SAARC Film Festival 2017 (PDF)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Organised by SAARC Cultural Centre. Sri Lanka 1 Index of Films THE BIRD WAS NOT A BIRD (AFGHANISTAN/ FEATURE) Directed by Ahmad Zia Arash THE WATER (AFGHANISTAN/ SHORT) Directed by Sayed Jalal Rohani ANIL BAGCHIR EKDIN (BANGLADESH/ FEATURE) Directed by Morshedul Islam OGGATONAMA (BANGLADESH/ FEATURE) Directed by Tauquir Ahmed PREMI O PREMI (BANGLADESH/ FEATURE) Directed by Jakir Hossain Raju HUM CHEWAI ZAMLING (BHUTAN/ FEATURE) Directed by Wangchuk Talop SERGA MATHANG (BHUTAN/ FEATURE) Directed by Kesang P. Jigme ONAATAH (INDIA/ FEATURE) Directed by Pradip Kurbah PINKY BEAUTY PARLOUR (INDIA/ FEATURE) Directed by Akshay Singh VEERAM MACBETH (INDIA/ FEATURE) Directed by Jayaraj ORMAYUDE AtHIRVARAMBUKAL (INDIA/ SHORT) Directed by Sudesh Balan TAANDAV (INDIA/ SHORT) Directed by Devashish Makhija VISHKA (MALDIVES/ FEATURE) Directed by Ravee Farooq DYING CANDLE (NEPAL/ FEATURE) Directed by Naresh Kumar KC THE BLACK HEN (NEPAL/ FEATURE) Directed by Min Bahadur Bham OH MY MAN! (NEPAL/ SHORT) Directed by Gopal Chandra Lamichhane THE YEAR OF THE BIRD (NEPAL/ SHORT) Directed by Shenang Gyamjo Tamang BIN ROYE (PAKISTAN/ FEATURE) Directed by Momina Duraid and Shahzad Kashmiri MAH-E-MIR (PAKISTAN/ FEATURE) Directed by Anjum Shahzad FRANGIPANI (SRI LANKA/ FEATURE) Directed by Visakesa Chandrasekaram LET HER CRY (SRI LANKA/ FEATURE) Directed by Asoka Handagama NAKED AMONG PUBLIC (SRI LANKA/ SHORT) Directed by Nimna Dewapura SONG OF THE INNOCENT (SRI LANKA/ SHORT) Directed by Dananjaya Bandara 2 SAARC CULTURAL CENTRE SAARC Cultural Centre is the multifaceted realm of to foray into the realm of the SAARC Regional Centre the Arts. It aims to create an publications and research and for Culture and it is based in inspirational and conducive the Centre will endeavour to Sri Lanka. It was established environment, to meet and make all publications available by the Governments and exchange their inter-regional online on its website: www. Heads of State of the SAARC creative visions and promote saarcculture.org Countries to promote cultural deeper discussion and The SAARC Cultural Centre cooperation within the analysis. In its view to be as is a part of SAARC, the South Region, to enhance cultural inclusive as possible in its Asian Association for Regional understanding and harmony outlook and artistic vision, the Cooperation, created with a amongst the people of South Centre explores all forms of art, vision to build and further Asia and to share the distinct that of Performing Arts such as promote understanding cultural identity of South Asia dance, music, drama, theatre, between the eight countries of with the world. puppetry and folk culture; the South Asian Region. Eight Visual Art such as painting, The Centre functions as an countries which are already sculpture, film making, important focal point for inherently bound together photography; and Literature the artistic communities of in a richly woven tapestry of reflecting the vision of the the eight Member States of shared history and heritage SAARC Agenda for Culture. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, brimming with warm hearted The Centre also encourages Bhutan, India, Maldives, people, fertile lands, a myriad and invites further analysis Nepal, Pakistan and Sri of colour and its very own and and exploration through its Lanka. The Centre promotes unique beauty, art and culture. publications on varied topics Regional understanding and from South Asian Diaspora harmony through Cultural to Traditional Knowledge and Research Programmes, and Cultural Expression, brought about with a view Sustainable Development and to inspire individuals and Tourism. In its quest to share groups of Artistes, to partake the value and depth of South in varied and diverse activities Asian Heritage freely with the and events encompassing world at large, it continues 3 Message from Director, SAARC Cultural Centre, Sri Lanka It is with great pleasure that I write a few words on this I am delighted the SAARC Film Festival has developed very special occasion where we celebrate and witness into a prestigious and popular Event, and continues to South Asian Film at THE SAARC FILM FESTIVAL 2017, encourage young talent whilst celebrating the masters in organised by the SAARC Cultural Centre. the field. Above all, I am honoured that the SAARC Cultural Centre plays some part in fostering understanding, Cinema is undoubtedly one of the most effective ways tolerance and greater acceptance throughout the South of sharing and displaying social practices that reflect Asian Region using the medium of Film. a plethora of evolving cultural phenomena in modern society. The SAARC Film Festival endeavours to be I sincerely congratulate all the Honoured SAARC Member an inclusive event, with Free Entrance to all films, States, Film Directors, Editors, Cinematographers, Music encouraging participation of the public from all socio- Directors, Sound Designers, Producers, Actors, Actresses, economic backgrounds and with a multitude of different Jury Members, Participants, Volunteers and all others interests, all with the common goal of being entranced and associated with The Festival for their contribution and transported by the vibrant world of Cinema. support to make this a vibrant and memorable event The SAARC Film Festival will present a wide array of I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the hard-working Feature Films and Short Films and also brings together members of the Organising Committee of the SAARC a collection of ‘Master Films’, made by respected veteran Film Festival 2017. film makers who are recognised as Masters in the trade by their respective nations and peers across the Film Industry. The purpose and vision of these types of films, Wasanthe Kotuwella being one of building bridges between South Asian talent Director, SAARC Cultural Centre and mainstream audiences. Now in its 7th year, the SAARC Film Festival has brought together a vivid and varied group of true masters of the art and craft of film making. The significant developments in technology have dramatically changed the face of the film industry and particularly film making. Amongst other things, it has enabled better quality films to be viewed further afield in a much shorter space of time, with access to much more unusual material and subject matter, constantly pushing the boundaries of accepted norms, all of which has resulted in greater exposure for the social and cultural themes that lie at the very heart of any cinematic experience. 4 Awards Trophy for Best Feature Film 2017 Trophy for Best Short Film 2017 Trophy for Best Director Trophy for Best Actor Trophy for Best Actress Trophy for Best Cinematographer Trophy for Best Editor Trophy for Best Screenplay Trophy for Best Original Score Trophy for Best Film - Open Category Speical Jury Awards 5 Academia is the death of cinema. It is the very opposite of passion . Film is not the art of scholars, but of illiterates. Werner Herzog The need of the hour is to promote good cinema and for this it needs to be incorporated in the academic curriculum. Adoor Gopalakrishnan If you know that I am an unbeliever, then you know me better than I do myself. I may be an unbeliever, but I am an unbeliever who has a nostalgia for a belief.” Pier Paolo Pasolini 6 Nominated Films and Open Category Films from the region 7 AFGHANISTAN 8 The bird was not a bird Feature/Afghanistan/90 mins Synopsis Director Usef is a young man who struggles with his living as a bird seller and looks after Ahmad Zia Arash his old mother and sick sister. He is in love with a girl in the neighbourhood, Producer who also loves him, but either is unable to speak about marriage proposals due Ahmad Faisal Jamalyar to Usef’s unstable financial and job conditions. Under these circumstances Screenplay and looking for a better work, Usef meets an agent who offers and promises Aman Poyamak him a better job far away from the city. Usef accepts the offer without his knowledge that the agent has his connections with politically radical groups Cinematographer of militants and thus through accepting the offer, he gets involved into the Ahmad Zia Arash deep dark world of terrorism where they prepare him for a suicide attack. Editor Reshad Arash Music Shahrokh Bee Keran Cast Ahmad Zia Arash Faisal Jamalyar, Hasiba Ibrahimi, Ahmad Zia Arash started his career Shawali Nawabi, Siddiqa Tamkin as an amateur Filmmaker in 2002 and worked in various spheres of the industry including as a Cinematographer, Casting Director, Producer, Writer and Director. He has written, directed and produced several Short Films, Music Videos, Documentaries, Feature Films and Commercials. His Feature Films include Sin City (2006), The Yesterdays’ Shadows (2009) and The Bird Was Not a Birth (2017). His early Documentary Films are Peace Ambassadors (2005), Poverty (2008) and The Police Community (2011). 9 The Water Short/Afghanistan Synopsis This is the story of Marzia, an 8 year-old girl who unfortunately becomes a Director victim of human trafficking when her parents sold her to a man in Kabul. Sayed Jalal Rohani This man runs a business by forcing children to beg. Marzia and many other Producer children work for him and he misuses them and ill-treats them terribly. Sayed Jalal Rohani Instead of residing with her family and getting a proper education - Marzia Screenplay spends time on the street. One day as she was trying to pick an empty can of Sayed Jalal Rohani Pepsi, the teacher suddenly calls her… Cinematographer Sayed Zuhair Mousavi Sayed Jalal Rohani Editor Edris Salehi Sayed Jalal Rohani is an Independent Cast Filmmaker and is an active member Khushbo yousofzai, Faridoon of Cine-Club of French Cultural and azizmi, Arash Rahimi, Sediq Entertainment Institute in Afghanistan. Rahimi, Dawood Salam, Rahmat He has actively participated in film making Safi, Mahboob Ehsan, Ahmad workshops conducted by foreign film Ahmadi makers in Fine Arts Department of Kabul University and in workshops sponsored by British Council and Goethe Institute.