A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
By Oorvazi Irani
By Oorvazi Irani
What role can a film competition play
for filmmakers and an audience? I have not really asked myself this question before but
currently being involved in a similar activity as a mentor for a film
competition I find it a meaningful area to reflect upon and the more I think
about it I feel it has a unique role to play in the creation and presentation
of films.
What is a film competition? A space where a large number of people contribute a film on a
theme or in a common category and compete to win and be showcased to an
audience.
If we look at it this way then filmmakers are similar to
sportsmen exhibiting their skill and pushing their limits to excel. But
what is different is that here it is not only the triumph of the spirit and
skill of the competitor that is involved but also the interplay of worldviews,
a life experience, and possibly a discovery of an unknown truth. The world of
ideas and perspectives are brought into the arena and it can be a great
space of learning and growing through shared journeys. It is like a pool of the
collective consciousness of all filmmakers that dissolves the personal into a
mixture of hybrid realities and experiences, which the audience dive into.
If the film competition involves a particular topic then the
outcome is a powerful concentrated space of thoughts and emotions which we
enter as filmmakers and audiences to create and partake. It can reveal trends,
it can serve as useful research data for particular communities, age groups,
cultures, etc. to help to better know who we are and the world around us. Its
like a community effort where individuals form one link to the entire chain.
Each film has a separate story but all films put together could have a new
narrative to tell of how we view the world.
How important is winning in a film competition and how important
is the audience for a filmmaker? Well yes as a filmmaker it boosts your ego and
gives you more visibility if you win and you enter with the hope to win but
participating is also beautiful as you are part of a larger narrative taking
place. And talking about the audience, it always plays a significant role in
the process because as an artist your work is never really complete unless it
finishes its cycle and reaches the audience.
Another interesting aspect to examine is the neutral nature of
the competition and the mind-set of the judging panel and point of view of the
organization hosting it, how independent is its thinking and how liberated is
its choices that allow the best to reach out and lead the pack to the winning
post. When you enter a film competition/festival is the winner chosen because
you align with the agenda of the competition/ festival or is there a criterion
above it all that recognizes talent that has something to say and your original
work is not made slave to cater to a particular worldview?
A film competition is like putting notes together to form a song
and the song is not just heard but also seen and lived – the song of the
seventh art.
SVKM Culturama 5
presents "Capturar A Story" a short film competition for all you
young film aficionados (14-19 years) all over India. The event is mentored by Ms Oorvazi Irani who is a notable and proficient filmmaker and film
educationalist.
Afternoon DC newspaper is our Media Partner and Pocket
Films is our Online Film Distribution Partner
SVKM
Culturama is an International school festival inviting
schools all over India, including 70 schools in Mumbai from various
international boards - IB, A levels, IGCSE and also ICSE (8th to 12th
standards)
CulturamaShort Film
Competition
Topic: "Becoming
18"
Online Submission
Duration: 5 minutes
Age limit: 14-19
years
Submission Deadline:
26 January 2017, 11 pm
Contact:
Timiha Kunj (Ph: 9819392213; email: kunjtimiha@gmail.com)
Rules and Registration link: www.svkmculturama.com/film
Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your valuable thoughts are highly appreciated!