Featured Refugee Films
The Refugee Film Festival starts from 16 June to 10 July 2023, with films and short videos ranging from personal stories of refugees to people displaced from global climate action.
From now until 11 June 2023, you can redeem our online movie pass with early-bird discount, which entitles you to the viewing of all four featured refugee films for a donation of no less than HK$295!
Note: The online screening platform is limited to Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR.
Donate $295 to redeem Movie Pass with early-bird discount
Film: “Under the Stars of Paris”
Length: 86 minutes
Category: Drama
Language: French (with Chinese and English subtitles)
Screening Dates: Available online from 1 July to 10 July
Christine’s life has not been easy lately. Her lonely routine is divided between free food banks distributions and wandering the streets of Paris. On a cold winter night, she finds Suli, an 8-year-old Burkinabe boy, sobbing in front of her shelter. Christine understands that he is lost and has been separated from his mother. Bounded by their marginal condition, they embark together on an emotional journey full of tenderness to find Suli’s mother in the underground world of Paris.
Film: “Rosemary’s Way”
Length: 78 minutes
Category: Documentary
Language: English (with Chinese subtitles)
Screening Dates: Available online from 16 June to 10 July
Rosemary’s Way celebrates the remarkable Rosemary Kariuki and one of the groups of vulnerable migrant women of suburban Sydney whose lives she helps transform from isolation to connection. Rosemary is a vibrant host over the course of a year, as the community witness her reaching out to isolated migrant women from cultures as diverse as Iraq, the Congo and Peru. Rosemary is an ebullient facilitator; but the key characters are the migrant women who are drawn into her wake, and the Aussie women who agree to host them in their communities. Audience will be move and inspire by the stories of the women as Rosemary coaxes them to participate in new adventures and share insights into other cultures and makes them aware of their full rights as women now in Australia. And we witness their gradual transformation, as they find their voices and confidence in this new country that is now their home.
Film: “Hunger Ward”
Length: 40 minutes
Category: Documentary
Language: English (with Chinese and English subtitles)
Screening Date: Available online from 16 June to 10 July
Filmed inside two of the most active therapeutic feeding centers in conflict-ridden Yemen, HUNGER WARD documents two women fighting to thwart the spread of starvation against the backdrop of a forgotten war. The film provides unflinching portraits of Dr. Aida Alsadeeq and Nurse Mekkia Mahdi as they work to save the lives of hunger-stricken children within a population on the brink of famine. With unprecedented access within a sensitive conflict-zone, HUNGER WARD reveals the bravery of deeply committed doctors working in the middle of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Film: “Beyond Borders”
Length: 25 minutes
Category: Documentary
Language: English (with Chinese and English subtitles)
Screening Date: Available online from 16 June to 10 July
Across the planet, lives are changing as climate collapse alters the world. The worst impacts are felt disproportionately by poor people already living under precarious conditions and now forced to adapt or relocate to survive. One person every 1.3 seconds leaves their home and their community.。
From now on, donate to redeem a Movie Pass and the above gifts, including:
A donation of HK$295 (original price: HK$328) for a Movie Pass
A donation of HK$450 (original price: HK$500) for a Movie Pass and 1 handcrafted ornaments by refugees (random styles)
A donation of HK$600 (original price: HK$660) for a Movie Pass and 2 handcrafted ornaments by refugees (random styles)
A donation of HK$900 (original price: HK$1,000) for a Movie Pass, 1 handcrafted doll and 1 handcrafted ornament by refugees (random styles)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where can I access the information on the Film Festival?
Details are available on our website at www.unhcr.org/hk/en/film. You may find the promotional video of the Film Festival on the UNHCR YouTube channel and on the website.
- Are the films appropriate for children or teenagers?
All films and short videos do not have an age restriction. They are suitable for audiences of various ages. If there are any concerns about the theme or content of the films, children or young audiences may watch the films under parental guidance.
- Are there Chinese subtitles for the films?
Traditional Chinese subtitles are available for all films. If the film is mainly in a language other than English, English subtitles are also available.
- Are the films screened online or in the cinema?
The films will be screened online only.
- Are online films globally accessible?
No. For copyright reasons, the Festival’s online films are only accessible to Hong Kong and Macau SARs’ audiences.
- Where can I purchase the ticket? What are the ticketing options?
For online screenings, you may preview the movie choices at www.unhcr.org/hk/en/film, and then donate a minimum of HK$295 to redeem an online movie pass for accessing all the films and short videos.
- Are there any other ticketing methods?
Starting from 16 June, audiences may also purchase one-off online movie pass directly at the screening platform at the price of HK $328 (excluding the transaction fee charged by the third-party payment service). But the ticketing expenditure shall not be regarded as a donation, thus neither donation receipt nor tax allowance will be available.
- Where would the donation collected from this year Refugee Film Festival be spent on?
The donation would support the Aiming Higher campaign, which enables gifted young refugee students to pursue a university degree or similar higher education. We aim to fundraise the equivalent amount of covering the cost of books and uniforms for 50 students for an entire year. All the revenue generated from the movie tickets will be used to support refugee protection projects, without deducting any event cost.
- How can I access the online movies after donation?
You will receive our donation confirmation email with a watching code and online streaming guidelines upon successful online donation. Please follow the confirmation email instructions using the designated link to unlock the film with your donation email. Enjoy your film during this festival period from 16 June to 10 July 2022.
- Is there any time limit for my viewing access? Can I watch my chosen film online more than once?
When the movies* are available online (please refer to the movies’ start dates in the answer above or the film descriptions), you may activate your watching code at any time you prefer from that day onwards until the 10 July to watch the movies. After activating the watching code, you must watch the movies within 20 days or the last day of the Film Festival (3 July), whichever is the earliest. In other words, if you activate the watching code on or before 20 June, you have 20 days to start watching the movies; if you activate the watching code on 1 July, you must start watching the movie on or before 3 July. If you activate the watching code on 10 July and start watching, you will still have 48 hours to finish your movie. Please note: After pressing “Play”, you have 48 hours to finish your movie. Within 48 hours, you have unlimited access to the film.
- Can I watch online movies on my mobile phone, computer, tablet or other electronic devices?
Yes. If you encounter any technical difficulties, please refer to the “Help” section(support in English language, only) of the online screening platform. You may also send a message to our Facebook page or contact us at [email protected]. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm HK time (except public holidays). We will generally respond within 24 hours for email inquiries during office hours. We will reply on the next working day for email inquiries outside office hours.
- What can I do if I have not received the confirmation email or have lost the Promo Code after the donation?
You may message us on our Facebook page or contact us at [email protected] for such inquiries. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 am to 6 pm HK time (except public holidays). For email inquiries during office hours, we will generally respond within 24 hours. We will reply on the next working day for email inquiries outside office hours.