[Reader-list] 8th edition of We Care Film Festival on Disability Issues to be Launched in Mumbai

[rohitrellan at aol.in]

Mumbai: The 8th edition of the first of its kind travelling and 
educational film festival – We Care Filmfest 2011 on Disability Issues  
- will be launched from the Y B Chavan Centre, Mumbai, on January 17, 
2011 at 10.00 am and will travel across India to various universities 
and educational institutions.

The We Care Filmfest will be launched in the presence of various local 
partners - both government and non-governmental - of Mumbai including 
the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, 
(AYJNIHH), the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), the SNDT 
Women’s College,the ADAPT and the Helen Kellar Institute for Deaf and 
Deafblind. Cinemalovers is online partner and promoting the film 
festival through web.

The festival will be inaugurated by renowned Producer and Director 
Govind Nihalani. Others present will include leading Indian Ad Film 
Director Prahlad Kakkar; Mr Rao Saheb Shekhawat, MLA Amrawati; Mr. 
Rajiv Chandran, National Information Officer, United Nations 
Information Centre for India and Bhutan; Mrs. Poonam Natrajan, 
Chairperson, National Trust; Mr. Sandeep Marwah, President, Asian 
Academy of Film and Television; Festival Director Satish Kapoor and 
senior journalist and Media Consultant B B Nagpal.
The We Care Filmfest on Disability Issues was launched by Delhi-based 
non-governmental organization Brotherhood in 2003 and has become a 
brand when it comes to film festivals on disability both nationally and 
internationally. The Festival is unique in nature, as it is a 
travelling film festival which will travel to 25 venues across India 
after the Mumbai launch.

Its founder partners are the United Nations Information Centre for 
India and Bhutan (UNIC), UNESCO, the National Trust which functions 
under the Social Empowerment Ministry, and the Asian Academy of Film 
and Television (AAFT).

This year a total number of 67 documentary films in four categories – 
up to one minute, up to five minutes, up to 30 minutes, and up to 75 
minutes - from India and from various other countries like the USA, 
Canada, Israel, the UK, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Australia, 
Nepal etc. afre being exhibited.


A Preview Committee meeting held at Marawah Studios, Noida and AYJ 
National Institute of Hearing Handicapped, Mumbai, selected 28 
documentary films for the 8th edition of the We Care Filmfest.

The members of the Preview Committee were: Noida: Mr. B B Nagpal (Head 
Jury in Noida), Mr. Abhinav, Dr. Lavlin Thadani, Ms.  Vandana and Richa 
Bharti; and in Mumbai: Mr. Shridhar Rangayan (Head of Jury), Mr. Sopan 
Mueller, Ms. Neenu Kelwani, Ms. Sunita Sancheti, Ms. Anshika Mishra, 
Mr. Yogesh Desai, Ms. Suni Mathew, Ms. Srilatha Juvwa and Mr. Jamshed 
Mistry.

It is planned to organize the film festival at 25 venues including 
educational institutions, Universities, Hospitals etc. across India, 
including SAARC countries (Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan) from 
January to May 2011.  Some of the venues which have confirmed are Tata 
Institute of Social Sciences, AYJ NIHH, Mumbai, SNDT Women’s College, 
Tezpur University, Manipal Institute of Communication, Manipal 
University etc.

Its uniqueness lies in the fact that audiences have to watch and rate 
each and every documentary film. For this purpose, a participatory 
rating process has been introduced over the past four years. This 
approach goes a long way in familiarizing audiences, especially the 
students about persons living with disabilities, and at the same time, 
encourages filmmakers to tell their stories in a more effective manner. 
This will help the students of Mass Media, whenever they plan to make 
short films/documentaries on disability issues, and they will be 
sensitized on various aspects and issues of disabilities in the right 
perspective.

Members of Governmental and Non-Governmental organizations working in 
the disability sectors and students of Mass Communication are specially 
invited along with general audiences during the two-day film festival 
at all the venues to watch and rate the films.

This is a Mission through the medium of films to create awareness and 
sensitize students, public and filmmakers on various issues of 
disabilities through the medium of films. The purpose is to promote 
inclusion of people with disabilities, and rid people of various 
misconceptions, myths and prejudices surrounding disability issues.

For more details please contact:


Satish Kapoor                       
Director We Care Filmfest               
09899472065                         
wecarefilmfest at gmail.com