[IMC-Editorial] South Asian Film Festival (Travelling) on 12th January in Mumbai.

[ramesh pimple]

Sub: South Asian Film Festival (Travelling) on 12th
January in Mumbai.

South Asian Film Festival (Travelling) was inaugurated
by Shri Amrit Gangar, well known Film Theorist, critic
and writer. In his keynote speech, he raised the issue
of MIFF (Mumbai International Film Festival), which
will be held next month in Mumbai. MIFF has turned out
to be a big Sarkari Tamasha and there is absolutely no
transparency while selecting the Films. It looks that
the Babus from Film Division are behind most of the
decisions, all the Films on Gujarat riots including
“Aakrosh”produced by Ramesh Pimple, “Aftershocks” by
Rakesh Sharma, “Chords on the Richter Scale” and
“Chale Chalo” by Shyam Ranjankar got rejected. Even
Films made on communal harmony and amity like
“Naata”by K.P. Jayashankara and A. Monterio find no
place in MIFF. Shri Amrit urges Film Makers to unite
and boycott the coming MIFF.

Shri Amrit Gangar told the gathering that the
challenge before the filmmakers is much greater today
and also the question of how to deal with the
distribution and exhibition aspect of the
documentaries is still persistent.

Since Television channels have no space for
documentaries and Doordarshan is silent on the issue,
he said that Travelling Film Festival is a novel
concept and must be encouraged. A BYOFF (Bring Your
Own Film Festival) is getting organized at Puri Beach
from 20th February onwards and there is a move to
launch co-operative India Film Festival, which will be
organized by 100 hosts from six metro cities. He urged
the Film Makers to accept the challenge and go ahead.

Ramesh Pimple of People’s Media Initiative while
addressing the gathering regretted that today good
cinema has no space either in Television or Theatre,
the Films are away from reality and take the viewers
to illusionary world of myth and lies. Today’s
generation is growing with “Saas Bahu” kind of
serials, which are not only spreading wrong values,
wrong philosophy of life but also spreading
superstition. The films like “Darna Mana Hai”,
“Bhooth” or Jingoistic Films like “LOC” are having
very wrong influence on the minds of the people in
this country. Films must come near to reality and
should identify with the aspirations and struggles of
the masses, there are human stories emerging from the
struggles and sufferings. The political censorship has
begun in India and it must be fought.

To bring together Film Makers who identify with the
struggles of toiling masses, a meet on “Reels of
Resistance” with new bold concept will be held at
Mumbai Resistance 2004 on 17th January at Veterinary
College Ground, Goregaon (E), Mumbai, where Film
Makers from across the country will be meeting to
discuss issues and chalk out the strategy of how to
revive People’s Cinema and Reels of Resistance.

The Cultural Activist and leading functionary of
Vidrohi Sanskritik Movement, which has posed bold
challenge to mainstream bodies in Maharashtra urged
the gathered Film Makers to take serious note of
growing threat of cultural fascism in our country. The
attack on Bhandarkar Institute in Pune symbolizes
this, there is growing intolerance in the society and
the state is becoming very brutal and ruthless while
dealing with the toiling masses that are fighting
battle for their survival, rights and existence. The
Film Makers must come closer to the struggle and Reels
of Resistance must emerge from them.

Many prominent Film and Documentary Makers were
present at the opening of the festival. Lalita Dhara
of Jagruti told the gathering that Jagruti will be
initiating the screening of minimum 2 films in a month
and good films will be taken to doors of the students
by organizing screenings at various colleges and
Institutions. 

The 15 Films from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal
were selected from 43 Films screened at last years
South Asian Film Festival in Kathmandu as a package of
Travelling Film Festival and it has already travelled
Europe, America and now it will tour in Asian
countries.

The Festival began with a very optimistic note and the
following films were screened at the Travelling Film
Festival on 12th and 13th January.

Press Note by Rumana
People’s Media Initiative and Jagruti. 




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