[Commons-Law] post anti-censorship campaign...
Jeebesh Bagchi
jeebesh at sarai.net
Mon Jan 12 23:02:38 IST 2004
This is an interesting development after the anti-censorship campaign launched
by documentary filmmakers all over india. A systematic rejection of films
from the festival...the ways of the state.....best j
---------- Forwarded Message ----------
Subject: MIFF SELECTIONS
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 12:48:46 +0530
From: MIFF CAMPAIGN <khel at vsnl.com>
To: MIFF CAMPAIGN <MIFF_CAMPAIGN at rediffmail.com>
CAMPAIGN AGAINST CENSORSHIP
11/01/04
Dear Friends,
Please find below some of the responses received on the selection process at
MIFF and a letter addressed to the Minister on behalf of the Campaign.
Kindly send in your response to the draft for the Minister at the earliest.
This particular edition of MIFF is taking place under special circumstances
with the shadow of censorship looming large over the festival. Under normal
circumstances none of us bothers about rejections at film festivals but when
the selection committee members themselves are unaware of the final list
then doubts and misgivings about the selection process will surface. It is
therefore the responsibility of MIFF to be transparent and convincing about
its selection procedure.
After several meetings in Delhi we have a tentative programme ready for the
seminar on censorship being organised during MIIF at Mumbai. We will be
posting the details regarding the seminar shortly.
In Solidarity,
Amar, Pankaj, Rahul, Saba, Sameera, Sanjay
Response to the selection process :
Arun Khopkar , Mumbai : My film Narayan Gangaram Surve, 35 mm, colour,
Academy Aperture, Mono sound, 45 min, produced by Khayal Trust was rejected
by MIFF 2004. The film won the Golden Lotus for the Best Non-feature film in
the 50th National Awards this year.
Anjali Monterio & Jayshankar , Mumbai : Our film Naata too has been rejected
by MIFF. Practically everyone we know has had their films rejected. We need
to think of innovative ways to fight this proto-censorship.
Leena Manimekalai,Chennai : I would like to add that my film "Parai" which is
on Dalits in India ( suffered 22 cuts in Censor) has been rejected in MIFF
selections. I doubt whether they have taken censor clause implicitly. Also I
would like to inform that "Urumatram" which won National award for Best
Short film has also been rejected by MIFF. The director Mr.sivakumar of the
film had won Siver Conch in the Last MIFF Totally confused with the
selections
Amar Kanwar, Delhi :just to let you know that A Night of Prophecy was
rejected by MIFF , got the letter today.
Surabhi Sharma, Bangalore : I guess the exclusions from the MIFF
selection does not come as huge surprise. We have been anticipating this -
but the question is what should be done now? An alternative festival
alongside MIFF would make sense.
But more importantly, an issue that has been coming up needs to be
addressed. We are a large community of documentary and short film makers - i
think its time we begin working on our own film festival. The festival needs
to be regular, possibly hosted in different cities. but its only through an
effort like this- and ofcourse the distribution network that is being
discussed on this mailing list - that we can de-legitimise festivals like
MIFF etc. Why should we get our vaildation from the state- when most of our
films are critical of it? I am sure our own festival might not be at such a
grand scale in terms of award moneys, infrastucture etc - but i anticipate
that this would be a non-issue for all.
A fantastic momentum has been built up by the MIFF campaign - thanks
to the delhi gang for sustaining it and raising other impostant issues
alongside. Along with the seminar on censorship, can we pencil in time to
begin discussing a film festival and the distribution network? And if all of
this means that we form ourselves into a loose body/association- so be it!
Most of us revel in being independent but i think its urgently required that
we begin formulating ideas as a collective. And i think we need to go beyond
the informal community that we are at the moment through this campaign.
Vani Subramanian ,Delhi : This Miff Campaign is almost becoming a Miff
Rejectees Club... add me and my film, New Improved Delhi - a short on the
slum demolition programmes in Delhi - to the list... the film was screened
at the Yamagata festival, north south media encounters, Geneva, Seoul
Independent Documentary Festival. if we also know whose/what work is in, we
may be able to see if there is a pattern...
Rahul Roy, Delhi : My film The City Beautiful, has been rejected by MIFF. The
film has been to the Leipzig festival and is slated to travel to several
other festivals. It recently won an award at the Jeevika National Livelihood
Documentary
Aditya Seth ,Mumbai: My film THE BUZZ OF BETRAYAL, an animated Public Service
Announcement on the sexual abuse of children was rejected by MIFF. It was
screened at Platforma_03, Athens, Greece.Festival.
Saba Dewan, Delhi : My film Sita's Family has been rejected. The film has
been shown at the Film South Asia, Zanzibar International Film Festival, The
Other World Film Festival.My film Sita's Family has been rejected. The film
has been shown at the Film South Asia, Zanzibar International Film Festival,
The Other World Film Festival.
Letter from Arun Khopkar :
Dear Amar,
I am absolutely shocked at the report in the TOI about the rejection of your
film by the MIFF selection committee. It is one of the most beautiful and
significant videos to have come out of India that I have seen in the last
five years. Although I have not seen the other films, one knows the quality
and commitment of film/videomakers like Vasudha Joshi, Ramani, Rakesh Sharma
and Sanjay Kak. I can understand any one of these films not getting the
award as I have no knowledge of the other entries, but that they do not even
merit selection is difficult to believe. As you must have read from Rajiv
Malhotra's mail that my Narayan Gangaram Surve which was selected as the
Best Non-feature film in the National Awards in the 50th National Festival
has also been rejected in the International Competition section. My only
consolation is that I have fallen in good company!
As I read the report I came to know the selection procedure which seems
equally arbitrary. I am glad to know about the details of the campaign from
mail forwarded to me by Gayatri Chatterjee. Could you please keep me posted
on the developments? I had received a few of your earlier communications and
then I had some serious problems with my computer. I lost touch with all
mails for some time.
Wishing you and others who are with you in the campaign against censorship a
Great 2004,
Warmly,
Arun Khopkar
LETTER BY RV RAMANI (MEMBER, ORGANISING COMMITEE, MIFF) TO THE DIRECTOR OF
MIFF :
Dear Mr. Babu Ramaswamy,
Thanks for your invitation to the MIFF Organzing Committee meeting, on the
6th Jan 04. As I had explained to you earlier over the phone, I am in Delhi
for presenting my film and hence am not in a position to attend the meeting.
I wish you all a good session.
I would like to bring to your notice, that I met a few filmmaker friends,
from Mumbai and from Delhi, who feel very disturbed about the fact that
their film are not selected, (including mine), in spite of getting
tremendous recognition and appreciation elsewhere. Some of the selection
committee members who are known to me, have informed that they were not
themselves aware of what films are selected for the festival. We were also
informed, that the selection committee members were asked to just grade the
films and the final selection was made by someone else from FD. This seems
tobe a drastic departure from the earlier followed procedures. This gives
rise to serious doubts about the selection procedure, amongst the minds of
the filmmakers, especially in the back drop of censorship fiasco that
happened recently. I would like you take up this observation in tomorrow's
meeting. I also would like you to clarify for me about the selection
procedures, that was followed in this MIFF. I would like to know, the names
of all the selection committee members and why the final selection of films
was not made by the selection committee and that it was left to someone in
the FD. As an International Film Festival, it is important that there is a
total transparency in this area, and this alone would bring the trust of the
filmmakers, who are the equal partners in this festival.
I eagerly look forward to your reply and would appreciate if this letter is
taken up for discussions at the meeting.
Thanking you,
Sincerely yours,
RV Ramani
DRAFT OF CAMPAIGN'S LETTER TO THE I&B MINISTER :
Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting
Government of India
New Delhi
January , 2004
Dear Shri Prasad,
We would like to draw your attention to the inexplicable (and retrogressive)
changes introduced in the selection process for films in the forthcoming
MIFF. Our request to the Festival Director for a clarification (made on
29/12/03) has not received a response to date. The Joint Secretary (films)
has sent us a reply (attached to this letter) asserting that no change has
been made in the selection process this year. However our conversations with
the selection committee members belies this statement. This has been also
pointed out in some of the newspaper reports that have started coming out on
happenings at MIFF.
Every festival has the right to select its own films, but the rationale or
mechanism must be clear and transparent. While earlier editions of MIFF have
also suffered from serious shortcomings and there has been no effort on the
part of the Films Division at addressing them, it is the completely
arbitrary nature of the new "process" that has shocked us. From our
conversations with a few members of the selection committee it has become
clear that they were only asked to give "marks" to the films, and the final
selection was made without their presence, concurrence or approval. A
dis-empowered "selection committee" cannot be used as a cover for the
inefficiency, chaos and capriciousness of the selection process at MIFF.
The Festival is increasingly becoming a focus for discussion and debate
within the film making community because we have a stake in improving the
festival and would like to contribute towards making it amongst the best
internationally, which unfortunately it isn't at the moment.
The signatories to the Campaign Against Censorship are committed to
addressing this issue. Although this is not a complete or exhaustive list,
here are some of the films that have been rejected this year:
A Night Of Prophecy By Amar Kanwar - The Museum of Modern Art , New York ;
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art , Geneva ; Lofoten International
Art Exhibition , Norway; Art Basel/Miami Exhibiton , USA ; Documenta 11 ,
International Art Exhibition ,Germany ; Breaking the Codes - Other India's -
An exhibition of Indian Cinema - WhiteChapel Art Gallery London; Yamagata
International Documentary Festival, Japan
Kaya Pooche Maya se By Arvind Sinha - International Documntary Festival of
Amsterdam; Sundance Film Festival, USA; International Film Festival of India
Narayan Gangaram Surve By Arun Khopkar - Golden Lotus Award
Naata By Anjali Monteiro & Jayshankar Prasad - Film South Asia, Kathmandu;
Travelling Film South Asia;Flexiff; Sydney; World Social Forum Film
Festival, Mumbai.
New Improved Delhi by Vani Subramanian and Surajit Sarkar -Yamagata
International Documentary Film Festival, 2003, North South Media Encounters,
Geneva, Seoul Independent Film Festival
The City Beautiful By Rahul Roy - Leipzig International Film Festival, Munich
International Docuemntary Festival, World Social Forum Festival, Jeevika
National Livelihood Documentary Festival.
Final Solution By Rakesh Sharma - Fribourg Intarnational FIlm Festival, Hong
Kong International Film Festival, Munich International Documentary Festival
Nee Engey By RV Ramani - Yamagata International Documentary FIlm Festival,
Trivandrum IV Festival. The last edition of MIFF organised a retrospective
of RV Ramani's films
Sita's Family By Saba Dewan - Film South Asia, Zanzibar International Film
Festival, The Other World FIlm Festival.
Words On Water By Sanjay Kak - Film South Asia, Locarno International Film
Festival, Brazil International Festival of Environmental Film, Trivandrum IV
Festival, Slovakia International Environmental Film Festival, Hong Kong
International Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, World
Social Forum Festival, Mumbai.
Umarutram By Sivakumar - NationalShort film 2003 award for Best .
Although this is not a complete or exhaustive list, we are citing them to
pose a simple question: If these films were not good enough to be in the
best 60-70 films made in India in the last two years, we are left wondering
why they are being accepted at the top international festivals and even
being awarded. We are at pains to understand the logic of selections at MIFF
which chooses to leave out films that have received the golden lotus and
other awards from the President of India. The transparency we seek is
necessary if MIFF is to remain the pre-eminent documentary film festival in
the country, and justify the vast resources expended on it. To repeat the
queries addressed to the festival: What are the criteria for choosing the
selection committee?
How many of them have been repeatedly on selection committees of Miff ?
What is the quorum of attendance? And what discussion precedes the
selection?
Who draws up the final list - the selection committee or the festival
authorities ?
These are some of the issues that trouble us and we seek your involvement in
getting answers to them. At the last instance, we had to issue an
international boycott call for the clause of the CBFC certification to be
withdrawn and we hope that the current misgivings about MIFF will be
addressed before the issue escalates.
On behalf Of the Campaign Against Censorship at MIFF,
Yours Sincerely,
CAMPAIGN AGAINST CENSORSHIP
11/01/04
Dear Friends,
Please find below some of the responses received on the selection process at
MIFF and a letter addressed to the Minister on behalf of the Campaign.
Kindly send in your response to the draft for the Minister at the earliest.
This particular edition of MIFF is taking place under special circumstances
with the shadow of censorship looming large over the festival. Under normal
circumstances none of us bothers about rejections at film festivals but when
the selection committee members themselves are unaware of the final list
then doubts and misgivings about the selection process will surface. It is
therefore the responsibility of MIFF to be transparent and convincing about
its selection procedure.
After several meetings in Delhi we have a tentative programme ready for the
seminar on censorship being organised during MIIF at Mumbai. We will be
posting the details regarding the seminar shortly.
In Solidarity,
Amar, Pankaj, Rahul, Saba, Sameera, Sanjay
Response to the selection process :
Arun Khopkar , Mumbai : My film Narayan Gangaram Surve, 35 mm, colour,
Academy Aperture, Mono sound, 45 min, produced by Khayal Trust was rejected
by MIFF 2004. The film won the Golden Lotus for the Best Non-feature film in
the 50th National Awards this year.
Anjali Monterio & Jayshankar , Mumbai : Our film Naata too has been rejected
by MIFF. Practically everyone we know has had their films rejected. We need
to think of innovative ways to fight this proto-censorship.
Leena Manimekalai,Chennai : I would like to add that my film "Parai" which is
on Dalits in India ( suffered 22 cuts in Censor) has been rejected in MIFF
selections. I doubt whether they have taken censor clause implicitly. Also I
would like to inform that "Urumatram" which won National award for Best
Short film has also been rejected by MIFF. The director Mr.sivakumar of the
film had won Siver Conch in the Last MIFF Totally confused with the
selections
Amar Kanwar, Delhi :just to let you know that A Night of Prophecy was
rejected by MIFF , got the letter today.
Surabhi Sharma, Bangalore : I guess the exclusions from the MIFF
selection does not come as huge surprise. We have been anticipating this -
but the question is what should be done now? An alternative festival
alongside MIFF would make sense.
But more importantly, an issue that has been coming up needs to be
addressed. We are a large community of documentary and short film makers - i
think its time we begin working on our own film festival. The festival needs
to be regular, possibly hosted in different cities. but its only through an
effort like this- and ofcourse the distribution network that is being
discussed on this mailing list - that we can de-legitimise festivals like
MIFF etc. Why should we get our vaildation from the state- when most of our
films are critical of it? I am sure our own festival might not be at such a
grand scale in terms of award moneys, infrastucture etc - but i anticipate
that this would be a non-issue for all.
A fantastic momentum has been built up by the MIFF campaign - thanks
to the delhi gang for sustaining it and raising other impostant issues
alongside. Along with the seminar on censorship, can we pencil in time to
begin discussing a film festival and the distribution network? And if all of
this means that we form ourselves into a loose body/association- so be it!
Most of us revel in being independent but i think its urgently required that
we begin formulating ideas as a collective. And i think we need to go beyond
the informal community that we are at the moment through this campaign.
Vani Subramanian ,Delhi : This Miff Campaign is almost becoming a Miff
Rejectees Club... add me and my film, New Improved Delhi - a short on the
slum demolition programmes in Delhi - to the list... the film was screened
at the Yamagata festival, north south media encounters, Geneva, Seoul
Independent Documentary Festival. if we also know whose/what work is in, we
may be able to see if there is a pattern...
Rahul Roy, Delhi : My film The City Beautiful, has been rejected by MIFF. The
film has been to the Leipzig festival and is slated to travel to several
other festivals. It recently won an award at the Jeevika National Livelihood
Documentary
Aditya Seth ,Mumbai: My film THE BUZZ OF BETRAYAL, an animated Public Service
Announcement on the sexual abuse of children was rejected by MIFF. It was
screened at Platforma_03, Athens, Greece.Festival.
Saba Dewan, Delhi : My film Sita's Family has been rejected. The film has
been shown at the Film South Asia, Zanzibar International Film Festival, The
Other World Film Festival.My film Sita's Family has been rejected. The film
has been shown at the Film South Asia, Zanzibar International Film Festival,
The Other World Film Festival.
Letter from Arun Khopkar :
Dear Amar,
I am absolutely shocked at the report in the TOI about the rejection of your
film by the MIFF selection committee. It is one of the most beautiful and
significant videos to have come out of India that I have seen in the last
five years. Although I have not seen the other films, one knows the quality
and commitment of film/videomakers like Vasudha Joshi, Ramani, Rakesh Sharma
and Sanjay Kak. I can understand any one of these films not getting the
award as I have no knowledge of the other entries, but that they do not even
merit selection is difficult to believe. As you must have read from Rajiv
Malhotra's mail that my Narayan Gangaram Surve which was selected as the
Best Non-feature film in the National Awards in the 50th National Festival
has also been rejected in the International Competition section. My only
consolation is that I have fallen in good company!
As I read the report I came to know the selection procedure which seems
equally arbitrary. I am glad to know about the details of the campaign from
mail forwarded to me by Gayatri Chatterjee. Could you please keep me posted
on the developments? I had received a few of your earlier communications and
then I had some serious problems with my computer. I lost touch with all
mails for some time.
Wishing you and others who are with you in the campaign against censorship a
Great 2004,
Warmly,
Arun Khopkar
LETTER BY RV RAMANI (MEMBER, ORGANISING COMMITEE, MIFF) TO THE DIRECTOR OF
MIFF :
Dear Mr. Babu Ramaswamy,
Thanks for your invitation to the MIFF Organzing Committee meeting, on the
6th Jan 04. As I had explained to you earlier over the phone, I am in Delhi
for presenting my film and hence am not in a position to attend the meeting.
I wish you all a good session.
I would like to bring to your notice, that I met a few filmmaker friends,
from Mumbai and from Delhi, who feel very disturbed about the fact that
their film are not selected, (including mine), in spite of getting
tremendous recognition and appreciation elsewhere. Some of the selection
committee members who are known to me, have informed that they were not
themselves aware of what films are selected for the festival. We were also
informed, that the selection committee members were asked to just grade the
films and the final selection was made by someone else from FD. This seems
tobe a drastic departure from the earlier followed procedures. This gives
rise to serious doubts about the selection procedure, amongst the minds of
the filmmakers, especially in the back drop of censorship fiasco that
happened recently. I would like you take up this observation in tomorrow's
meeting. I also would like you to clarify for me about the selection
procedures, that was followed in this MIFF. I would like to know, the names
of all the selection committee members and why the final selection of films
was not made by the selection committee and that it was left to someone in
the FD. As an International Film Festival, it is important that there is a
total transparency in this area, and this alone would bring the trust of the
filmmakers, who are the equal partners in this festival.
I eagerly look forward to your reply and would appreciate if this letter is
taken up for discussions at the meeting.
Thanking you,
Sincerely yours,
RV Ramani
DRAFT OF CAMPAIGN'S LETTER TO THE I&B MINISTER :
Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad
Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting
Government of India
New Delhi
January , 2004
Dear Shri Prasad,
We would like to draw your attention to the inexplicable (and retrogressive)
changes introduced in the selection process for films in the forthcoming
MIFF. Our request to the Festival Director for a clarification (made on
29/12/03) has not received a response to date. The Joint Secretary (films)
has sent us a reply (attached to this letter) asserting that no change has
been made in the selection process this year. However our conversations with
the selection committee members belies this statement. This has been also
pointed out in some of the newspaper reports that have started coming out on
happenings at MIFF.
Every festival has the right to select its own films, but the rationale or
mechanism must be clear and transparent. While earlier editions of MIFF have
also suffered from serious shortcomings and there has been no effort on the
part of the Films Division at addressing them, it is the completely
arbitrary nature of the new "process" that has shocked us. From our
conversations with a few members of the selection committee it has become
clear that they were only asked to give "marks" to the films, and the final
selection was made without their presence, concurrence or approval. A
dis-empowered "selection committee" cannot be used as a cover for the
inefficiency, chaos and capriciousness of the selection process at MIFF.
The Festival is increasingly becoming a focus for discussion and debate
within the film making community because we have a stake in improving the
festival and would like to contribute towards making it amongst the best
internationally, which unfortunately it isn't at the moment.
The signatories to the Campaign Against Censorship are committed to
addressing this issue. Although this is not a complete or exhaustive list,
here are some of the films that have been rejected this year:
A Night Of Prophecy By Amar Kanwar - The Museum of Modern Art , New York ;
The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art , Geneva ; Lofoten International
Art Exhibition , Norway; Art Basel/Miami Exhibiton , USA ; Documenta 11 ,
International Art Exhibition ,Germany ; Breaking the Codes - Other India's -
An exhibition of Indian Cinema - WhiteChapel Art Gallery London; Yamagata
International Documentary Festival, Japan
Kaya Pooche Maya se By Arvind Sinha - International Documntary Festival of
Amsterdam; Sundance Film Festival, USA; International Film Festival of India
Narayan Gangaram Surve By Arun Khopkar - Golden Lotus Award
Naata By Anjali Monteiro & Jayshankar Prasad - Film South Asia, Kathmandu;
Travelling Film South Asia;Flexiff; Sydney; World Social Forum Film
Festival, Mumbai.
New Improved Delhi by Vani Subramanian and Surajit Sarkar -Yamagata
International Documentary Film Festival, 2003, North South Media Encounters,
Geneva, Seoul Independent Film Festival
The City Beautiful By Rahul Roy - Leipzig International Film Festival, Munich
International Docuemntary Festival, World Social Forum Festival, Jeevika
National Livelihood Documentary Festival.
Final Solution By Rakesh Sharma - Fribourg Intarnational FIlm Festival, Hong
Kong International Film Festival, Munich International Documentary Festival
Nee Engey By RV Ramani - Yamagata International Documentary FIlm Festival,
Trivandrum IV Festival. The last edition of MIFF organised a retrospective
of RV Ramani's films
Sita's Family By Saba Dewan - Film South Asia, Zanzibar International Film
Festival, The Other World FIlm Festival.
Words On Water By Sanjay Kak - Film South Asia, Locarno International Film
Festival, Brazil International Festival of Environmental Film, Trivandrum IV
Festival, Slovakia International Environmental Film Festival, Hong Kong
International Film Festival, Durban International Film Festival, World
Social Forum Festival, Mumbai.
Umarutram By Sivakumar - NationalShort film 2003 award for Best .
Although this is not a complete or exhaustive list, we are citing them to
pose a simple question: If these films were not good enough to be in the
best 60-70 films made in India in the last two years, we are left wondering
why they are being accepted at the top international festivals and even
being awarded. We are at pains to understand the logic of selections at MIFF
which chooses to leave out films that have received the golden lotus and
other awards from the President of India. The transparency we seek is
necessary if MIFF is to remain the pre-eminent documentary film festival in
the country, and justify the vast resources expended on it. To repeat the
queries addressed to the festival: What are the criteria for choosing the
selection committee?
How many of them have been repeatedly on selection committees of Miff ?
What is the quorum of attendance? And what discussion precedes the
selection?
Who draws up the final list - the selection committee or the festival
authorities ?
These are some of the issues that trouble us and we seek your involvement in
getting answers to them. At the last instance, we had to issue an
international boycott call for the clause of the CBFC certification to be
withdrawn and we hope that the current misgivings about MIFF will be
addressed before the issue escalates.
On behalf Of the Campaign Against Censorship at MIFF,
Yours Sincerely,
-------------------------------------------------------
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