Friday, November 14, 2008

The spoof edition of the NY Times distributed on 12 November, 2008 by the liberal activists in USA. Some videos featuring reactions are available on the youtube site.




























Monday, May 12, 2008


Release Dr Sen and Ajai TG
without any delay


Cinemela Collectives

presents

Free Binayak Sen Film Festival
May 14, 2008/10am onwards
SAA auditorium, JNU, New Delhi

Prof Arun Kumar
Prof Kamal M Chenoy
Prof Ajay Patnaik
Prof Mohan Rao
Dr Rohan D’Souza
and many other teachers, activists and friends of Dr Sen will speak on the man, his contributions and the situation which led to his arrest.
SCREENING of 10 films (list given below)


14 May 2008 will mark one year of imprisonment for Dr Binayak Sen, the well-known public health and civil rights activist, arrested on false charges of ‘assisting’ the Maoist insurgency in Chattisgarh.

In a nation where increasingly the medical profession is becoming synonymous with unbridled commercial greed Dr Sen dedicated his entire professional life to the free service of people in the remotest villages.

In a country, which has health indicators worse than that of sub-Saharan Africa, Dr Sen passionately worked for setting up low cost models of healthcare accessible to the poor.

And in a land where the problems of public health are deeply intertwined with the gross violations of the Indian Constitution by state agencies themselves Dr Sen fought for ensuring democratic rights of ordinary people.

Dr Sen’s detention as a ‘threat to national security’ stands therefore as a challenge to every Indian who aspires for a humane, democratic and civilized India.

To mark the first anniversary of the arrest of Dr Sen, on 14 May 2008 and to call for his immediate release the Free Binayak Sen Film Festival is being organised by concerned citizens and groups around the country. The package of 10 documentaries, presented in this Festival, highlight the issues of human rights and public health and deal with themes ranging from nutrition, greed of drug companies, environmental pollution and state atrocities.

They are meant to make all those who watch them wake up and more importantly resist the Silent Emergency that is creeping upon us in front of our very eyes.


***************************************

Films

1. In the Name of Medicine

K.P.Sasi

On the hazardous and banned pharmaceutical drugs in India.

2. Antibiotic Resistance for Idiots

Satya Sivaraman

A look at antibiotics from the microbe’s point of view and calling for an ecological approach to medicine.

3. It’s a Boy, its going to be a boy

Vani Subramaniam

On sex determination tests and female foeticide

4. Sicko

Michael Moore

Investigates the American health care system, focusing on its for-profit health insurance and pharmaceutical industry. The film compares the private-sector U.S. system with the socialized systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba.

5. Secrets and Lies

Stavros Stagos

This Greek documentary explores how the Bhopal chemical disaster of 1984, which claimed as many as 20,000 lives, continues to affect people today. Points an accusing finger mostly at Union Carbide, the multinational pesticide manufacturer that owned the Bhopal plant. The company is currently part of Dow Chemical (makers of Agent Orange) which now denies all legal responsibility for the disaster.

6. The Bitter Drink

P. Baburaj & C. Saratchandran

Chronicles the struggle of the most marginalised section of the Indian society, the tribal community, against the mighty global giant Coca Cola. It also discusses the issue of the ownership of natural resources, mainly water.

7. Development Flows fromthe Barrel of the Gun

Biju Toppo & Meghnath

Documenting the state violence on people affected by development projects in the country, the film explores the relationship between this violence and the new economic policy and globalisation. It puts forward the people’s viewpoint on development, which is diametrically opposed to that of the state.

8. Tales from the Margins

Kavita Joshi

‘Tales from the Margins’ travels to this remote, strife-torn corner of India to document the extraordinary protests of Manipuri women for justice. And through their lives, to focus on a vast human tragedy.

9. Death of a River

R.R.Srinivasan

A documentary about the Manjolai massacre, which took place when Tamil Nadu police attacked a procession of striking tea estate workers, their families and supporters on July 23, 1999. Seventeen people, including two women and a two-year-old boy, were killed and 500 injured in the police attack.

10. Resilient Rhythms

Gopal Menon

India’s caste system places nearly 160 million people, the dalits, at the outskirts of society. It exploits their services, especially to perform ”polluting” tasks, such as cutting the umbilical cord, disposing of night-soil, tending cremation grounds, but at the same time denies them acceptance as human beings. Resilient Rhythms deals with a range of dalit responses to their marginalization, from armed struggle to electoral politics.

All groups interested in receiving the package of films for organizing the Free Binayak Sen Film Festival in their areas of work are requested to send the name of their organization, postal address and tentative date of screening to - Wilfred D’Souza, INSAF, New Delhi, insaf@vsnl.com, Ph: 09825171919. The package is meant to be screened mostly in the month of May, particularly around 14 May, the first anniversary of Dr Sen’s arrest.

Prakash K Ray, Convenor, Cinemela Collectives. 09873313315




Tuesday, April 15, 2008


The Cinemela Collectives thank the audience, the well-wishers and the filmmakers who contributed to the success of the 3rd edition of Cinemela Film Festival. We are grateful to School of Arts & Aesthetics (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), JNU Students' Union and Amnesty International India for their valueable support. We also thank PETA India, Dearcinema.com, Sa-Dhan (New Delhi) and the second floor (Karachi, Pakistan) for their solidarity with the festival.

We ressolve to take forward the festival with more and more films of young filmmakers alongwith the films of senior filmmakers and good cinema by the masters.

We request for support and participation of all cine-lovers, organisations and institutions.

Thursday, April 10, 2008


11-14 April/SAA Audi/JNU
11th April/Opening Session/5.30pm
Inauguration
Prof Parul D Mukherjee
Dean, SAA, JNU
Special Guest
Mr Mukul Sharma
Director, Amnesty International India
Ashvin Kumar
Filmmaker

Opening Film
The Little Terrorist
Dir- Ashvin Kumar
(widely acclaimed and Oscars nominee)

12th April/10.30am onwards
La Edad de la Peseta (Silly Age)/Pavel Giroud/Cuba/2007/90min
Kyon (Why?)/Pushpa, Lokendra, Ankur, Lokesh/India/2007/17min
Break/2.30onwards
Migration/Mira Nair/India/2007/18min
When I Meet Me/Smile Film Club, Pravah/India/2007/9min
Ahwaan/ Smile Film Club, Pravah/India/2007/11min
Rendition/Gavin Hood/USA-South Africa
9.00pm
Water/ Smile Film Club, Pravah/India/1min
Khuda Ke Liye/Shoaib Mansoor/Pakistan/2008

13th April/10.30onwards
Search For Freedom/Munizae Jahangir/Pakistan/2007
Positive/Farhan Akhtar/India/2007/18min
Break/2.30onwards
Kali Bein (The Black River)/Surendra Manan/India/2007/62min
Knock/Satya Vivek/India/2006/14min
Power For All/Satya Vivek/India/2007/4.37min
Tea Break
Waters of Despair/Srijan/India/2007/31.5min
Everyday/Anu Srinivasan/India/2006/6.20min
Tere Ishq Mere Pyar (Your Love My Love)/Austria/2007/13min
9.00pm
Curiosity/Ajay Agarwal/India/2008/1min
Dharm Putra (The Son of Duty)/Yash Chopra/India/1961

14th April/10.30onwards

One dayfrom a Hangman’s Life/Joshy Josheph/India/2006
Paginas del Diario de Mauricio (Pages from Mauricio’s Diary)/Manuel Perez
Paredes/Cuba/2006
Break/2.30onwards
Blood Brothers/Vishal Bhardwaj/India/2007/18min
Ayodhya Gatha/Vani Subramanian/India/2007/62min
Tea Break
Basanti/Bhartendu, Disha, Neelam, Sumit/India/2006/8.40min
Ek Safar/Karan/India/2006/16.47min
Special Screening
Raja Harishchandra/Dadasaheb Phalke/India/1912

9.00pm
Twilight/Khanjan Kishore Nath/India/2008/1min
Ben-Hur/William Wyler/USA/1959

Almost all the films are with subtitles. All are invited. Please see the board at the venue for changes and additions.
www.cinemela.blogspot.com cinemala@gmail.com 9873313315

Wednesday, April 09, 2008



11-14 APRIL SAA AUDITORIUM
JNU, New Delhi

11th April 5.30pm Opening Session

Inauguration by Prof Parul D Mukherjee
Dean, SAA, JNU

Keynote Speech: Mr Mukul Sharma
Director, Amnesty International India

Ashvin Kumar
Filmmaker

Screening: The Little Terrorist
Dir- Ashvin Kumar
(widely acclaimed and Oscars nominee)

12, 13 & 14 April 10.30am onwards

Short films, documentaries & features from various countries

Special screening: Raja Harishchandra, the first Indian film by Dadasaheb Phalke

Exhibition of photographs by SREEDEEP
photo-montages by John Xaviers

0987331331 cinemela@gmail.com cinemela.blogspot.com
All are invited

Saturday, April 05, 2008

The Cinemela Collectives
thanks
all filmmakers

who have sent their films to
the 3rd Cinemela Festival

11-14 April

Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi

Schedule soon

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

3
CINEMELA 2008
a festival of short films & documentaries
by
YOUNG filmmakers
(and by those who consider themselves YOUNG!!)

11-13 April 2008
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi

Entries should reach on or before 25 March, 2008.
Format –DVD or VCD (two copies of each entry)
Films must be sub-titled in English
Enclose a brief synopsis, CV with photograph, details of crew and a declaration of participation.

Filmmakers are requested to send a short note on “Why I make films”
and some stills, posters and publicity material.
(not mandatory)

No bar on numbers of entries and length or theme of the films.
Films can be experimental, animation, musical, in fact, anything.

NO ENTRY FEE

All are requested to contribute generously
since the festival does not accept any corporate or commercial sponsorship.
A little contribution will be a great boost for our effort.
Send your contribution as cheque/demand draft payable to
Prakash Kumar Ray and payable at Delhi/New Delhi.


The films will remain with the Cinemela Collectives and a collection of films
from the festival shall be screened at other campuses and places.
The certificate of participation shall be issued to all participants.
The films screened in the festival shall not be returned. Those who want their films be returned should send Rs 250 as the cost of packing and postage (as cheque/demand draft payable to Prakash Kumar Ray and payable at Delhi/New Delhi).

Send your entries and contribution to –
Prakash Kumar Ray
225, Sutlej Hostel, Jawaharlal Nehru University,
New Delhi – 110067.

phone
(0) 9873313315


mail
cinemela@gmail.com
pkray11@gmail.com


web
www.cinemela.blogspot.com

(Details of previous festivals are also there)


The festival has no jury since there is no award. We try to screen all entries along with some films from seniors, however, a committee will select the films to be screened. We seek your cooperation and support in this endeavour.

In solidarity,
Prakash Kumar Ray
Convenor, Cinemela Collectives