FESTIVAL OF SOUTHASIAN DOCUMENTARIES-3-6
OCTOBER 2013 | KATHMANDU
PRESS RELEASE
3-6 October | QFX Kumari, Kamal Pokhari
OCTOBER 2013 | KATHMANDU
PRESS RELEASE
Film Southasia 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3rd October 2013
Film Southasia protests action on Sri Lankan documentaries
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3rd October 2013
Film Southasia protests action on Sri Lankan documentaries
We announce with great regret that the Sri Lankan Government has pressurised the Nepali authorities to stop the screening of all three documentaries from Sri Lanka selected for the Film Southasia ’13 festival of documentaries (FSA).
These films are: ‘Broken’ and ‘The Story of One’ (both by director Kannan Arunasalam), and ‘No Fire Zone’ (director Callum Macrae).
Kanak Mani Dixit, Chair of Film Southasia, said: “FSA protests this unwarranted intrusion into the cultural sphere, an action that goes against the freedom of expression and the right of documentary filmmakers to exhibit their work. This obstructs our festival’s goal of promoting regional understanding in Southasia.”
Protesting this action, the three films will be presented outside the festival venue at a ‘private screening’. The place and time shall be announced at the festival venue. The documentaries in question will remain in competition for the festival awards.
These films are: ‘Broken’ and ‘The Story of One’ (both by director Kannan Arunasalam), and ‘No Fire Zone’ (director Callum Macrae).
Kanak Mani Dixit, Chair of Film Southasia, said: “FSA protests this unwarranted intrusion into the cultural sphere, an action that goes against the freedom of expression and the right of documentary filmmakers to exhibit their work. This obstructs our festival’s goal of promoting regional understanding in Southasia.”
Protesting this action, the three films will be presented outside the festival venue at a ‘private screening’. The place and time shall be announced at the festival venue. The documentaries in question will remain in competition for the festival awards.
3-6 October | QFX Kumari, Kamal Pokhari
Film Southasia 2013, the popular festival of Southasian documentaries, is all set to hit the big screens in Kathmandu from the 3-6 October at QFX Kumari, Kamal Pokhari.
In its 9th edition, the festival will showcase a total of 55 documentary and non-fiction films from around Southasia and the Diaspora on diverse issues and subject-matters. 34 of these are up for competition. Many of them are award winning films that have received some of the highest honors in filmmaking. The lineup includes Saving Face by Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and Daniel Junge on acid attacks on women in Pakistan that won the prestigious Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2012, Celluloid Man by Shivendra Dungarpur, based on the life and work of PK Nair the founder of the National Film Archives of India, which was awarded the National Film Award (India) for Best Historical Reconstruction; Algorithmsby Ian McDonald, the first feature documentary on blind chess; No Fire Zone by Callum Macrae, a film that has received much praise for its bold journalistic endeavors; Fire in the Blood by Dylon Mohan Grey which was selected for the Sundance Film Festival this year.
The FSA 2013 lineup also features student-films and debut efforts by new film makers, including experimental shorts that push the boundaries of documentary and non-fiction filmmaking.
FSA 2013 features two specially curated film packages; one, in association with Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design’s (NID) Alpavirama Festival and second, a dedicated section on Afghanistan curated by independent journalist Taran Khan. Additionally, few shorts from the Why Poverty? series will also be screened during the Festival.
As in all previous FSAs screenings will be complimented with discussion with filmmakers-in-attendance, moderated panels on relevant topics and various satellite programs
FSA 2013 Jury will be chaired by acclaimed arts editor and cultural journalism professor Sadanand Menon of Chennai, who will be joined by veteran photographer, writer, curator and activist Shahidul Alam of Dhaka and film maker, producer and currently Public Media Director at the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) Sapana Shakya of Kathmandu.
The festival received 382 entries from across Southasia this year, out of which 34 were selected for the competitive section. “We have not fully understood yet why, but documentary film production seems to have its cycle of highs and lows society-by-society. Lack of financial backing can affect filmmaking, but so can too much funding on dictated themes, which saps the imagination. Creativity can flower in constricted political spaces, while open society can sometimes lessen the adrenaline required for documentation.” said Kanak Mani Dixit, Chair of Film Southasia, taking stock of this year’s entries.
Film Southasia believes that film is a powerful medium that helps to not only better represent Southasia to the world, but also contributes immensely in introspection and initiatives to bring change at the local level.
For full festival schedule and details please visit the festival website www.filmsouthasia.org/schedule
For further questions email fsa@filmsouthasia.org or call 98495 19933
