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6 June 2012 For immediate release

Steve Bracks funding appeal to take movies to remote East Timor Steve Bracks has raised an appeal for Australians to help take Cinema Lorosa’e to remote villages in East Timor, an Australian led project that takes the cinema experience to disadvantaged communities in East Timor.

Individuals and corporations are being asked to donate funds to the project and show that they care about Australia’s closest neighbour.

In its pilot year in 2011, over 45,000 East Timorese people saw a Cinema Lorosa’e film free of charge. At one screening alone a record 4000 attendees were counted.

Funds are needed to secure the future of the project and take the cinema experience to more remote villages, including those located in the East Timorese mountains.

“East Timor has had no cinema infrastructure since the Indonesian incursion of 1999. The whole country is still suffering the after effects of the struggle for independence. Cinema Lorosa’e transports East Timorese beyond the everyday experiences of life through film,” said Steve Bracks, former Victorian Premier.

Cinema Lorosa’e screens family friendly films like Happy Feet, which are often dubbed in Tetum, the local East Timorese language .

Films are shown on a full size inflatable movie screen in community spaces like soccer fields. Sessions have been shown in the capital Dili and outlying villages.

“Many East Timorese have never seen a TV screen, let alone a movie in their own language,” said Mr Bracks.

The project was established by Yarraville’s Sun Theatre Director Michael Smith with film nights organised by a local East Timor team.

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“We need more support for Cinema Lorosa’e to screen more films and travel to even more remote communities. East Timor is our closest neighbour and this project is a great opportunity to strengthen Australian relationships with East Timor,” said Mr Bracks.

Individual donations and corporate sponsorship opportunities are available at www.cinemalorosae.com.

The end goal of Cinema Lorosa’e is to be self sufficient, with sales from indoor screenings (for ex pats and stationed military) funding the travelling cinema and wages of the East Timorese team.

A fundraising event will be held on Saturday 13 June, at 3pm at the Sun Theatre in Yarraville with a screening of Happy Feet 2. All proceeds go directly to the Cinema Lorosa’e project. Tickets are $25 and available from The Sun Theatre.

For more information visit www.cinemalarosae.com.

-ENDS-

-Interview opportunity Steve Bracks AC, former Premier of Victoria Michael Smith, Founder and Director of Cinema Lorosa’e

Contact Georgie Heazlewood, Communications Officer 0402 978 250

Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 BACKGROUNDER

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Cinema Larosa’e began as a conversation between ex-Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, and Sun Theatre’s owner Michael Smith about the lack of things to do for the poor communities of East Timor. East Timor gained independence in 1999 but continues to suffer the aftereffects of the decades-long struggle against Indonesia. Basics like food, electricity, water and sanitation are everyday problems for most East Timorese. Much of the countries infrastructure was destroyed during its conflict with Indonesia. Today 41% of East Timor’s 1.1 million population live below the national poverty line of US 88 cents a day. Unemployment is high and there is little entertainment for young people. Many East Timorese have never seen a television set, let alone own one. There hasn’t been a working cinema in the country since 1999. Violent gangs are also becoming a problem. With backing from Steve Bracks, Michael Smith put together Cinema Larosa’e – a free program of outdoor film screenings for communities in East Timor. Films are screened in the capital city Dili, and the country’s regional districts. Supported by the East Timorese government and community leaders, the project aims to transport the families of East Timor beyond the everyday experiences of life through film. Through his contacts in the film industry, Smith gained copyright permission for a collection of family friendly films and organised dubbing into the East Timorese language Tetum. Dubbing is provided free of charge by Yarraville’s Magic Sound Company and in-kind support is provided from TOLL to ship the reels from Melbourne to Dili. Once he established the Australian logistics, Smith found local East Timorese, Nene Alves, to take on the Timor side of operations. Alves runs the communications and put the team together that manage the film nights. Smith bought most of the equipment (easily transportable inflatable screen and audio) and trained his new East Timor team how to use the equipment. The program piloted in 2011 and drew a collective audience of 45,000 people. The team expected that the Dili screenings would draw the biggest crowds, given the larger population of the city (est 300,000), and therefore scheduled about half the screenings for Dili. Attendance for Dili film nights was 80 to 250, depending on the popularity of the film. The response for the screenings in the districts was overwhelming. Several screenings attracted crowds in the thousands. The most recorded at one screening was 4,000.

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Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 BACKGROUNDER

The team found that the film night was often a special event for towns in the districts, and attracted locals of all ages. Many of the remote villages visited by the traveling cinema had never seen a film on a television, let alone a big screen. Watching the set up of the inflatable screen and other event infrastructure appeared just as entertaining as watching the film itself. With the overwhelming demand for films in the districts, the 2012 program will shift the focus of screenings from Dili to more remote communities. More villages will receive the cinema experience and larger towns will receive more than one screening. The long-term goal for Cinema Larosa’e is to be a self-sustaining enterprise with the free traveling cinema being funded by a commercially run cinema in the city. Cinema Larosa’e has a lot of support both in Australia and in East Timor. Steve Bracks and Rob Connelly, director of the Australian film Balibo, continue to champion the project from Australia. Jacqueline Aquino Siapno, the wife of former president, Fernando de Araújo, is an enthusiastic supporter in East Timor, along with local political and community leaders. Expatriates based in East Timor often also help with logistics, providing transport for orphaned children in regions to catch screenings in the city. Funding is vital for the survival of Cinema Larosa’e. Fundraising is being conducted via the Sun Theatre in Melbourne to support costs for fuel, accommodation and wages for the East Timorese staff.

Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 FACT SHEET

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• Cinema Larosa’e is a traveling cinema that visits the capital city Dili and remote communities of East Timor.

• Cinema Larosa’e was run as a pilot in 2011 during the dry season. • Films screened in Dili and 23 towns and villages across East Timor to a total of 45,000

people over the season. • In the pilot year, screenings in Dili attracted 80-250 attendees depending on the popularity

of the film. • The program for 2012 will run from June to early November. • Film sessions are free of charge. • There have been no cinemas in East Timor since 1999 and there is currently no cinema

infrastructure. • Cinema Larosa’e sets up its cinema in large outdoor spaces such as soccer fields. • Local traders are encouraged to set up stalls on film nights to take advantage of the crowds

and add to the festive atmosphere of film nights. • Most films are dubbed in Tetum, one of the main languages of East Timor. • The Magic Sound Company in Yarraville provides free dubbing services. • Members of Melbourne’s East Timorese community provide voices for dubbing. • Films selected by Cinema Larosa’e are family friendly, for example, Happy Feet and Karate

Kid. • Cinema Larosa’e uses an inflatable screen that travels from screening to screening. • Cinema Larosa’e was an idea by ex-Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks, and Michael Smith,

owner of the Sun Theatre in Yarraville, Victoria. • The East Timorese government and community leaders have endorsed the establishment of

Cinema Larosa’e. • Michael Smith established Cinema Larosa’e and bought the infrastructure himself. • Michael Smith regularly travels to East Timor. He trained and employed a group of local

East Timorese to promote and operate the program. • Cinema Larosa’e is being set up as an East Timorese run company. • In the pilot year, screenings in the districts attracted crowds of hundreds, with a record 4000

attendees counted at one screening. • Cinema Larosa’e needs funds to continue and reach even more remote communities. • Funds are for costs such as fuel, accommodation and wages for the local staff. • Corporations and individuals can get involved through sponsorship packages of cash,

products or in-kind donations or a combination.

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• Film nights are promoted locally through word of mouth and by posters. • Many people in the remote villages have never seen a television or big screen before.

Watching the set up of the event is often as exciting as watching the film itself. • The end goal of Cinema Larosa’e is to be self sufficient, with sales from indoor screenings

(for ex pats and stationed military) funding the travelling cinema and wages of the East Timorese team.

• The short form of East Timor in the Tetum language is Timor Larosa’e • Tetum and Portuguese are the official language of East Timor. Indonesian and English are

in common use. There are about 16 indigenous languages.

Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 FACT SHEET

Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 Q & A

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Why is the Cinema Lorosa’e project something the average man or woman in the street should care about?

East Timor is our nearest neighbour. We have, as a nation, put a lot of effort into re-building East Timor. Big projects like road building and setting up health care facilities remain very important but while those projects go on we feel it’s important to bring some joy and welcome distraction to the people of East Timor in general and the kids in particular.

Are you concerned that donations to the Cinema Lorosa’e project will mean that money is diverted from more important needs?

The Australian government and other international agencies are doing a fantastic job in re-establishing infrastructure and maintaining vital services in East Timor. We don’t see Cinema Lorosa’e competing for funding that would threaten any of that work. Our ambition is to raise a relatively modest amount of money but more importantly in the longer term to develop Cinema Lorosa’e as an ongoing, self-funded operation employing local people.

How much money are you aiming to raise?

Our goal for this year is to raise $50,000. We are looking for support from corporate sponsors as well as individual donors. Up until this point Cinema Lorosa’e has relied largely on in kind donations of services and we hope some of that will continue. But to move the project out to more of the East Timorese countryside and to get to the stage where we can employ local staff and the project self sufficient - we need a reasonably modest cash injection.

How many local Timorese people do you hope to employ?

Our initial goal is to employ 4 people full time as well as a number of casual staff in the towns and villages the cinema visits.

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Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 Q & A

Who’ll administer the money donated?

All finances are managed through the Cinema Lorosa’e charity fund managed by the Sun Theatre in Yarraville.

The movies you’ve taken to Timor so far have been American films, are there any plans to dub Australian films into Tetum?

Happy Feet was an Australian/American co-production and we’re currently negotiating with the producers of Red Dog for next season.

Have you considered funding the production of films in East Timor?

At the moment our focus is getting out to a broader audience across East Timor with the films we have. If seeing those films fires the imagination of an aspiring Timorese filmmaker that’s an added bonus but we don’t see this project turning into a production company. That said, we would do whatever we could to support and screen local productions.

Have you thought about broadening the project, taking it to other developing countries in the region?

Right now Cinema Lorosa’e is still a relatively young project, we’re only in our second year, so there’s still a lot of work to do in Timor. Perhaps others seeing what we’ve done might be inspired to do something similar in other areas.

Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 STEVE BRACKS SPEECH

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Speech Notes for: The Hon Steve Bracks AC

Adviser to the Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao

Date: 6 June 2012

Time: 6pm

Location: Sun Theatre, 8 Ballarat Street, Yarraville

Event contact: Kris Jansson, Sun Theatre Manager

It gives me great pleasure to be here at the spectacular Sun Theatre in Yarraville to open the 2012 season of Cinema Lorosa’e.

I wish to begin by acknowledging that we are on traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people. We offer our respect to the Elders of these traditional lands, and through them to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples past and present.

I would like to acknowledge our special guests here today:

• Former President of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao • Federal member for Maribyrnong, Mr Bill Shorten • Mayor of the City of Maribyrnong, Councillor John Cummings • East Timorese resistance leader, Xanana Gusmao • Rob Connelly, director of Balibo •

And our sponsor representatives

• General Manager of TOLL, Jim Andrews • Julia Crees, Director of The Magic Sound Theatre

• Ladies

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Cinema Lorosa’e is a fantastic program that takes the big screen cinema experience to East Timor.

I am proud to announce the success of Cinema Larosa’e pilot year in 2011 and open a new season, alongside Michael Smith, founder of the Cinema Larosa’e, owner of the Sun Theatre and personal friend.

Last year, over 45,000 people in East Timor saw a film courtesy of Cinema Lorosa’e. Films were screened in the capital city Dili and in remote communities outside the capital.

Michael has worked tirelessly to realise the Cinema Larosa’e dream.

It began as a conversation we shared a few years ago about the lack of entertainment for the East Timorese.

Off his own bat, Michael immediately researched the idea, found partners on the ground in East Timor and established a team capable of delivering the film nights. He even bought the equipment himself.

Many films screened are dubbed in Tetum, the most widely spoken language in East Timor.

Our friends at The Magic Sound Company in Yarraville organise the dubbing with members of the local East Timorese providing the voice overs.

Reels are shipped over free of charge by TOLL. Then a local East Timorese crew promotes and organises the film nights.

I want you all to just take a moment and think about the last time you saw a movie.

No doubt you shared the experience, you might have in the cinema, then talked about the movie with your friends and work colleagues.

The joy of this experience, of watching movies, is universal.

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In East Timor, when Cinema Lorosa’e is in town, the whole community will attend. Children, families, just about everyone will show up.

For some of these people, this is their first movie experience.

Some have never seen a television. It becomes the event of the year.

At one screening alone, a record of 4000 attendees were counted.

And the movie the crowds all came to see? For this one, it was our very own Australian produced Happy Feet.

In celebration of this, Sun Theatre will be hosting a fundraising screening of Happy Feet on Saturday 16 June at 3pm.

Cinema Lorosa’e has a simple aim, to get as many people together to enjoy the communal experience of watching a movie.

And it works. I’ve seen the kids faces at these screenings.

In my work as Adviser to the Prime Minister of East Timor, I travel to East Timor around three times a year.

This country is still struggling to overcome the tragic history and oppression by Indonesia.

There are many devastatingly poor communities where basics like food, electricity, water and sanitation are everyday problems.

Today 41% of East Timor’s 1.1million population live below the national poverty line.

And there has been no cinema infrastructure since 1999. Enter Cinema Larosa’e.

Australia has committed to some amazing support projects for East Timor. Community relations are stronger and stronger each year.

By supporting projects like this, a simple idea, yet when we make real, it makes such a difference.


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Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 STEVE BRACKS SPEECH

I would like to thank our sponsors that have helped to make this project happen, TOLL and The Magic Sound Company. Without these funds we could not run the program.

And in order for Cinema Larosa’e to travel to even more remote communities in East Timor, we need more sponsors and individual donors to come on board.

There is a range of ways organisations and individuals can help, from providing in-kind support, like supplying mobile phones, to purchasing the naming rights of a whole season.

I want to close with asking you all to go back to those movie memories. Remember those great movies you saw on the big screen?

Cinema Lorosa’e is making those memories for the communities of East Timor.

I am honoured to declare the 2012 season officially open.

I wish you all a wonderful evening.

Cinema Lorosa’e June 2012 THE HON STEVE BRACKS AC BIOGRAPHY

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• Steve Bracks became Victoria’s 44th premier in October 1999. • At 52 he retired as Premier of Victoria on 27 July 2007, after almost eight years as Premier,

Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. • Now holds six major honorary positions: as Adviser to the Prime Minister of East Timor,

Xanana Gusmao; as Director of the Bionics Institute of Australia Board; as Chair of the Deakin Foundation, Deakin University; and Centre for Dialogue, LaTrobe University. He is also Honorary Chair of the Union Education Foundation and the John Button Foundation.

• Special Adviser on governance issues to the Prime Minister of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao, since August 2007.

• Steve Bracks has led 22 missions to Dili since September 2007. • The Bracks East Timor Governance Project has facilitated advice in relation to a sustainable

retirement income scheme for civil servants; the development of a masterplan for sanitation and drainage in Dili; and, Timor-Leste’s Strategic Development Plan, 2011-2030.

• The Bracks Timor-Leste Governance Project has also assisted the development of the Dili Chamber of Commerce, the Balibo Fort accommodation social enterprise project, a national football league initiative, and Cinema Lorosae.

Reference: http://www.stevebracks.com.au

Sponsorship opportunities Contact Sun Theatre Yarraville to find out how your organisation can partner with Cinema Lorosa’e.

Corporate funding of a season will ensure the cinema program will continue to grow and reach more East Timorese people.

• $5K, $10K and $20K sponsorship options

• Corporate engagement opportunities

• In‐Kind support

Australia

Michael Smith

[email protected]

+61 3 9362 0507

East Timor

Maria Alves

+67 0 7348456

cinemalarosae.com

[Street Address] [City], [State] [Postal Code]

[Web Address]

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Cinema Lorosa’e

Sponsorship and Advertising

Gold Sponsorship $20K

Including such benefits (but not limited to): • Naming rights to the 2013 Cinema

Lorosa’e season in East Timor

• 40 x 30 second advertisement spots during films of choosing screened at Sun Theatre Yarraville in 2013.

Silver Sponsorship $10K

Including such benefits (but not limited to):


• Logo association and representation across all collateral

Bronze Sponsorship $5K

Including such benefits (but not limited to):

• Logo association and representation across all collateral


In‐Kind Support

Freight and logistics ‐ Car rental or loan of vehicle and driver ‐ Accommodation ‐ Telephone and data services ‐ Deck chairs Contact the team to discuss your requirements. We can tailor to meet mutual objectives.

“It’s so simple, seeing a film. But to these kids, it can change their world”

‐ Steve Bracks

Make a difference Cinema Larosa’e provides a program of free outdoor film screenings in East Timor, Australia’s closest neighbour.

Many East Timorese experience hardship with basics like water, food and electricity everyday problems. On top of this employment is low and there is little entertainment.

Cinema Larosa’e is aimed to provide relief to East Timorese communities through the cinema experience.

Selected films are family‐friendly and most are dubbed in local East Timorese languages. Makeshift cinemas are set up with an inflatable screen in sports fields and schools.

The first Cinema Larosa’e season was piloted in 2011 and the response was overwhelming, with a collective audience of 45 000 people.

With your support, Cinema Larosa’e will travel to even more remote communities in East Timor so that more people can experience the joy of cinema.

Where the money goes All donations go directly into the East Timor operations of Cinema Larosa’e. Donations help pay for fuel, transport, accommodation and electricity of the travelling cinema.

East Timor is a mountainous country, donations also help pay for vital telecommunications used for coordinating screenings in remote villages.

Film dubbing and shipping of reels from Australia are provided by sponsors Magic Sound Company in Yarraville and TOLL.

Australia

Michael Smith

[email protected]

+61 3 9362 0507

East Timor

Maria Alves

+67 0 7348456

cinemalarosae.com

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Cinema Lorosa’e

Making a donation

The Cinema Larosa’e Experience

Cinema Larosa’e provides a program of free outdoor film screenings in East Timor, Australia’s closest neighbour.

Many East Timorese experience hardship with basics like water, food and electricity everyday problems. On top of this employment is low and there is little entertainment.

Cinema Larosa’e aims to provide relief to East Timorese communities through the cinema experience.

Selected films are family‐friendly and most are dubbed in local East Timorese languages. Makeshift cinemas are set up with an inflatable screen in sports fields and schools and travel from village to village during the dry season.

The whole town benefits when the cinema comes to town. Local traders set up temporary markets and whole families come together to watch the films. Many East Timorese have never seen a film on television, let alone on the big screen. Watching the inflatable screen and event infrastructure being set up is often just as much fun for members of these communities as the film itself.

The first Cinema Larosa’e season was piloted in 2011 and the response was overwhelming, with a collective audience of 45 000 people.

With your support, Cinema Larosa’e will travel to even more remote communities in East Timor so that more people can experience the joy of cinema.

“It’s so simple, seeing a film. But to these kids, it can change their world”

‐ Steve Bracks

Make a difference Name

____________________________________

Street Address

____________________________________

Suburb

____________________________________

State _____________Pcode ____________

Phone

____________________________________

Email

____________________________________

� I would like to contribute regularly

$_______ per ______________________

� I would like to make a one off contribution

Please debit my: � Visa � American Express � MasterCard

Signature ______________________

Date___________________________

All gifts over $2 are tax deductable.

Send to: Cinema Lorosa’e , Sun Theatre Yarraville, 2 Ballarat Street, Yarraville, VIC

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