Thursday, November 20, 2008

Goan Peoples' Film Festival Poster & Schedule


Festival Schedule
22nd November:
3:00 -4:00 pm: Inauguration
5:30 pm: Inaugural Film: India Untouched -Stories of a People Apart
Discussion with privileged comment by Dadu Mandrekar, Goan Dalits rights activist.

23rd November: Assault on Tribal Livelihoods & Challenges to Mining
10:00 am – 01:00 pm: Tribal Livelihoods
4:00 pm – 8.00 pm: Challenges to Mining
5 :00 – 6 :00 pm: Interactive Session/ Press Conference

24th November: Day 2: Change in Goa Villages
10:00 am – 11:30 am : Tourism
4.00 pm – 8.00 pm : SEZs and Mega-projects
5 :00 pm – 6 :00 :Interactive Session / Press Conference

25th November: Celebrating Goa: Alternate Images of a Tourist Destination
5:00 pm – 6: 30 :Digital Narratives from the Other Goa
5 :00 pm – 6 :00 :Interactive Session / Press Conference
7:00 pm – 8:00 : Closing Film: Stories of Change (Bangladesh)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Goan Peoples' Film Festival

Ganv Ghor Rakhon Manch will be hosting the Goan Peoples' Film Festival from the 22nd to the 29th of November 2008. The theme of the festival will be "Celebrating Life and Livelihoods". The festival would begin at Nossa Senhora de Piedade complex next to State bank of India at Panjim.

From the 25th of November the Festival will initate a workshop on video blogging and online for citizens. The festival will subsequently move to South Goa, to increase access to persons living in the south. The film festival is being organized to raise awareness about the issues of the destruction of livelihoods and ecology for profits and the suffocation of democracy within the State of Goa among the guests and national media who will be visiting Goa during IFFI.

The festival would be inaugurated on the 22nd of November in a simple ceremony from 3 pm – 4 pm, which would subsequently be followed at 5:30 pm by the documentary film India Untouched, directed by Stalin K. The film draws attention to the continuing practices of untouchability across regions and religions in India. There will subsequently be a discussion on the issues thrown up by the film and its relevance to the peoples' movement in Goa.

The film festival will comprise of selected short video clips prepared by Goans highlighting the problems they face, besides documentaries by film-makers from around India. This film festival has even received an entry from Bangladesh.

The film screenings will be held every day at 4 p.m. followed by a discussion on the theme of the day at 5 p.m. wherein villagers selected from various parts of Goa will present their issues and experiences in their struggles. Some of the themes will include mining, Tribal peoples' rights, SEZ, Real-estate development, Tourism and coastal regulation. There will also be a session that features aspects of Goa not normally captured by the tourist focus on Goa, and could prove to be the beginning for a pro-people developmental agenda for Goa.

Through the mornings of the festival, Video Volunteers and GoCreat will conduct workshops on video blogging and online activism that will capacitate citizens to visually document their stories and broadcast the issues to a larger audience across the state, nation and the world. Participants who wish to attend, may register between 22nd and 24th at the festival venue. Citizens are encouraged to apply early as spaces are limited. The workshops will commence on 25th and run through to 28th, from 10am and 2pm. Further details on the workshops may be obtained from Gasper D'Souza at 9423882520.

Goa today is being wrecked by unplanned and unsustainable development leading to serious ecological and social problems. State and Corporate sponsored violence against the people in the form of mining, deforestation, hill cutting, land filling, destruction of water bodies, mega housing projects, SEZs, 5 Star hotels, Food Parks, IT Habitats, casinos, Sports City, and the rest is destroying the culture and livelihoods of the local people. Despite numerous representations from GGRM to the State government on serious problems concerning the life and livelihoods of the Goan people the government has only responded through its police and state machinery by terrorizing and beating up helpless villagers who resort to peaceful and democratic forms of protests. False criminal cases against innocent villagers are being registered by the police and several villagers have even been arrested without cause.

GGRM also clarifies that though the Goan Peoples' Film Festival is being organized to coincide with IFFI it is not with the intention to protest against IFFI. GGRM appreciates the idea of a film festival which opens the eyes of people to situations that they don't normally encounter. GGRM is therefore using the medium of films to draw attention to the unheard voices of the Goan people which have no space in a State and Corporate sponsored event like IFFI. The Peoples' festival will complement the "official" IFFI in giving a holistic picture where glamour will be juxtaposed with films of people's lives and their struggles.

The screenings of the Film Festival are accessible via invitations that can be obtained from the venue. Screenings are open only to persons above 18 years of age. Residents of Goa, as well as visitors to the State are cordially invited by GGRM to attend the film screenings and participate in the discussions.

Further details regarding the festival may be obtained from Jason Fernandes at 9764324074, Kim Miranda at 9422443855 , Paul Fernandes at 9975091225, Geraldine Fernandes 9822146420.