Andrew Garton
@andrewgarton.bsky.social
Filmmaker, musician, producer and media comms educator of Ukraine/Austrian descent. Member of Association for Progressive Communications.
https://linktr.ee/andrewgarton
https://linktr.ee/andrewgarton
Pinned
Andrew Garton
@andrewgarton.bsky.social
· Jul 31
THE IAN URQUHART CINEREEL ARCHIVE
Introducing the Ian Urquhart Cinereel Archive, eight hours of silent Standard 8mm film shot by former British civil service officer, Ian Urquhart in Baram District,…
vimeo.com
Finished and gifted to the world, the Ian Urquhart Cinereel Archive, eight hours of silent Standard 8mm film shot by former British civil service officer, Ian Urquhart in Baram District, Sarawak, Malaysia. Available from the @archive.org search >> IAN URQUHART
vimeo.com/1105659324
vimeo.com/1105659324
2026 is reminding me of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and the brutal response to it. I produced this film during lockdown from mostly materials sourced online. It was screened at the 2022 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival @mdff.bsky.social
vimeo.com/agarton/like...
vimeo.com/agarton/like...
LIKE WATER
Bruce Lee's motto, "being water", was adopted by Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. It inspired a fluid, adaptive and mobile response when it…
vimeo.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:31 AM
2026 is reminding me of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and the brutal response to it. I produced this film during lockdown from mostly materials sourced online. It was screened at the 2022 Melbourne Documentary Film Festival @mdff.bsky.social
vimeo.com/agarton/like...
vimeo.com/agarton/like...
This morning I woke to an entirely different country but one, that had been in the making. Yesterday, it was evident, things had changed, that frenzied, coordinated violence by the state speaks of the impunity we have been subject to these recent years.
michaelwest.com.au/this-was-pla...
michaelwest.com.au/this-was-pla...
This was planned. And Chris Minns owns it. - Michael West
NSW Police have assaulted dozens of peace protestors who gathered to protest the visit by Israeli president Isaac Herzog to Australia.
michaelwest.com.au
February 10, 2026 at 3:59 AM
This morning I woke to an entirely different country but one, that had been in the making. Yesterday, it was evident, things had changed, that frenzied, coordinated violence by the state speaks of the impunity we have been subject to these recent years.
michaelwest.com.au/this-was-pla...
michaelwest.com.au/this-was-pla...
Reposted by Andrew Garton
African governments are moving early on AI governance through data, procurement, and automation rules, but the real challenge is whether these frameworks can bind beyond borders and shape global AI systems, writes Arthur D. Sidney.
Africa Is Writing AI Rules Faster Than the World Notices
Africa is moving early on AI governance but without leverage its rules may not shape global AI systems or the terms under which they operate.
buff.ly
February 9, 2026 at 3:30 AM
African governments are moving early on AI governance through data, procurement, and automation rules, but the real challenge is whether these frameworks can bind beyond borders and shape global AI systems, writes Arthur D. Sidney.
Reposted by Andrew Garton
Reupping coz climate.
Also weather.
Also weather.
In which i have thoughts about heat, climate, memory and consequences.
open.substack.com/pub/greenwor...
open.substack.com/pub/greenwor...
Hot Enough For Ya?
Not sure why this should be, but memories made in summer seem stronger somehow.
open.substack.com
January 31, 2026 at 3:20 AM
Reupping coz climate.
Also weather.
Also weather.
Exhibiting at Women of the Badlands, alongside many friends from Dunmoochin and Montsalvat is my sister, Grace Garton, who took on my Dunmoochin residency when I returned o/s for some months. I'm so proud of Grace & her exquisite, multi-faceted paintings, illustrations and intricate soft-sculptures.
Women of the Badlands: Contemporary creative outlanders from Nillumbik's artistic incubators - Montsalvat
Women of the Badlands celebrates the work of creative women connected to Nillumbik’s renowned arts hubs: Montsalvat, Dunmoochin, Baldessin Studio, and Garambi Baanj/Laughing Waters. Nillumbik’s crea...
montsalvat.com.au
January 22, 2026 at 8:46 AM
Exhibiting at Women of the Badlands, alongside many friends from Dunmoochin and Montsalvat is my sister, Grace Garton, who took on my Dunmoochin residency when I returned o/s for some months. I'm so proud of Grace & her exquisite, multi-faceted paintings, illustrations and intricate soft-sculptures.
Three more journalists murdered in Gaza by the government that cannot be associated with such acts for fear of upsetting supporters of said govt and their well documented crimes against humanity.
www.france24.com/en/middle-ea...
www.france24.com/en/middle-ea...
Israeli strike kills three journalists in Gaza, civil defence agency says
Three journalists were killed by an Israeli strike in Gaza on Wednesday, the Palestinian territory's civil defence agency said. Israel has been the biggest killer of journalists for three years runnin...
www.france24.com
January 22, 2026 at 5:11 AM
Three more journalists murdered in Gaza by the government that cannot be associated with such acts for fear of upsetting supporters of said govt and their well documented crimes against humanity.
www.france24.com/en/middle-ea...
www.france24.com/en/middle-ea...
Bidayuh elder, Padawan, Sarawak. One of few women left in the region who wear brass rings around their arms and ankles, applied to them at an early age. No one seems to know when the practice commenced or why. Ian Urquhart filmed these same women in 1962/63, 40 yrs prior to the portraits I'd taken.
January 22, 2026 at 12:05 AM
Bidayuh elder, Padawan, Sarawak. One of few women left in the region who wear brass rings around their arms and ankles, applied to them at an early age. No one seems to know when the practice commenced or why. Ian Urquhart filmed these same women in 1962/63, 40 yrs prior to the portraits I'd taken.
Dredging in Port Phillip Bay is changing the coast line around French Island, already suffering significant erosion due to the removal of mangroves.
January 18, 2026 at 9:58 AM
Dredging in Port Phillip Bay is changing the coast line around French Island, already suffering significant erosion due to the removal of mangroves.
Yes! It is! Although my music making is not a secret life, however, it's less public than it had been in former times. The joy of making music for the sake of the experience of conceiving a complete work, not as product but as an experience, is immense.
www.theguardian.com/music/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/music/2026/j...
‘It’s more productive than doomscrolling’: film-maker Ben Wheatley on his secret life as musician Dave Welder
While playing with nine-figure Hollywood budgets, the Kill List and Meg 2 director has become a prolific music producer. Next up is his experimental film, Bulk
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:43 AM
Yes! It is! Although my music making is not a secret life, however, it's less public than it had been in former times. The joy of making music for the sake of the experience of conceiving a complete work, not as product but as an experience, is immense.
www.theguardian.com/music/2026/j...
www.theguardian.com/music/2026/j...
Reposted by Andrew Garton
What’s the point of writers’ festivals — or, for that matter, writers — if they can’t discuss issues that matter? Australian arts administrators would rather destroy the whole sector than allow Palestinians to speak about genocide. It’s beyond shameful.
January 8, 2026 at 4:57 AM
What’s the point of writers’ festivals — or, for that matter, writers — if they can’t discuss issues that matter? Australian arts administrators would rather destroy the whole sector than allow Palestinians to speak about genocide. It’s beyond shameful.
A few weeks back I interviewed famed forest protector, educator, songwriter and poet, John Seed about his pre-web activism on the internet and his vision - and hope - for the present and not so distant future for us all.
youtu.be/c90SGUb318I
youtu.be/c90SGUb318I
The John Seed Interview - Defending the world's forests with the pre-web internet
YouTube video by Andrew Garton
youtu.be
January 8, 2026 at 8:38 AM
A few weeks back I interviewed famed forest protector, educator, songwriter and poet, John Seed about his pre-web activism on the internet and his vision - and hope - for the present and not so distant future for us all.
youtu.be/c90SGUb318I
youtu.be/c90SGUb318I
Reposted by Andrew Garton
so cool, love the internet our tech overlords have built
Meta reportedly projected 10% of 2024 sales came from scam, fraud ads
Meta projected that about $16 billion in 2024 revenue came from running ads for scams and banned goods, according to a Thursday report from Reuters.
www.cnbc.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:43 AM
so cool, love the internet our tech overlords have built
Reposted by Andrew Garton
Ukraine has been under Russian attack for several hours🚨‼️
Another explosion just shook Kharkiv. Explosions reported in Kyiv. Multiple explosions have also been reported in Chernihiv, where the city is experiencing power outages.
Another explosion just shook Kharkiv. Explosions reported in Kyiv. Multiple explosions have also been reported in Chernihiv, where the city is experiencing power outages.
January 5, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Ukraine has been under Russian attack for several hours🚨‼️
Another explosion just shook Kharkiv. Explosions reported in Kyiv. Multiple explosions have also been reported in Chernihiv, where the city is experiencing power outages.
Another explosion just shook Kharkiv. Explosions reported in Kyiv. Multiple explosions have also been reported in Chernihiv, where the city is experiencing power outages.
FFS!!! The President of Peace's dark blood magic on display again.
January 3, 2026 at 7:42 AM
FFS!!! The President of Peace's dark blood magic on display again.
The last time I saw Ash was a good many years ago at an exhibition opening in Prahran. We chatted briefly about the intervening years, PhDs and teaching. We spent a lot of time together thru the 90s. He gave people like me a leg up no matter how indifferent our work was to conventions of the day.
Melbourne arts community mourns Dr Ashley Crawford
The much-loved critic had been at the forefront of the burgeoning Melbourne cultural scene since the 1980s.
www.theage.com.au
January 1, 2026 at 11:35 PM
The last time I saw Ash was a good many years ago at an exhibition opening in Prahran. We chatted briefly about the intervening years, PhDs and teaching. We spent a lot of time together thru the 90s. He gave people like me a leg up no matter how indifferent our work was to conventions of the day.
Hello 2026. I baked a cake, cleaned the house, admired my roses and read the latest from Chris Hedges and Francesca Albanese. Perhaps the last bastion of hope is love and resistance. Somehow this both calms and excites me.
January 1, 2026 at 1:41 AM
Hello 2026. I baked a cake, cleaned the house, admired my roses and read the latest from Chris Hedges and Francesca Albanese. Perhaps the last bastion of hope is love and resistance. Somehow this both calms and excites me.
Reposted by Andrew Garton
Statements of the form "the AI bubble will crash but the *technology* will remain" are vacuous. Stop making them.
The useful tech is the transformer, which already existed and was useful.
Generative AI brings no new usefulness to the table, even in business terms, without a VC-funded bubble.
>>
The useful tech is the transformer, which already existed and was useful.
Generative AI brings no new usefulness to the table, even in business terms, without a VC-funded bubble.
>>
December 30, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Statements of the form "the AI bubble will crash but the *technology* will remain" are vacuous. Stop making them.
The useful tech is the transformer, which already existed and was useful.
Generative AI brings no new usefulness to the table, even in business terms, without a VC-funded bubble.
>>
The useful tech is the transformer, which already existed and was useful.
Generative AI brings no new usefulness to the table, even in business terms, without a VC-funded bubble.
>>
A few months ago I got my turntable & records back from my ex & started buying vinyl again. I've moved all my music off streaming platforms, going all in on Bandcamp. Gave my cassettes away to eager aficionados. Sad about the amazing woman who had been in my life but happy about slow listening.
Why I Quit Streaming And Got Back Into Cassettes
In the age of Spotify and AI slop, tapes remind us what we’re missing when we stop taking risks.
www.404media.co
December 24, 2025 at 11:36 PM
A few months ago I got my turntable & records back from my ex & started buying vinyl again. I've moved all my music off streaming platforms, going all in on Bandcamp. Gave my cassettes away to eager aficionados. Sad about the amazing woman who had been in my life but happy about slow listening.
”There is no going back to where we were before Dec 14. Not only was Aust’s shaky sense of safety irrevocably shattered, the social contract Australians relied on their politicians to uphold, to place the nation’s needs above politics, has been destroyed by the Coalition.” @amyremeikis.bsky.social
Our hearts are shattered – and some have broken them further
There is no going back to where we were before December 14. But a social contract Australians relied on has been destroyed by the Coalition.
www.thenewdaily.com.au
December 22, 2025 at 5:11 AM
”There is no going back to where we were before Dec 14. Not only was Aust’s shaky sense of safety irrevocably shattered, the social contract Australians relied on their politicians to uphold, to place the nation’s needs above politics, has been destroyed by the Coalition.” @amyremeikis.bsky.social
Reposted by Andrew Garton
"There's basically an economy around disinformation now"
Maybe now could be the right time to start asking politicians and your organisation's social teams why they're actively assisting monetised disinformation schemes by retaining their accounts at X and doing free volunteer work by posting there
Maybe now could be the right time to start asking politicians and your organisation's social teams why they're actively assisting monetised disinformation schemes by retaining their accounts at X and doing free volunteer work by posting there
Latest commentary from me about how the design of social media platforms incentivise and fail to moderate the spread of false and misleading information about the #Bondi massacre. As usual, X is the ringleader.
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12...
X payments incentivised misinformation in wake of Bondi shooting, expert says
US social media platform X incentivised the spread of inflammatory misinformation in the wake of the Bondi Beach shootings, a digital media expert has said.
www.abc.net.au
December 18, 2025 at 10:24 AM
"There's basically an economy around disinformation now"
Maybe now could be the right time to start asking politicians and your organisation's social teams why they're actively assisting monetised disinformation schemes by retaining their accounts at X and doing free volunteer work by posting there
Maybe now could be the right time to start asking politicians and your organisation's social teams why they're actively assisting monetised disinformation schemes by retaining their accounts at X and doing free volunteer work by posting there
@ronnisalt.bsky.social making sense of the shambolic nonsense cleaving headline seeking outrage from tragedy and mourning.
theshot.net.au/uncategorize...
theshot.net.au/uncategorize...
Don’t look back in anger - The Shot
I’m angry. We’re all angry. Perhaps that’s part of the problem. At the moment, we’re angry at two twisted individuals...
theshot.net.au
December 18, 2025 at 8:36 AM
@ronnisalt.bsky.social making sense of the shambolic nonsense cleaving headline seeking outrage from tragedy and mourning.
theshot.net.au/uncategorize...
theshot.net.au/uncategorize...
Reposted by Andrew Garton
“Large language models are quietly reshaping the way people write research papers—& scientists are catching colleagues using #AI to do their work.” It’s very corrosive of the research & communication of it & our trust in #science. Generative AI & its rapid, unregulated evolution? flip.it/H6ayt6
Here's how to spot AI-written content
Large language models are quietly reshaping the way people write research papers—and scientists are catching colleagues using AI to do their work.
flip.it
December 15, 2025 at 8:30 PM
“Large language models are quietly reshaping the way people write research papers—& scientists are catching colleagues using #AI to do their work.” It’s very corrosive of the research & communication of it & our trust in #science. Generative AI & its rapid, unregulated evolution? flip.it/H6ayt6
Reposted by Andrew Garton
2025's last #SundayShot is approaching and it is a good one. @zoedaniel.bsky.social & @dncameron.bsky.social join the panel & there are cameos from SO MANY MORE!
Plus our ace Summer merch from @fionakatauskas.bsky.social is now on sale - a top Xmas gift for your favourite people.
theshot.store
Plus our ace Summer merch from @fionakatauskas.bsky.social is now on sale - a top Xmas gift for your favourite people.
theshot.store
December 12, 2025 at 8:50 AM
2025's last #SundayShot is approaching and it is a good one. @zoedaniel.bsky.social & @dncameron.bsky.social join the panel & there are cameos from SO MANY MORE!
Plus our ace Summer merch from @fionakatauskas.bsky.social is now on sale - a top Xmas gift for your favourite people.
theshot.store
Plus our ace Summer merch from @fionakatauskas.bsky.social is now on sale - a top Xmas gift for your favourite people.
theshot.store
Who could've known that Flea's first solo release is a plea for love, peace and humanity.
youtu.be/TmyjzvQv5bA?...
youtu.be/TmyjzvQv5bA?...
Flea - A Plea (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by Flea
youtu.be
December 5, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Who could've known that Flea's first solo release is a plea for love, peace and humanity.
youtu.be/TmyjzvQv5bA?...
youtu.be/TmyjzvQv5bA?...
Screenshots from This Choirs Sings Carols produced in collab with First Impressions Youth Theatre, screening at Hildebrand Organic Vineyard, Sat 6 December, Cottles Bridge, Victoria. Details in 🔗tree!
November 27, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Screenshots from This Choirs Sings Carols produced in collab with First Impressions Youth Theatre, screening at Hildebrand Organic Vineyard, Sat 6 December, Cottles Bridge, Victoria. Details in 🔗tree!