[Reader-list] CALL FOR ENTRIES: TENTH ANNUAL GOA WE CARE FILM FEST 2013

[rohitrellan at aol.in]

CALL FOR ENTRIES 
TENTH ANNUAL GOA WE CARE FILM FEST 2013 
 
Disability Rights Association of Goa (DRAG) has teamed up with Brotherhood, New Delhi to organise a five days unique Film Festival Titled “We Care Film Fest” from 21st to 25th  January 2013 in association with the National Trust, the United Nations Information Centre for India and Bhutan (UNIC), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT) and the Rapiscan Systems  and its Goan partners like Kala Academy, BITS Pilani Vasco , International Centre Goa and Ravindra Bhavan. 
The We Care Film Festival will also be an important advocacy tool for the UN Information Centre as we embrace the next International Decade for Persons with Disabilities proposed by the UN for the period 2013-2022.


We Care is an unique festival on disability issues.  This is not a Festival but a mission a greater movement to create awareness about disability issues through the medium of Cinema. The We Care Film Festival is an annual international travelling and educational film festival of short films and documentaries on disability issues. It travels to educational institutions and disability organizations aimed at sensitizing and engaging youth in the disability sector nationally and internationally. This year the Festival will be organized at Four Venues in Goa the Kala Academy, Ravindra Bhavan Margao, International Center Dona Paula and BITS Pilani Campus Vasco.
The film fest will feature award winning films on disability issues. The purpose of the festival is to bring about attitudinal and behavioural changes in approaches to disability, promote the inclusion of people with disabilities, and rid people of misconceptions, myths and prejudices surrounding disability issues.
 
Entries of short films and documentaries are invited for the 10th edition of We Care Film festival 2013. The closing date for sending entries is 5 November 2012.   The submission requirements and entry forms can be obtained from office of DRAG or by email.  For any details you can contact local Coordinators Avelino D’Souza and Prof. Ranjana Ferrao. To obtain forms email us at wecarefilmfest at gmail.com, drag.goa at gmail.com .
The festival has travelled across India to 67 venues.  Some of the venues are TISS, SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai, Allahabad University, Punjab University, Rajasthan University, Amity University, Delhi University, Mumbai University, Tezpur University, Sikkim University etc. The platinum jubilee venue of We Care Film Festival was Mauritius. The ministry of Social Security and global Rainbow Foundation of Mauritius organized the film Festival at 6 venues for 4 days. The Mauritian government has decided to organize the film festival as an annual event every year. 
Around 60 documentary films which are from India and other countries, in various categories and of 1, 5, 30 and 60 minutes duration will be screened during the festival in Goa. In less than a span of nine years, this film festival has become a brand, raising awareness on disability rights issues nationally and internationally.
The Festival’s uniqueness lies in the fact that audiences not only to watch but also rate each short film and documentary which gives an alternate opinion on the quality, content and treatment.  An independent jury judges the films on the basis of these ratings.
 
The We Care Film Festival underlines the UN’s commitment of inclusion in both development and human rights perspectives. This film festival has become a powerful advocacy tool that demands that our attitudes and biases towards persons with disabilities is altered, and that we see them through new eyes of equality, equity and full and unimpeded access and participation.