12th ViBGYOR International Film Festival From 23rd to 26th August 

 

vibgyor-poster

Across the world, emerging far right political movements, religious fanatic groups and fascist regimes are trying to silence people who voice different opinions and embrace divergent paths. If at all we may perhaps brag about the advancement in digital communication and the apparent economic progress as the hallmarks of the third millennium, the present age is so alarming for the amount of brutal State power reining over ordinary citizens and the increasing tilt towards mob-justice being imposed on weak and minority sections of the society or on the entire populace.

The democratically conducted elections and plebiscites in many parts of the world in recent times, including the President election in the “most powerful democracy” the United States, clearly indicate where the world is heading for. To find how the State is encroaching upon its citizens’ freedom and fundamental rights, we just need to turn to the “largest democracy of the world’, India. A hidden, silent emergency’ is already at work in this secular, sovereign republic, where the Hindu right-wing party and its government have been scheming for turning the country into a homogenous society, riding on the waves of religious nationalism and false patriotism. They do this effectively by intimidating the public (readthe middle class’) and the media by forcing them to promote only a singular version of truth, namely, the conservative and malicious ideology of the far right.

In any society, at any given point of time, there will always be people holding divergent views. Such views are integral and inevitable for the healthy functioning of democracy. This has been clearly expressed in the judgment of the Bombay High Court in F.A. Picture International v CBFC, where the Court said: “History tells us that dissent in all walks of life contributes to the evolution of society. Those who question unquestioned assumptions contribute to the alteration of social norms. Democracy is founded upon respect for their courage. Any attempt by the State to clamp down on the free expression of opinion must hence be frowned upon”

Free speech is not a generous gift that the Government bestows on us; it is our birth right, guaranteed by the Constitution of India, and won after decades of struggle and sacrifice by the people of India. But, any given day we are witnessing increasing attempts at brutal silencing of any forms of dissent by the central and state governments. Any sort of dissent in art and media are stifled by the arms of the State like the Censor Board and similar entities. The agenda for a homogeneous society has reached our kitchens and our dining tables, and those who differ are beaten up or lynched.

The recent developments in JNU, DU, HCU, EFLU and many other campuses across the country point to an alarming trend to suppress the spirit of dissent among the youth and the citizenry at large. By jeopardizing the curricula and imposing control over academic freedom, the State, the educational institutions, and  to a certain extent the parents and teachers, are ensuring that we will produce an entire generation of students who will never have been encouraged to think differently and question the dominant ideas and ideologies.

On the economic and the so called `development’ scenario, the corporates and politicians are working hand-in-hand to plunder the natural resources and public wealth and anyone who questions their agenda is branded and hunted as terrorist, Maoist, extremist or anti-national. In the name of cashless economy, the State has pushed its fingers into the wallets of even the poorest people.

In this context, in order to address these disturbing situations and issues, and to contemplate proactive responses by teaming up with like-minded groups and individuals, ViBGYOR Film Collective chooses `DISSENT’ as the Focus theme for the 12th Edition of ViBGOR International Documentary & Short Film Festival, to be held from 23rd to 26th August 2017 at the Kerala Sangeet Nataka Academy campus, Thrissur, Kerala, India.

 

DOCUMENTOR – visual actuality

Exploring reality story telling

 documentor

Announcing DOCUMENTOR a 3-Day Film Workshop, 2017 August 21-23

organized by Chetana Media Institute & ViBGYOR Film Collective with the support of Documentary Resources Initiative (DRI)

An initiative of DRI to evoke quality discourses among the young filmmakers and students through workshop on creative documentary. This intends to create an awareness and exposition to high quality artistic content of actuality storytelling. Documentor, visual actuality is taking place in small towns of India in the region where storytelling understanding is completely intimidated by the mainstream commercialism. Apart from sensitizing young minds, Documentor also places filmmakers with the audience to share in-depth artistic experience and unique individualistic concern of the created content in post screening dialogue. This is also extended to an intimate mentoring and incubation platform while young filmmakers are participating.

Workshop Director : Nilotpal Majumdar (Head of Manipur State Film & Television Institute)

 Nilotpal Majumdar is a postgraduate from Film & Television Institute of India, Pune with a specialisation in Editing. Has been working as director, editor and cinematographer.  Spearheaded the first Asian documentary mentoring and pitching forum in India through Docedge Kolkata, Asian Forum for Documentary.  Attended international festivals and workshops as jury, tutor and mentor. Has been working as a mentor, tutor with young filmmakers devoted to creative documentary.

http://www.docresi.org/Documentor.aspx

Dates : August 21-23, 2017, 10 am – 5 pm | Public Film Screening : everyday  5.30 pm – 8.30 pm

Venue : Chetana Media Institute, Palace Road, Thrissur 680020 | Workshop fee INR 1000

Call  ViBGYOR (Leslie, 95678 39494) or CHETANA (Jijitha, 85928 28292) for details and to reserve your seats.

SARAT MEMORIAL LECTURE

by Ashok Vajpeyi

 ashok-vajpayi

Ashok Vajpeyi is a poet in Hindi, essayist, literary-cultural critic, apart from being a noted cultural and arts administrator. He was chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi India’s National Academy of Arts, Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India, 2008-2011. He has published over 23 books of poetry, criticism and art, and was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award given by Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, in 1994 for his poetry collection, Kahin Nahin Wahin. His notable poetry collections include, Shaher Ab Bhi Sambhavana Hai (1966), Tatpurush (1986), Bahuri Akela (1992), Ibarat Se Giri Matrayen, Ummeed ka Doosra Naam (2004) and Vivaksha (2006), besides this he has also published works on literary and art criticism: Filhal, Kuchh Poorvagrah, Samay se Bahar, Kavita ka Galp and Sidhiyan Shuru ho Gayi Hain. He is generally seen as part of the old Delhi-centric literary-cultural establishment consisting of poets and academicians like Sitakanta Mahapatra, Keki Daruwalla, J.P. Das, Gopi Chand Narang, Indra Nath Choudhari and K. Satchidanandan.

For this edition of ViBGYOR Film Festival, Ashok Vajpeyi is presenting SARAT MEMORIAL LECTURE and end with a protest poetry recitals by Ashok Vajpeyi, Sachidanandan, Anvar Ali, Anitha Thampy etc…

SAVE WESTERN GHATS

Main Campaign

 western-ghats

 Save the Western Ghats March of 1987-88 is widely considered to be one of the pioneering Environmental Movements of India and has played a crucial role in building and shaping the Ecological Consciousness in this country. Though the level of activism dwindled with time, the fervor and the zest to carry on voicing the cause of the Western Ghats survived. This zest lives on till today with a revival of the Save the Western Ghats Movement having captured the national attention.

The efforts to save the Western Ghats, is a journey. And the way ahead in this journey is long and arduous. There are lots of stands to take, lots of agitations to start, lots of decisions to make. There a lot of innovations to be turned into major successes and a lot of vested interests to be changed to failures.

Let us move ahead with our old goals but with new alliances at hand and new motivation in our heart.

Activists working in Western Ghat issues will present the Campaign. Kusumam Joseph (NAPM), Babuji (Western Ghat Protection Coordination Committee), John Peruvanthanam (Western Ghat Protection Coordination Committee), Dr. Sajeevan (KFRI, Peechi), Sivaraman (Western Ghat Protection Coordination Committee), Dr. Amitab Bachan (Hornbill Foundation), CK Nabeel (Journalist) will be attend in ViBGYOR OPEN FORUM.

RETROSPECTIVE

Meghnath & Biju Toppo

 meghnath-biju

Meghnath and Biju Toppo belong to AKHRA, a group working in the field of culture and communication in Jharkhand. Akhra is a pioneering group that has been making films on the indigenous people’s issues since 1995. They have produced many award winning films which took up burning issues related to the indigenous people’s survival.

Meghnath is a activist working in Jharkhand for last 30 years. He has been with the people’s struggle against destructive development. As a film maker he has tried to document the voice of those section of people who remain unheard. At present teaches in the Mass com department of St. Xaviers College Ranchi.

Biju Toppo is one of the first Adivasi film makers who have effectively used the camera to counter the misrepresentation of his community by the ‘mainstream’ media his film has received national and international recognition.

AKHRA – In the beginning of 90’s some youth sat to evaluate the development in Adivasi (tribal) society. It was felt that although adivasi society has advanced in the field of government services and in sports but we do not have enough presence it the intellectual field , ie. in the fields of literature and journalism. So it was decided to develop a group to work in this direction and this is how AKHRA was born in 1996. AKHRA -Traditionally has been an open space in the village for community meeting and entertainment, in old days it was basically a seat of learning. Unlike the traditional Ashram system, where the master used to choose the disciples, AKHRA was accessible to all. AKHRA-Today, is a group of committed persons, mostly indigenous youths, working in the field of culture, communication and human rights issues of indigenous (tribal) peoples in India, in general, and Jharkhand, in particular. Meghnath and Biju Toppo are founder of AKHRA.

Naachi Se Baanchi,  Iron is Hot,  Gadi Lohardaga Mail,  The Hunt, Taking Sides and Development Flows from the Barrel of the Gun are to be screen in the Retrospective section of ViBGYOR Film Festival.

E- Mail : akhra.ranchi @gmail.com| Web : www.akhra.in

PHOTOGRAPHY & FILMMAKING WORKSHOP

conducted by Nandan Saxena & Kavita Bahl

 nandan-saxena

Nandan Saxena & Kavita Bahl‘s film ‘Cotton For My Shroud’ has won the Rajat Kamal (Silver Lotus) for Best Investigative Film at The National Film Awards in 2011. Since the last two decades, they have been making films belonging to the genre of poetry and documentary. Their work has tackled issues of ecology, livelihoods, development, human rights and explores man’s relationship with his environment in different ways. Their voluntary initiative ‘Via-Media’ is an effort to catalyse change by taking positive stories to the people, and an effort to make citizens groups and similar movements stronger.

In the previous edition of ViBGYOR they conducted the Photography & Filmmaking Workshop behalf of Quark Workshops supported by Sony, India.

Call  ViBGYOR (Leslie, 95678 39494 | Dr. Fr. Benny Benedict, 94470 00830 ) for details and to reserve your seats. Email : [email protected]

 

DOCUMENTARY PITCHING WORKSHOP

By Nilotpal Majumdar (Head of Manipur State Film & Television Institute)

 nilotpal-majumdar

Documentary Pitching involves a training path for Documentary filmmakers with projects. The aim is to boost their creative possibilities and provide opportunities for obtaining finance and positioning their products in the international market. This interactive workshop teaches documentary filmmakers how to pitch their ideas with confidence. it includes in-depth advice on different funding options and practical pitching sessions, where you’ll get feedback on your own work.

Nilotpal Majumdar is a postgraduate from Film & Television Institute of India, Pune with a specialisation in Editing. Has been working as director, editor and cinematographer.  Spearheaded the first Asian documentary mentoring and pitching forum in India through Docedge Kolkata, Asian Forum for Documentary.  Attended international festivals and workshops as jury, tutor and mentor. Has been working as a mentor, tutor with young filmmakers devoted to creative documentary.

Call  ViBGYOR (Leslie, 95678 39494 | Dr. Fr. Benny Benedict, 94470 00830 ) for details and to reserve your seats. Email : [email protected]

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