The Hindu : New Delhi News : Film festival for the differently-abled

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Wednesday, Dec 17, 2008
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New Delhi

Film festival for the differently-abled

To create awareness on issues concerning differently-abled and mentally challenged persons, a unique film festival opens at Siri Fort Auditorium here from February 4 to 7 next year.

“We Care Filmfest” seeks to demonstrate that films and documentaries can be a powerful medium for educating public about issues concerning physically and mentally challenged persons and dispel myths, stereotypes and misconceptions about pe rsons with disabilities. Moreover, the festival intends to promote a new approach to disability which guarantees “equal rights and opportunities and equal access”.

Apart from professional filmmakers, the film festival is also open to students of mass communication, journalism and film making institutions from India and abroad.

The festival will offer an opportunity to all students to develop their understanding and perspective relating to disability issues, besides contributing to the process of participatory rating. The festival director Satish Kapoor says: “The aim was not merely to create awareness about disability issues through the medium of films and integration in society, but also to give a fillip to the rights-based approach where persons with disability were considered persons first.”

Hosted since 2003 to promote the rights of persons with disability, the festival will be organised by non government organisation Brotherhood in collaboration with United Nations Information Centre, National Trust, Oxfam, the AAFT and Palador. After Delhi, the festival will travel to Pune, Kolkata and Udaipur.

A special highlight of the festival will be screening of films by internationally-acclaimed filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut and Christopher Doyle on various issues relating to disabilities. Kurosawa’s “Red Beard” and Bergman’s “Music in the Dark” and “The Silence” will be screened.

Entries will come from across the world of films that meet the rights as set out in U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. The entries will be in four categories of up to one minute, up to five minutes, up to 30 minutes, and up to 60 minutes. The last date for submitting entries is January 3, 2009.

The festival will culminate with the award ceremony on May 3, 2009, which will mark one year of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Madhur Tankha

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