Monday 6 January 2014

Chilika – Jewel of Odisha

This is the story of a dying lake that was restored to life. At over 1000 sq km. Chilika Lake on India’s East Coast is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia. It is also the largest wintering ground for waterfowl in the Indian subcontinent, attracting migrants from Europe, Central Asia and Siberia. However, by the late 1990s it had become a weed-infested, dying lake. Today, thanks for ecological restoration by the Chilika Development Authority, the lake once again became a reliable source of livelihood for local communities and a vibrant refuge for wildlife.

Chilika – Jewel of Odisha

Shekar Dattatri is a naturalist, conservationist and conservation filmmaker based in Chennai. His films have won numerous awards at national and international film festivals. He has also received several awards for his work in conservation filmmaking, including the Rolex Award for Enterprise (Associate Laureate, 2004), and the Edberg Award from the Rolf Edberg Foundation (2008). From 2007 to 2010 he served on the National Board for Wildlife.

Shekar Dattatri - Director (Chilika – Jewel of Odisha)

Friday 3 January 2014

Timbaktu

When a small farming community in South India decided to switch from their decades-old practice of chemical agriculture to organic farming, little did they know that they were planting the seeds of a silent revolution. By showcasing the exemplary efforts of farmers of a tiny village in Andhra Pradesh, Timbaktu explores critical issues of food security and sovereignty. At its heart, Timbaktu looks at the relationship that a farmer shares with her land, her seeds and raises vital questions about food, the very essence of human life.

Timbaktu

Director : Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh

Thursday 2 January 2014

Seeking a Space Called Peace

This short film is made on the theme ‘World Peace’. The film is about a helpless woman, who in turbulent times seeks a space called peace for her unborn child.

Film: Seeking a space called peace

Maaz Kazmi has worked as an Assistant Director in an upcoming Bollywood film ‘Music Meri Jaan’ after working for Red Chillies Idiot Box. He has completed Masters in Communication Studies (specialisation in video production) from University of Pune. He is deeply interested in film-making and has produced 12 short-films. Some of his films have won awards in film festivals all across the country.

Maaz Kazmi - Director (Seeking a space called peace)

Wednesday 1 January 2014

Celluloid Man

Celluloid Man is a 2012 documentary film that explores the life and work of legendary Indian archivist P.K. Nair, founder of the National Film Archive of India and guardian of Indian cinema. The film has won two National Awards in India at the 60th National Film Awards for the Best Historical / Biographical Reconstruction and for Best Editing in 2013. It has also won the ”Nestor The Chronicler” award for the best archival film at the XII Kyiv International Documentary Film Festival 2013, Ukraine. It premiered at the Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna,Italy on the 26 June 2012. Since then it has traveled to 48 film festivals in India and overseas. The film was released in India on 3 May 2013 to coincide with the centenary of Indian cinema.

Archivist P.K. Nair - (Celluloid Man)
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur is a filmmaker, producer, film archivist and restorer. He is the founder of Dungarpur Films based in Mumbai, under whose banner he has directed over 400 commercials and produced documentaries and short films. “Celluloid Man” is his most recent project, and also his first feature length film. He was given the Bimal Roy Memorial Emerging Talent Award for his film “Celluloid Man” at a ceremony on October 18, 2013.


Shivendra Singh Dungarpur - Director (Celluloid Man)