20th ICFFI gets a new high with Dia Mirza’s workshop

Many children from various schools in Hyderabad and elsewhere in Telangana thronged the theatres today  to  view films on the third day of 20^th International Children’s Film Festival of India (ICFFI)  titled ‘Golden Elephant’ which also saw a series of special workshops on film making, animation and visual effects and story telling in which the kids wholeheartedly participated with great enthusiasm.

The highlight of the festival today was the workshop by actor Dia Mirza called ‘Gaj Yatra’ in which she interacted with children. The topic was ‘Reconnecting with Nature.’ A short film was shown to children to empower them with an understanding that they are a part of nature and their true sense of growth, inspiration and creativity can be nurtured by engaging with nature.

The Dia Mirza event was indeed gripping and the children enjoyed it thoroughly. Equally good were other workshops on ‘Film making’ by Producer Ashok Kaul and ‘Animation and Visual Effects’ by Dhvani Desai and ‘Story Telling’ by Ms Deepa Kiran..

The workshops are  organised to teach the children how to make films and make them learn animation and visual effects magic effect on the audience. “Every child  has a story to tell and all that he needs to be taught is how to make a film.” With this mind, workshops and Open forums are held every day at the Golden Elephant Festival 2017.  

In the workshop on film making, spanning five days from November 9, Kaul will teach the kids how to make a film. His approach is very practical as he would assemble a group of children and select from among them  producer, director, story writer, camera man etc and assign them their roles. He comes down to the level of children and interacts with them as part of the team. The shoot then begins and the crew gets ready to make a film. Within a span of 90 minutes, a short film is thus ready and the children learn the nuances of film making. The children, today, are very intelligent and talented and their responses in the workshops is very encouraging and fruitful.

The workshop on ‘Animation and Visual Effects’ by Dhvani Desai was equally interesting.  Desai has been working in the field of animation since last 25 years and she teaches children in the workshops at the festival about animation and visual effects. Desai is also on the advisory Board of Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI), which has organized this festival jointly with the Telangana Government.  

Desai also taught the children in workshops the importance of sound and music in animation films. According to  her,  sound and music has no barriers and does not need any language to make the audience understand the film. She believes that story is the soul of the film and says if the story is strong, the movie thus made will also be strong and gripping.

Desai also teaches in the workshops all the styles of animations, new techniques, mix media and folk arts. According to her, even though the subject may be the same, the visuals  could be different. Desai also briefed the children about the history of animation that has evolved all over the world in the past.  

In the five days, commencing November 9, Desai would educate the children on how to make animation films on various subjects such as social issues, medical films, 3D animation, Biography and Educational Films.        

In another development, at an Open Forum last night, Actors, Educationists and Cinema experts opined that women were talented and should play a pivotal role in children’s films while asserting that good and social oriented movies should be made for children and shown to them in theatres and festivals.

Addressing the delegates, I opined that women in India are worshipped as divine figures in the society and people have respect for them. Women play a pivotal role in making audience for children’s films and this will also encourage them (women) to play important roles in movies made for kids.

I also informed that Children’s Film Society, India, was making children’s films on social subjects such as sanitation and hygiene which would focus on open defecation rampant in villages and that such films would be shown to children in rural areas soon after the Festival was over.

Dr Madhu Chopra, mother of actor Priyanka Chopra, addressing delegates, said her home production was making three films for children. She said in a lighter vein that her company has employed 60 per cent women as staff and all of them had proved their mettle. Women, today, are talented and their works are outstanding, Chopra said. “All my three films for children have been directed by women.”    

However, Chopra had a work of caution for women who do negative roles and accept vamp roles. “Say No if you want to say No to such roles. My daughter Priyanka is very outspoken and takes a firm decision against such roles, Dr Chopra mentioned.

Film Actor and Educationist Amala Akkineni said, “In India, Cinema has to grow and evolve further in relation to society, Women, today, would do anything to achieve what they want. They are talented and sky is the limit as opportunities for them are manifold. However, education is necessary  for a woman to work in films, she opined. Education would give rise to opportunities and the number of women working in films would increase in future, she quipped.

The Open Forum was compered by eminent Educationist Ujjwal Choudhary.

CFSI’s ‘Film Bonanza’ to cover Tier II and Tier III cities

At Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI), it has always been our endeavour to portray message-oriented films as a strong medium of communication among children. As a part of its initiative to take quality films to children across the country, CFSI has been organizing Film Bonanza, a short film festival, in various cities since July 2016.

In collaboration with the district administration and coordination of the education department of the respective states, we have so far organised the Film Bonanza in Shimla (HP), Karnal (Haryana), Patna (Bihar), North Easters states of Manipur, Sikkim and major cities of Nagaland including Kohima, Wokha and Dimapur. We will be covering Varanasi (UP), Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Bengaluru (Karnataka) and other cities in the next two to three months.

The Film Bonanza, which will be held for five to seven days, will show select movies free of cost to school children. Through this Film Bonanza, we are providing an opportunity to children to watch some of the most popular and qualitative films such as ‘Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya’, ‘Pappu Ki Pugdandi’, ‘Gattu’, ‘Kaphal', ‘Ek Tha Bhujang’, ‘Kima’s Lode – Beyond the class’ and ‘Krish Trish & Baltiboy-I’, which have been globally appreciated and have received international accolades.

The select movies are not only entertaining, but educative as well. Along with screening movies, we also organise discussions on film making. It is such a pleasure to see the young minds show keen interest in the art of film making. When I heard the questions put forth by these enthusiastic children during such discussion, I am convinced, with proper guidance and handholding, some of them are sure to become great film makers in future unleashing their hidden talent and creativity.

CFSI's Film Bonanza is one of the significant initiatives CFSI has undertaken to reach out to the children of the country. We will continue similar initiatives as we go ahead into the future. In 2017-18, we are aiming at covering 100 cities. We want to reach out to all the Tier II and Tier III cities and the remotest corners of India and expose children to quality films.

CFSI invites proposals from interested parties (schools, NGOs, District Administration etc.) to conduct Children’s Film Bonanza in their respective districts. A list of 100 films is available in our website for screenings during the Film Bonanza.

I look forward to hearing from you.

‘Gauru – Journey of Courage’ – a must watch movie for every child

Going by the great response received by the audience for the opening film ‘Gauru – Journey of Courage’ screened during the inaugural of the National Children’s Film Festival, held in Jaipur recently, we are in talks with multiple distributors across the country to have the movie get a theatrical release.

Produced by Children Film Society, India (CFSI) and directed by Ramkishan Nandram Choyal, Gauru is a must watch film for every child in India as it effectively brings out the essence of deep bonding between a child and his grandmother. It’s a story of how a 13-year-old shepherd boy fulfils his grandmother’s last wish to visit her native place as she has never been there after marriage.
Children watching this film will surely connect with the character of Gauru and his love for his grandmother. Gauru is also close to my heart. I could visualize myself as Gauru, the protagonist in the movie, as even I shared a similar rapport with my grandmother.

Having said so much about Gauru, I also wish to share with you why I was convinced with Choyal about the making of Gauru, his directorial debut. While assisting on Kaphal, another offering from CFSI, Choyal narrated the script of Gauru to me. I felt the story was very impactful and I was bowled by his detailed narration, which was effective and melodramatic.

The underlying theme of the movie, which highlights the endeavour of a young boy to fulfil his grandmother’s wish who lies on her deathbed, connected with me instantly. I could relate to the rapport I had with my grandmother and had shared similar experiences with her. I was also nostalgic because it is my grandmom who introduced the magic of the movies to me. I recall watching my first movie with her as we both travelled all the way from our village to the district head quarter.

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The other aspect which touched me deeply is Gauru‘s love for animals. Being born in the family of shepherds, who are called Raikas in Rajasthan, his love for sheep and how tends to them has been showcased brilliantly. Children, generally, have an innate connection with animals and exhibit genuine love for the four-legged.

The dramatization of the young boy’s journey to reach his grandmother’s village to fulfil her last wish against all odds, his love for animals and the ecosystem he is entwined with, the depiction of life and relationships in the hinterlands of India – all these aspects made me go ahead with the project and bring this beautiful subject out on the screens. What’s more, Gauru also brings with it a positive and hopeful message that dreams can be fulfilled and will have a positive impact in the minds of children. And Ritvik Sahore has done a commendable job as Gauru in the movie!

When Gauru hits the screens during the summer vacation in April 2017, I want every child to walk in

to the theatres along with their parents and enjoy the movie!