Saturday, March 25, 2023

17th Social Justice Film Festival 2023

17th Social Justice Film Festival 2023

28-30 April, Goethe-institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai 

Curated by Amudhan R.P.

Dr.Ambedkar

Film screenings, interactions, special lectures and more!

We welcome you all!

Jointly organised by MARUPAKKAM & Goethe-institut, Chennai 

More details soon!

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Fortnightly Film Screenings @ Anna University, Chennai

Fortnightly Film Screenings & Interactions
Organised by Department of Media Sciences, CEG Campus, 

Anna University, Guindy, Chennai 

16 March 2023 / 2 pm  / Mahakavi Subramaniya Bharathiyar Hall 

Curated by Amudhan R.P.



Films : 

Chun Chun Mati (Dir : Sanjay Barnela; 10.35 min; Documentary)

This cine-poem, Chun Chun Maati, attempts to evoke the eternal spirit of pastoral communities roaming with their animals across the planet in a way of life that is deeply attuned to nature, bringing out their resilience, fortitude and the value of impermanence! Where else would you come across people who live by the maxim, "everyday uncertainty is a certainty"!

Small Time Cinema (Dir : Priya Naresh ; 29 min; Documentary)

Small-Time Cinema is a documentary that follows two Youtube filmmaking groups, one living in Balochistan, Pakistan, and one, in Assam, India. The film follows these groups, as they make space for their complex history and cultures, beyond a blanket Indian or Pakistani identity.

Dukhu Majhi - Son of the barren land (Dir : Somnath Mondal;  28.25 min; Documentary)

This documentary is regarding a relentless struggle of a solitary man in his unique way to save the mother earth.

The old man - Dukhu Majhi lives in the district of Purulia (W. Bengal), where the temperature rises upto 50 degree Celsius in the summer. He had somehow been inspired by his father in childhood and later on by a Govt. campaign on the need of plantation. There he came to know how trees invite rain and supply oxygen in the environment. He also feels that people need shadows from the scorching sun.

My Heart is an Ocean (Dir : Tanvi Jadwani; 21.30 min; Short fiction)

As the water recedes the reclaimed shore of Mumbai every evening, three children living on its shore in a small fishing ghetto come out to play on this temporary playground. The sea dictates game of the day. On a lucky day when herons are spotted hovering over the sea, it's a day to catch fish in shallow waters. One evening after fish are caught, Chirag declares that he wants to take all the fish home to build the biggest aquarium anyone has ever seen. This leads to a fight among playmates.

Banana Republic (Dir : Anas Rashad; 8.40 min; Short fiction) 

A traditional family discovers the joy of having their daughter-in-law convert to their faith. However, after meeting their son, the excitement is short-lived.

Missing Since 6.12.1956 (Dir : Anand Pande; 19.58 min; Short fiction) 

As the largest democracy, India takes pride in its freedom fighters, social reformists and policymakers. Today, this pride is demonstrated in the form of "hero worship" by erecting statues; displaying photos and mass celebrating the birth and death anniversaries... ignoring the key messages and thoughts propagated by the leaders. 

This short film begins with two teachers at a government school in a small village finding out that they must be ready overnight for a surprise inspection by the senior government official in the morning. But they are missing an important photo from the school office wall. The photo is of Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.

We welcome you all!

A MARUPAKKAM INITIATIVE 

Sunday, February 5, 2023

2nd Freedom Film Festival 2023

2nd Freedom Film Festival 2023

15-19 Aug, multiple veneus, Chennai

Organised by MARUPAKKAM 



As India celebrates her Independence Day on every 15th August, the film festival we organise aims to discuss and debate the freedom that some of us enjoy and many of us don't have access to. 

Are we really free people? How many hurdles we face every day both internally and externally while fighting for our freedom?

How much we are tied to our Class, Caste, Gender, Race or Religion or for that matter Nation?

The film festival invites films from across the world from the artists who imagine a world where we all achieve our freedom. 

Rules and Regulations :

1) Documentaries, Short fiction, experiment films, animation films and music videos based on FREEDOM as a theme (open to your interpretation) are accepted. 
2) Films should have subtitles in English (if required).
3) Anyone from across the globe can send any number of entries.
4) Films that propagate hatred and violence will not be accepted.
5) Screening fee will not be paid to the selected films
6) It is a non competitive event. 
7) Entry fee will not be returned
8) One representative per selected film will be provided a simple stay in Chennai during the film festival for 3 days. No travel support will be provided.
9) A moderate entry fee will be collected from the audience 
10) Film festival will be offline / physical depending on the local restrictions. Online interactions will be organised with the filmmakers who can't physically participate.

Deadline : 1st June 2023
Notification Date : 1 August 2023

Amudhan R.P.
Festival Director
Freedom Film Festival