimah Ashadu has won the inaugral Golden Crocodile… it’s a seminal work that deserves and needs to be seen, especially with audiences in the most far reaching parts of the world” -Shane Akeroyd
Jungle Cinema: Sepik River Film Festival Returns to Papua New Guinea. Unique Film Festival Brings Global Cinema to Remote Communities
EAST SEPIK PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
The Mariwai Project’s annual Sepik River Film Festival returned for its 6th year, transforming the lush jungles of Papua New Guinea into an extraordinary cinema venue. Launching on August 3, 2024, the festival featured pop-up screenings throughout August, complementing the region’s renowned Crocodile & Arts Festival.
“As an artist existing in the liminal space between urbanity and forested jungle, I have developed the Sepik River Film Festival, a branch of The Mariwai Project, to harness visual language as a catalyst for fresh perspectives. Through moving images, we transmit universal concepts, unite worlds, and share stories. We are thrilled to collaborate with the Akeroyd Collection and launch the curation by Shin Dō Creative from this place, where ancestral wisdom guides us towards a sustainable, joyful future.”
– Shiva Lynn Burgos, Founder of the Mariwai Project and River Sepik Film Festival
This year’s curatorial theme, WOOW “Windows On to Other Worlds,” explores diverse global narratives through visual media. The festival showcases a wide range of content, from nature documentaries to experimental films, including art, action, educational series, animation, and comedy, including made in PNG content generously offered by the National Cultural Commission. In a groundbreaking addition, the 2024 festival will feature art film from the Akeroyd Collection, co-curated by Mariwai Project founder Shiva Lynn Burgos and guest curator Skinder Hundal together representing Shin Dō Creative. This section of the festival offers a unique opportunity to present contemporary visual artists’ work to remote Sepik River communities, encouraging dialogue between worlds apart.
‘To have my Collection feature in a Jungle for the first time and at The River Sepik Film Festival is super exciting and exactly the unexpected activation that will lead to new ways of understanding the world we inhabit!
– Shane Akeroyd
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Despite limited resources and power availability the festival succeeds in creating a cheerful atmosphere complete with popcorn and local treats. The off-grid setup, consisting of a portable projector and a white sheet stretched with bush rope, brings cinema to village locations along the Sepik River. For many attendees, this marks their first encounter with film, making each screening a truly special occasion. The discerning Sepik River audience, having developed an appreciation for moving images over the years, provides valuable critique and insight.
“Through myriad cultural narratives, expressed through film and lens-based media, we aspire in crafting an ascending vision for a future world. What an honour to be in a remote and uncommon locale – a place sanctified by local tribes and chiefs, where unpolluted skies allow the stars to twinkle and gaze back with frequencies of light we just do not get in the UK or urban world. Here, cosmic illumination will create one of the most romantic and beautiful settings for a film festival, bridging earthly stories within a celestial wonder”
– Skinder Hundal, co-curator Sepik River Film Festival
Dates are flexible to accommodate weather conditions and power availability, which relies on solar energy and generator-charged batteries. The inaugural screening is scheduled for August 3 in Mariwai village, with subsequent showings throughout the month. The Sepik River Film Festival continues to bridge cultural divides, bringing global cinema to the heart of Papua New Guinea and enriching the experiences of its audience through this unique cultural exchange.
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**For more information, please contact:
**For more information, please contact:
- Kirvy Waga kirvywaga@gmail.com to organise interviews or follow up on more information regarding the Sepik River Film Festival and Golden Crocodile Award.
- For the Akeroyd Collection please contact Hana Noorali hana@akeroydcollection.com and/or info@akeroydcollection.com for more information about the films and videos from the Akeroyd Collection
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About The Mariwai Project is a creative and cultural exchange founded by artist Shiva Lynn Burgos with the traditional peoples of Papua New Guinea. Originating from the small village of Mariwai, East Sepik Province, the project has radiated out to include other Sepik communities and has future plans to engage with all the 22 provinces of PNG. We are grass rooted to questions of ples’ place, the sustainable circular nature of land, spirit, care and humanity as a driver for creative economies and community led initiatives.
About the Akeroyd Collection: The Akeroyd Collection is the private art collection of Shane Akeroyd. This website is dedicated to exhibiting, sharing, and creating meaningful discourse around the moving image works within the collection. With over 200 films and video works now included, the Akeroyd Collection continues to be diverse and internationally focused. It increasingly places race, identity, and gender politics at its centre, reflecting the pressing issues of our time and across the cultural landscape.
About Skinder Hundal MBE – is a Birmingham, UK based cultural and creative catalyst, the Commissioner for British Pavilion, Venice Biennale 2024, recently the Global Director of Arts at British Council, previously CEO/ Artistic Director New Art Exchange, Nottingham. Specialisms in the development and design of strategic global initiatives, championing new generation cultural leaders, artists, creative enterprises and place making. Also trustee at a_n (Artist Information Co), Trigger Stuff, Chair of West Midlands Cultural Leadership Board, co-founder of Shin Dō Creative – curators of Sepik River Film Festival and visual arts advisor St Paul’s Cathedral.
Selected Films from the Akeroyd Collection
- Karimah Ashadu, Machine Boys, 2024, HD digital film, colour with 5.1 surround sound, Duration: 8 minutes 50 seconds
- Theaster Gates, Gone are the Days of Shelter and Martyr, 2014, Single-channel colour video, Duration: 6 minutes 31 seconds, TBC
- Alan Kwan, Bad Trip, 2020 Digital video, Duration: 10 minutes 46 seconds,
- Florence Yuk-Ki Lee, you build a home in my mind, 2023, Single channel digital video (colour, sound) 4 minutes 29 seconds, looped Edition of 3
- Paul Pfeiffer, Vs. (Fight of the Century), 2023, Video (colour), 960×720 pixels, Duration: 1 minute 34 seconds
- Peter Fischli & Davis Weiss, Sketch, 1985/2007 DVD in embossed cardboard box, Duration: 1 minute 52 seconds
The Mariwai Project 