CIFFI Film Festival Invites Submissions Focusing on Dalit and Tribal Lives

For far too long, the diverse and intricate stories of Dalit and Tribal communities have been overlooked by mainstream cinema; however, a new wave of filmmakers is emerging to address this gap, marking just the beginning of a much-needed journey. Our duty extends beyond mere representation; it is about intensifying the spotlight on these vital narratives through the dynamic and influential medium of cinema.

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Published on:

05 Jan 2024, 11:28 am

Lucknow- The low cost of filmmaking, thanks to the advent of mobile cameras, has given rise to new filmmakers from marginalized sections of society, including documentary filmmakers and feature filmmakers who document the traumas faced by downtrodden sections in villages, cities, and even outside the country. One challenge faced by these filmmakers is finding the right platform to showcase their content. Keeping this factor in mind, the Cineasta International Film Festival of India (CIFFI) has curated a section to promote such films called "Resilient Realms: Journeys through Dalit and Tribal Lives." The film festival is scheduled to be held from February 7th to 9th.

CIFFI's "Resilient Realms" is seeking submissions from filmmakers worldwide, with a focus on films exploring the life and experiences of Dalit, Adivasi, Tribal, and Indigenous communities in India, as stated in a media release.

Filmmakers interested in showing their films at the festival can submit their entries until January 25th, 2024, through the FilmFreeway site, along with a brief synopsis.

The Submission Guidelines are as follows:

Genres: Open to all, especially documentary, drama, and biographical films.
Film Length: Accepting both short films and feature-length works.
Language: Films in any language, must be subtitled in English.

Resilient Realms' is a dedicated endeavor to bring to light these rich and untold stories

In a statement released to the media, Festival co-director and curator of the segment “Resilient Realms” Vikrant Kishore said .” For far too long, the diverse and intricate stories of Dalit and Tribal communities have been overlooked by mainstream cinema. Now, a new wave of filmmakers is emerging, addressing this gap, but their efforts mark just the beginning of a much-needed journey.

Our duty extends beyond mere representation. 'Resilient Realms' is more than a section of a festival; it's a dedicated endeavour to bring to light these rich and often untold stories."

Speaking to The Mooknayak , Vikrant Kishore said “ I think the films should be shown so that there is a scholarly discussion on their issues and the problems.

Festival Co-director Ambrish Saxena, Co-Director of CIFFI, said " CIFFI transcends the typical film festival format: it serves as a critical form for discussions that are reshaping the contemporary film industry.

Earlier, in 2019, A Dalit Film Festival was held in New York, USA, the festival showcased films based on caste issue. in 2023 P.K Rosy Film Festival in Kerala celebrated the Dalit History month by showing films dedicated to Dalit issues.

The Cineaste International Film Festival of India (CIFFI), a joint venture of Delhi Metropolitan Education (DME), India, and Deakin University, Australia, started in 2019. The film festival attracts thousands of films from more than 100 countries, and this year, film actor-director Tigmanshu Dhulia serves as the brand ambassador. The festival venue is located at Sector 62-Noida, Uttar Pradesh.