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Fun and learning for kids through films

Madhur Tankha

“The Golden Elephant” festival to host 70 children films from India and abroad

Photo: S. Subramanium

Chairperson of Children’s Film Society, India, Nandita Das, with Mohammad Akram, a child reporter from Andhra Pradesh, at a press conference on “The Golden Elephant” in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Children’s Film Society, India, in partnership with the UNICEF will try to highlight how films can play a crucial role in advancing children’s right to information at the 16th international children’s film festival being held in Hyderabad from November 14 to 20.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Wednesday, CFSI chairperson Nandita Das said the Children’s Film Society has joined hands with the UNICEF for the first time at “The Golden Elephant” festival because they both believe that children must have a voice of their own. “In the context of the 20th anniversary of the Convention of the Rights of the Child, this partnership will communicate the importance of children’s right to the valuable content of entertainment through films. We will screen quality films and emphasise the importance of entertainment for every child. In open forums, questions will be debated and workshops for children will be conducted as both a fun and learning experience. Should children only be consumers of information? We want them to become disseminators telling stories from their own perspective.”

As a child, said Nandita, she would watch films based on Panchatantra stories at Sapru House, but now times have changed as children have been inundated with films on children’s channels in which some of the characters are aggressive and selfish. “We also have reality shows and mainstream cinema made for grown-ups. I don’t want to decide what is good or bad, it is just a matter of creating those synergies with educators in how to make the visual media more interesting. Films that tickle children’s imagination, entertain them and inculcate values in them must be made.”

Unfortunately producers and directors are apprehensive of making films where the margin of profit is stacked against them. That is why the actor-turned-director has invited over Bollywood personalities Gulzar and Vishal Bharadwaj to the festival so that they can have an informal conversation with children in Hyderabad.

Screenings

Child reporter Mohammad Akram, from Doulatabad village in Andhra Pradesh, said he had been writing about the problems in his village in the wall newspaper. “Thanks to UNICEF, I’ve now learnt voice-over, video making and script writing,” said the Class IX student.

Seventy films from India and abroad will be screened. Fifteen will be screened in the international section, while 18 movies will be shown in the Asian. Non-competitive section will see screening of 37 films.

Nandita was keen to have an Indian film section but she could not manage to get 12 quality films. “We want to know why children’s films are invisible in our country? In India we hardly have content. We’re having reality shows on private channel that some say give children confidence, while others insist that it is not a healthy way to grow. If channels don’t have content, then we need to think out-of-box and partner with non-government organisations.”

There will be discussions like can films be part of school curriculum.

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