Filmmakers Imtiaz Ali, Rina Das, Onir and Kabir Khan have come together to construct a film on the subjects of race, disability, sexuality and gender. The filmmakers’ short films will be combined into one film which will then premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2021. The directors will collaborate with selected filmmaking teams from Victoria, Melbourne and will work on an allocated budget.
The director of IIFM Festival Director, Mitu Bhowmick said—
This exciting initiative gives Victorian screen practitioners a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with some of the world’s best filmmakers and also develop relationships with them. I am delighted and thrilled that IFFM has secured four of India’s most diverse voices of independent cinema for these workshops and the creation of four short films on the core values of IFFM – diversity and inclusivity.
Each of the selected teams will be allocated a budget to produce an original script. The directors will conduct workshops and develop the stories and supervise pre-production with the teams through zoom-call. The filmmakers will travel to Melbourne to shoot the films once the lockdown is lifted and international flights are resumed.
National Award winner Rima Das expressed—
It’s an honour to receive this invitation. It’s essential for filmmakers to examine the world around them from the prism of its socio-political context. The short film will allow us to bring in authentic lived-in stories that often get lost in popular culture.
Kabir Khan who helmed films like ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ and upcoming film ’83’ looking forward to his experience said—
Celebration of our diversity is a dialogue that should be fostered in current times. In the post-pandemic world, being one with each other in a community should be the single most important takeaway. The virus has shown us the futility of everything else. I am excited at the opportunity presented by IFFM and looking forward to the experience.
Ace filmmaker Imtiaz Ali who is known for his films like Jab We Met, Tamasha, Highway among others expressed—
The last few months have been full of life lessons for all of us. Viewing stories of identity in the context of the diverse society that we are all a part of is quintessential for us to chart our path ahead. I am looking forward to meeting a new set of people and understanding their life stories for the screen.
National Award winner, filmmaker Onir also said—
The role of a filmmaker I believe is to trigger a dialogue. The world we are living in calls for fresh discussions on inclusivity and diversity to reiterate strong value systems for our audiences. I am glad for the opportunity and hope it’s a step in the right direction.