JOHN ABRAHAM NATIONAL AWARDS -SIGNS 2006
JURY REPORT
The
Jury viewed more than 20 hours of film and was struck by
the remarkable passion and range of subjects that the films
displayed. Quite a few of the films were made by young filmmakers
with hardly any or no formal training in filmmaking. But
all the films showed a commitment not only to the filmmaking
process but also to their subjects.
The
liberating quality of video as a means of _expression to
document the struggles and lives of ordinary people was
amply revealed in this selection of films. Choosing one
film above the other for the awards was an almost impossible
task. Heart wrenching accounts from Kashmir, struggles of
ordinary people against state oppression in Manipur, the
struggles of retrenched workers in Tamil Nadu, the pain
of tribals who went as indentured labour to Assam, the rural-urban
divide, environmental disasters created through mismanagement
and callousness, personal biographies and accounts of disillusionment
were all explored. The task to judge them was not easy.
We commend the great spirit of documentary filmmaking in
the country today. These films hardly ever see the light
of day but the fact that they get made is of the utmost
importance.
The
Jury also felt that, from the films it viewed, those that
came into the documentary category were much more adventurous
and innovative in their styles of presentation, whereas
in the fiction category they were far more conventional.
We hope this will improve in the future.
Saeed Akthar Mirza, Jury Chairman
Bina Paul Venugopal, member
M.R. Rajan, member
The Jury selections for the various categories are as follows:
I.
Best Documentary.
The
Jury felt that this award should be shared by two films.
1. AFSPA-1958, by Haobam Paban Kumar, for
their strong documentation of the contemporary political
situation that exists in the state of Manipur.
2. WAITING…, by Atul Gupta and Sabnam
Ara, for their portrayal of the human stories of despair
and agony in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
.
II. Documentary (Environmental)
VIDEO
GAME, by Vipin Vijay, for a philosophical journey
through a mental landscape blurring the lines between reality,
fiction and memory.
III.
Documentary (Biography/ History)
RIDING
SOLO TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD, by Gaurav A Jani,
for its sheer spirit of adventure with a compassion that
enhances the viewer's perception.
IV.
Best Short Feature
The
Jury also felt that this award should be shared by two films:
1. KADALTHEERATHU, by Sherry for its truthful
adaptation of
O.V. Vijayan's literary work into cinema.
2. VANISHING DAYS, by Mir Md Falak, for
its lyrical portrayal of a middle class Bengali family.
Special
Jury Awards
The Jury recommends two films to be given Special Jury Awards
1. I AM THE VERY BEAUTIFUL, by Shymal Karmakar,
for its compassionate view of the struggles and dreams of
a woman perceived as an outcast and also in which the filmmaker
dares to bare his own dilemmas.
2. BEYOND THE WHEEL, by Rajula Shah, for
its artistic finesse in telling the story of three women
potters
RECOMMENDATIONS
The Jury strongly feels that another category should be
included in these awards and it recommends that it be called
"Cinema of Resistance". This category should be
a platform for people to express their views on subjects
like State oppression, human rights violations, gender,
environmental, cultural issues, and any other issue that
suppresses the human spirit.
The
Jury also recommends that the SIGNS Festival should, in
the future, have four categories of films for the John Abraham
National Awards:
1.
Best Documentary
2.
Best Short Fiction
3.
Best Student Film from any Film / Media institution
4.
Best Film on " Cinema of Resistance"
The
Jury would like to thank the organizers and the participants
for making SIGNS 2006, such a wonderful experience. Such
a festival is the first of its kind in the country and we
hope it grows into becoming a national and international
platform to discuss debate and celebrate independent thinking.
