Creative

FILM SPECTRUM @ ViBGYOR 2015

The Film Spectrum in the Open Entry category at ViBGYOR Film Festival-2015 comprises of three major sectons, namely Focus of the Year Package, ViBGYOR Theme Packages and the Kerala Spectrum Package. In addition to the Open Categories, there are film packages curated by the Festival Directorate, which include the International and National Retrospectives, Homages, Country Focus and/or Filmmaker-in-Focus package and Festival Director’s Specail package.

Focus of the Year ‘Green Growth’ Package:

The value of intact eco-systems and all the resources they provide us is a concept overlooked by economists and administrators in their preoccupations with GDP calculations. Nature is not giving out any more free lunches is what the economists warn us now. We are waking up to the revelations that our dependence on these resources needs to be regulated and it is high time we cleaned the mess we have created. But how soon and how big are going to be the steps we take toward this is what we have to ask ourselves.

ViBGYOR Theme Packages:

Films under the seven ViBGYOR theme packages would explore the central theme of ViBGYOR Festival, namely `celebrating identities and diversity’ in its depth and breadth.

• Identities

Various minorities are facing different facets of discrimination. Many of these groups are struggling to preserve their identities and to resist the encroachments of the mainstream. The issues of Indigenous People, Dalits, Sexual and other Minorities come under this theme. Women’s rights, Gender equality, Racial discrimination etc are some of the often discussed topics under this ‘colour’ of ViBGYOR.

• Gender & Sexuality

Films in this section and the ensuing discussions look at the construction of gender, and the power-relations that are inscribed within it. This theme examines the questions of insidious prescriptions and proscriptions that are constantly at work in the fabrication of gender and sexuality divides and disparities.

• Rights

Basic human rights are enlisted by various organizations like UN and many of them have been legally approved as ‘fundamental rights’ by most nations across the world. But millions of people are still struggling to get their rights legitimized and implemented. This includes, Right to Food/Shelter/Security, Right to Equality, Freedom of Expression, Education, Employment and Health.

• Developmentalism

Human beings are slowly realizing that they are just one of the meshes in the giant web of nature. And a handful of dedicated people are taking it as a mission to protect the environment. On the other hand many lucrative and agressive projects are in the offing in all parts of the world in the name of ‘development’. But ‘whose’ development is it? The issues listed under this ‘colour’ include, Industrialization, Corporate fascism, Displacement, Migration, Special Economic Zones, Genetically Modified Crops, Dams, Slum development, Roads, Conservation, Pollution, Natural Resources, Energy, Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) etc.

• Nation State

The role of the State in the well-being of the human being is significant. But instead of protecting every citizen’s rights, the State at times robs us of our dignity and rights. The use and abuse of State machinery leave long-lasting effects on communities. The topics include Authoritarianism, Terrorism, International Disputes, Corruption, Right to Information and Public Interest Litigation (RTI & PIL) campaigns etc.

• Fundamentalism v/s Diversity

Religions, faiths and codes of morality have significantly contributed to societal living in terms of a large body of norms and etiquettes that help foster a harmonious life. But lately, this human need for bonding with the Beyond and other humans is rather misused to the extent of spreading hatred and hostility among communities. Fundamentalism, Communalism and Religious harmony are some of the topics discussed by films under this ‘colour’.

• Culture & Media

Media, the principal vehicle of promotion and dissemination of culture, has assumed mammoth power proportions in the globalized digital age to the extent of pushing conventional cultural models and patterns into the background and carving out its unique niche in the soio-cultural fabric. How consent is manufactured by media and other players in the cultural scenario is a major question this section would raise apart from throwing light to the survival of small, diverse ethnic cultures in the global village

Kerala Spectrum Package:This section showcases films made by filmmakers residing in Kerala, which includes documentaries based on `Kerala’ themes, short fiction films and also the `Focus-Children films’, either made by children or made by adults that catter to young audiences.

Other:Includes short fiction, music video, animation, experimental and spots films.

Number Seven is very special to ViBGYOR; seven colors may make it a rainbow; but we want to go further beyond and embrace all possible, imaginable hues and shades of these seven colours. The ViBGYOR Film Collective, the registered society that runs the ViBGYOR International Film Festival and its associated activities, was born in 2006 and was formally registered in 2007. The initiative to conceive and launch ViBGYOR came from a group of 7 organizations; call them the `founding organizations, if you wish. But ViBGYOR is still in a process of being formed, redefined and remoulded; and always it will be. Now ViBGYOR is a coalition of many organizations, movements and individuals, who support its growth in many different ways.

Though ViBGYOR has progressed admirably on the organizational part of the festival since the first edition, its financial status is still instable and insecure. This is because we have not so far depended on any corporate funding, but always have sought support from people individuals, organizations and agencies/foundations. We believe that the involvement of the people in resource mobilization is as important as their role in the organization of the festival and all allied activities. This people component is an essential to the character of ViBGYOR.