It’s now officially been one month since the ACT was sent into lockdown and ANU Film Group screenings were put on hold. While there are no doubt more urgent things going on in everyone’s lives at the moment, we wanted to provide a brief update to our members about the status of our future screenings.
We have had to regretfully cancel the remainder of our Spring season (which was intended to run until October 2) regardless of whether Canberra comes out of lockdown this coming Thursday. The current advice from the ACT Government is that, even if the lockdown ends, restrictions will be eased gradually, and we have received a similar indication from the ANU that public events such as ours are not likely to be permitted to return to campus at this early stage.
The ANU Film Group will eventually return, but unfortunately we are simply unable to make any future plans until we have a more definitive idea of when it will be deemed safe for screenings to resume. We hope this will be soon and can't wait until we can screen films for you once again.
Until then, we want to assure our members that they will not lose out as a result of this temporary intermission. As we did when screenings were temporarily put on hold in March last year, we will be extending all current Annual and Spring 2021 season members by a period of time equal to, if not exceeding, the shutdown duration. This will happen automatically when screenings resume and there’s nothing further you need to do.
If, however, your personal circumstances make it unlikely that you will return when screenings resume, we can also offer pro rata refunds for anyone who requires one. If you would like a refund, please send an email to info@anufg.org.au with your membership number and we’ll get in touch with next steps.
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ANUFG@HOME IS BACK
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Like we did last time, we’ve also resurrected ANUFG@Home for anyone looking for themed suggestions of (mostly) free films you can watch online in the absence of your favourite Film Group. Please feel free to share these film suggestions to keep you and your loved ones entertained and connected from the comfort and safety of your own homes. And, of course, if you’ve discovered any hidden gems you’d like to share, feel free to send them through to info@anufg.org.au too.
ANUFG@Home suggestions can be found at www.anufg.org.au/athome and will be updated on a regular basis, with new additions highlighted on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ANUFG. Do note that the website does contain some of last year’s recommendations too, so we can’t guarantee that all of the links will still be valid at time of viewing.
Finally, if you need more than film suggestions to get you through this period, don't forget that you are not alone and that there are a range of services offering support:
• Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service: 1800 512 348
• Lifeline: 131 114
• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
More information from ACT Health on mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19 can be found by CLICKING HERE