I have never been to a film festival before. It's my friend Waghya ( Amol Waghmare) who took me to my first film festival. The "Catalogue" of the movies to be screened created some interest, at least the plots of some of the movies looked good. They were casting top 5 films that received various awards. After a small introduction to ICE (International Cultural Exchange) and their initiative in promoting and celebrating the quality cinema in genre of digital short film, the screening started. "Hridayattileykku Oru Madakkayatra" was awarded as the best film and there were few other films got awarded in their own category.
Honestly speaking, I did not like all of them. I do respect the hard work and money that these film makers have put in converting a passion into something worth seeing, but I was surprised how some films got awarded. I don't understand film critics and don't have an eye of jury but for a common man like me, some of them were of a very average class.
The 5 films were :-
1. Naanum - Me too : (10.10 min)
An unborn child wants to live with her mother and family but her father doesn't want the breed of pre-marital relations. The child was too cute but overall film was not that good.
2. Life In Sine : (08.45 min)
The title seems catchy but the film isn't. A story of a patient whose mental stage changes from one to another and how a small thing makes an impact on his life. The small thing is a small bush which the patient used to water turns into a dead plant. It has to be one of them, either the film is too good or I don't have an appetite for such movies.
3. Kya Aam Admi Surakshit Hai? : (19.50 min)
Looks like a pretty serious film from name but turns out to be a comical portrayal of how media shows simple things in dramatical ways and make people believe in it. Points to be mentioned are the coverages shown of the local, national news channels whose names sarcastically resemble to news channels we see these days. The news reporter and their style, the comments of people and leaders are fantastic. Worth to be screened in a film festivals.
4. An Insight - Beyond Headlines (19.56 min)
A serious documentary on the burning issue, SEZ. A small group seeks opinions of the people who are actually affected by SEZ (includes people from Raigad, Mundra port ). Some real information which we don't see on channels and don't read in newspapers. Appreciable efforts for bringing out bitter realities behind the national policy of SEZ.
5. Hridayattileykku Oru Madakkayatra (15.00 min)
The best film (which is also the director's diploma project) of the festival, and certainly deserves the reward. 'Theyyam' is a ritual dance form in the northern region of Kerala. The story revolves around a life of 'Chemmaran' the Theyyam player and his family. 'Prabhadhan' (his son) is going abroad discarding his father's wish of making him a 'Theyyam' artist. The first scene tells that this movie is special and made by hands of an adept director, Abhinand H Kumar. It shows the father coloring himself and preparing for a performance. Then in the second scene there is a lovely use of camera which shows different stages of father's life (His son goes abroad, gets a citizenship, marries a German girl, becomes father, the couple splits apart, son decides to come back home with his child). The last scene is also good when the father asks his son to dip into a kunda to become sacred again and the son after bath, turns into a Theyyam player.
In all, a good experience. I wish ICE a very good luck in future and hope to see some great short films ahead. Good work ICE, keep it up !
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