Make Short Films / Documentaries

The women-folk in this country suffer all type of discrimination, violence and negation of rights, all throughout their lives. When she is a female foetus, she may be killed in the womb after predetermination of sex. If she outlives this probability and grows to a girl child she faces discrimination at home and in school, in educational matters and health care. As a grownup woman she is denied the chances of financial self-reliance, through employment or otherwise, will not get equal property share, cannot expect equanimity in social and religious rites and functions, and is never allowed to exercise her political and community roles and rights in decision-making, even in local self-governance. Besides, chances of being subjected to all types of sexual teasing, molestation and violent attack lurk around every corner in her path, with the consequence of making the family disgraced.

The short films, documentaries or docu-fictions/docu-dramas should unveil the social evils like female foeticide, educational discrimination against girl children, religious and social prejudice against women, political intolerance against participation of women in decision making, hurdles on the way of efforts for financial self-reliance of women including unequal remuneration, the dowry system, the forbiddance against participation of widows in social functions and so on and so forth. The films may also pertain to solutions to these problems or suggestions for fighting social evils and male chauvinism.

Making short films and distributing them among the activists and NGOs who are engaged in a truly formidable fight against deep-rooted social evils, which have been part and parcel of the social consciousness of the average Indian, will be a great way of equipping them with the most influential weapons of societal transformation. The activists and NGOs have to be provided with maximum multimedia support in their endeavours and the short film / documentary film are the strongest campaign tools for speedy spreading of awareness.

Introduction and Advantages of Short Films

The film medium captivates the spectator completely through the simultaneous engagement with the audio and visual faculties of the viewer. All his senses become glued to the silver screen and, for the time that he remains immersed in the film medium, he is transported to an imaginary or make-believe world. It is the most understood and most influential medium that requires no special coaching for understanding and for emotional appreciation.

Short films have become more popular now as people have no much time to spend on seeing films and such other activities. They have so many other entertainment programmes and engagement programmes that they find it very difficult to spare a continuous stretch of one or two hours to watch a feature film.

As the films in support of our campaign have to be dubbed into the regional languages of India, apart from making their English and Hindi versions, it would be more feasible if they are short, with as little dialogue as possible. Selected short films will be screened all over the country through supporting NGOs and other associates and agencies. The recommended length is 5 to 15 minutes including credits.

The Language

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.

The Three-pronged Plan

• If a film, which is already completed by the film-maker, is found suitable for nation-wide screening it will be endorsed by Fight4theFoetus Campaign and distributed among the supporting NGOs and other associates and agencies. The Campaign will gain from the spread of the message and the film-makers will gain from the wide-spread distribution of the creation.
• If all the preparations for the shooting of a film has been done by a film-maker and only the fund is lacking, the Campaign will help with the finding of the source for funds for the production of the film and distribute the same through the aforesaid channels if found suitable for nation-wide screening.
• If a film-maker has the elementary idea-base for a film and has not advanced further and if the idea is acceptable, the Campaign will produce the film and distribute the same with due credits to the owner of the original idea.

The Distribution System

BAP Channel

Film personalities, sports stars, humanitarian and cultural activists, social workers, philosophers, religious leaders, politicians, administrative heads, literary people, musicians, dancers, etc are requested to support the Campaign and become Brand Ambassadors of the Campaign. The distribution of the films will be facilitated through the circles of people around them. The fans of film stars and sports stars, the followers of political figures, the devotees and disciples of religiously revered persons, the admirers of cultural and social personalities and the teammates of social and humanitarian activists will facilitate distribution of the films.

NGO / Agency Channel

All the associating individuals, institutions and organisations, especially like-minded NGOs, engaged in similar campaigns and are willing to cooperate with the campaign, will distribute and screen the films in the areas of their activities, as part of their campaigns and as part of their association with the programmes of #Fight4theFoetus Campaign.

Social Media / F4F App Channel

The short films will also be distributed through social sites and other Internet facilities connected with the Campaign. For smartphone and tab users an F4F App has been developed for the easy downloading, viewing and sharing of these films. These channels will appeal to the youth who are the people that can really make a change in the critical situation.

Festivals

The short films will also feature in festivals and contests going on all over the country. The contests and festivals are the channels that will reach the intellectual cream of film viewers and the films that get recognition in such events will be in demand everywhere, making the message reach deeper and wider into the psyche of the educated and urbanised segments of the population among whom the trend of female foeticide is more prevalent than among the rural and uneducated masses.

Media Channels

The print channels like the newspapers and magazines will be used for the propagation of the news on the short films, especially those that get wide recognition and the electronic channels like the TV channels and online news sites will be used for the distribution. All effort will be made through media advocacy to catch the attention of the widest audience from among the young people in the country.