Short Film Contest

Multi-Media intervention

The Fight4theForticide Campaign, against female foeticide and for equanimity towards girl children and women, is growing into a nation-wide movement of social reformation, seeping into every strata of society and making fundamental changes in the very core of social consciousness. It is the youth that is going to benefit from the fruits of this movement and it is youth that has to be at the helm of the movement. The young people of the country must be fully aware of the circumstances that made this movement a need of the hour and the benefits of the movement to the community and the nation. The medium or the communicative tool that has the greatest influence on the young people today is the movie. That is why the Campaign concentrates so much on the production and distribution of short films and documentaries as the most important tools of spreading the message among the youth. If the youth are enamoured with the message and become brand ambassadors of the Campaign, the whole nation will fall in line.

Short Film Contest and Annual Film Week

As short film is the most influential audio visual medium of communication that will be understood by all, including the illiterate masses in the rural regions, making short films with the message of stopping female foeticide and screening them freely in as many places as possible will be one of the most effective means of spreading the message. To encourage those who are making short films with the intention of stopping female foeticide, bringing about gender justice and raising the socio-economic status of women, Fight4theFoetus Campaign is conducting a Contest for Short Films every year in conjunction with a Film Festival Week and awards for the winners.

About the Short Film Contest

Duration of the films

The films should be of duration (screening time) of 5 to 15 minutes including the titles and credits.

Languages of the Films

The films may be in English or any of the following 22 languages that have been officially recognised and included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution of India:

It would be advisable to include subtitles in English or Hindi in the films that are not in English or Hindi to reach a larger audience in national and international forums.

Annual Film Week

There will be an Annual Film Week every year in which accepted entries for the Contest, other films by film makers with similar objectives that are not sent in as entries and films produced by the Campaign will be screened and awards will be distributed to winners in the contest.

Prize Structure

There will a First Prize for the Best Film with the Title ‘Golden Justice Crown’. There will be a Second Prize with the title ‘Silver Justice Crown’ and a Third Prize with the title ‘Bronze Justice Crown’ for the two runner-up films as selected from all the accepted entries. There will also be special awards for Best Direction, Best Script, Best Editing, Best Music, Best Actor and Best Actress from all the entries together.

Apart from these, there will be 8 prizes given to the best in the 8 different categories of themes as specified below and 23 prizes on the basis of language, one each for each language in the 23 languages including English and the 22 recognised regional languages of India.

Note: The prize structure is subject to change. The finalised version will be included in the First Call Letter for entries to be issued in January, 2016.

Categories and Themes

The themes on which the films are to be based are categorised below. Each category is described in a few words after naming it with specific instances that may be taken as examples. The descriptions need not be taken as exhaustive cataloguing of all the possible themes. The film maker can find out themes that are not specifically mentioned in the description under a category but may be actually coming under the category.

• Female foeticide and infanticide

The determination of the sex of the unborn child and the decimation of the child, if it is a girl, is one of prime reasons for the reduction in child sex ratio and consequent reduction in adult sex ratio. The practice of infanticide, though not very widespread nowadays, is also reason for concern.

• Lack of care and concern for the girl child

When a girl child is born, there is no celebration as when a boy child is born. There is marked difference in the medical care and educational opportunities given to girl children when compared with the same being given to boy children. The girl children are discouraged in continuing their studies as they go higher in education.

• Violence against children, girls and women

All forms sexual attacks on women and girls, from eve-teasing to rape, and all forms of abuse of children are cancerous growths that must be uprooted from the body of the society. Women are harassed and exploited in many ways in places like their work places, market places and even educational institutions.

• Religious inequity towards women

Mainstream religions do not give equal treatment to men and women in community life, property sharing, political power, economic empowerment and educational opportunities. Most of the religious groups are against women priesthood and against giving them key roles in ceremonial functions and devotional rites. Some conservative religious sects are not in favour of educating girls and most of such conservative elements want women to be confined to their homes.

• Social discrimination against women

The male-dominated society is generally in favour of keeping women inside the home. Women are kept out of decision-making platforms and policy discussions. They are not given proper share in development initiatives and governance/administration. Even when some statutory power-sharing is allocated to women, men rule by proxy and continue to be the actual wielders of power.

• Economic unfairness towards women

The patriarchal system of property inheritance and property sharing in which women are often denied equal share, discouraging of manufacturing or business initiatives by women, denial of equal job opportunities for women and equal remuneration to women for equal work and such other hurdles come in the way to economic empowerment of women.

• The dowry system

The demand for exorbitant amounts of cash and gold as dowry by the families of bridegrooms makes the families of their brides suffer great financial stress. Their sources of income like agricultural lands are transformed into dead investment in gold. The dowry system is one of the prime considerations that make people opt for female foeticide. The over-spending on pomp and show in marriage celebrations also impoverishes families.

• Stories of struggles and success

Stories of women who have struggled and achieved success in the society have to be propagated for emulation. Social, economic, aesthetic, political or religious achievements of women must be given wide publicity among the general public, especially women folk and young people. Stories of organisations and institutions that have made achievements in the first seven categories will also be inspiring.

Rules and regulations

• The Contest is conducted by Fight4theFoetus Campaign and no employee of Heritage India Foundation or JB Multimedia associated with the Campaign can enter the Contest.
• Any person above of the age of 18 can enter the Contest on his/her own. Students below 18 can participate provided they produce the undertaking of the head of the institution in which they are studying stating that it is the work of the entrant.
• The duration of the film including titles and credits, or the screening time, should be between 5 minutes and 15 minutes.
• The theme of the film must be related to one of the 8 categories specified below:
  • Female foeticide and infanticide
  • Lack of care and concern for the girl child
  • Violence against children, girls and women
  • Religious iniquity towards women
  • Social discrimination against women
  • Economic unfairness towards women
  • The dowry system
  • Stories of struggles and success
• A person can enter not more than three entries
• Requirements:
  • Original Video in duplicate with synopses, photo of director, shooting stills and posters, if any
  • Declaration that the film is the original work of the entrant and that all rights regarding trademarks and logos, names, likenesses, musical material, etc., rest with the entrant or have been cleared without any scope for complaint.
  • For online entries, entries must be uploaded on a non-affiliated website such as YouTube or Vimeo. Pass code or private links will not be accepted.
• By entering, entrants agree to be bound by all of the Competition Rules and additionally agree to comply with the Policies of the Campaign.
• The entry should not contain pornographic or graphic sexual content, hateful content of any kind (including racism, sexism, etc.), content which intentionally incites violence or harm to another living creature, or any other knowingly offensive, obscene or inappropriate content.
• The entry should not intentionally promote or incite intimidation, harassment, or bullying of any individual or group of individuals.
• The entry should not violate any applicable local, state, national or international law or include any content that would encourage or provide instructions for a criminal offense