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Dual Injustice:

 Since 1993, over 400 women have been violently killed and roughly 4,000 cases of disappeared women have been registered in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. Known as “feminicide,” this phenomenon has become the most embarrassing human rights scandal in recent Mexican history.  Under fire for their incompetence, the police have attempted to appease public outcry by torturing people to confess to the murders.  However, neither the families of the disappeared nor those of the accused believe the right people are behind bars and they have joined efforts in a remarkable common struggle for justice.

 Dual Injustice: Feminicide and Torture in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua tells the story of Neyra Azucena Cervantes, who disappeared on her way home from school in May 2003 and her cousin, David Meza, who was later tortured to confess to her murder.  As authorities were typically slow to investigate Neyra’s disappearance, her family created a task force to search for her and called upon David, who traveled 1,500 miles from Chiapas to join their efforts.  As the family increasingly pressured authorities to properly investigate, they were told, “You want a culprit?  You’re will have him very soon.”  One week later, David was in jail.

 Dual Injustice chronicles Neyra and David’s families’ call to end the rampant impunity enjoyed by authorities, who have referred to the murders of women as a “myth” and who have resorted to using torture to fabricate culprits.

 The Other Side of the Burka:

 In the south of Iran on Qeshm Island, which is a very strict region of Iran in lieu of tradition and African-Arabic rules, all women are under the pressure of patriarchal society.  Their suffering is manifested by different mental (Zar; Possession) and physical diseases which must be treated only by the Zar Ceremony.  This film for the first time, despite the danger which these women face, tells us their sad story which they live in and confess in front of the camera, tries to be an honest mirror of the suffering of these women, and takes off their Burkas to show their real characters.

The Gadabout is a nationally touring film festival that screens a program of 20+ international short films. Independent in every sense, these films share the same willingness to challenge the conventions set for filmmaking. The Gadabout is a distribution avenue for truly indie filmmakers that distrust Hollywood and the commercial film festival circuit. We are NOT a competition, rather a celebration of what is possible in independent film and video.

Above all, the Gadabout is super cool. We tour in a van, and show amazing films to our new friends we get to meet while traveling.

We have completed 3 national tours and have screened the works of filmmakers from all over the country, and the world (India, Singapore, Australia, Argentina, Isreal, and the U.K.). Independent in every sense, these films share the same willingness to challenge the conventions set for commercial filmmaking.

This is filmmaking as art, entertainment, and fun.

for program please visit: http://www.gadaboutfilmfest.com/films.htm