Three win awards in short film competition at AbilityFEST 2025
This year's theme for the competition was 'Through Your Lens: A Celebration of Disability Inclusion'.
Speaking at the event, founder of Ability Foundation Jayshree Raveendran said, 'AbilityFEST2025 has not only screened powerful films, but also amplified the voices of individuals with disabilities, fostering understanding and empathy across communities.'
The second place went to Mathan Raj Baskaran for Sail, third place to Geeta Poduval for her film Dance of Inclusivity and a Jury Special Mention to Pradev Kumar for Friendly Family Forever.
The competition received entries from all over the country, and the films featured in the festival represented 11 countries. Over four days, the festival screened a number of award-winning short films, documentaries, and features from across the world.
Addressing the audience, director of Sitaare Zameen Par R.S. Prasanna said the film's young actors were the most focused and prepared group he had worked with.
The writer of the film Sitaare Zameen Par, Divy Nidhi Sharma, the film's actors, actor-director and trustee of Ability Foundation Revathy, co-producer Aparna Purohit, lyricist Madhan Karky, and executive director of the Madras Management Association Vijayakumar took part in the festival.
Hashtags
- Entertainment#SitaareZameenPar#AbilityFEST2025-IndiaInternationalDisabilityFilmFestival#IndiaOneMinuteFilmCompetitiononDisability#TheMenu#ThroughYourLens:ACelebrationofDisabilityInclusion#AbilityFoundation#AbilityFoundationRevathy#MadrasManagementAssociationVijayakumar#NikitaKonari#JayshreeRaveendran
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
15 minutes ago
- First Post
Aamir Khan's family issues statement post his brother Faisal Khan's allegations in recent interview: 'This is not the first time he has misrepresented...'
The statement by the family added, 'We request the media for empathy, and to refrain from turning a private matter into salacious, inflammatory and hurtful gossip.' read more Aamir Khan's brother and actor Faissal Khan has recently claimed that the Sitaare Zameen Par star has locked him up for a year in Mumbai. He revealed that his family said he had schizophrenia, was 'a mad person and can harm society'. 'They were saying I've got schizophrenia and I'm a mad person. I can harm society. Ye sab baatein ho rahi thi (All this was being talked about). I was looking at myself ki yaar main iss chakravyuh se kaise niklu. Chakravyuh ho gaya tha mere liye. Main usme fass gaya tha kyunki saari family mere khilaaf jaa rahi thi. Mujhe pagal samjh rahe the (How do I get out of this trap? It was a trap for me. I was stuck in it because my family was against me. They were thinking I'm mad),' Faissal told while talking to PinkVilla. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Aamir Khan's family issues statement We are distressed by Faissal's hurtful and misleading portrayal of his mother Zeenat Tahir Husain, his sister Nikhat Hegde, and his brother Aamir. As this is not the first time he has misrepresented these events, we feel it necessary to clarify our intentions, and reaffirm our solidarity as a family. It is important to share that every choice regarding Faissal has been taken collectively as a family, in consultation with multiple medical professionals, and has been based on love, compassion, and a desire to support his emotional and psychological wellbeing. For this reason, we have refrained from publicly discussing the details of a painful and difficult period for our family. We request the media for empathy, and to refrain from turning a private matter into salacious, inflammatory and hurtful gossip. Family Members Reena Datta, Junaid Khan, Ira Khan, Farhat Datta, Rajiv Datta, Kiran Rao, Santosh Hegde, Seher Hegde, Mansoor Khan, Nuzhat Khan, Imran Khan, Tina Fonseca, Zayn Marie Khan, Pablo Khan
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
EXCLUSIVE! Aamir Khan: I am loyal to cinema first, and then to theatres
Aamir Khan Aamir Khan Aamir Khan Aamir Khan Aamir Khan 1 2 Breaking the mould is second nature to him. Now, in a bold move that challenges the norms of a largely risk-averse industry, Aamir Khan has chosen the pay-per-view model on his YouTube channel for his latest film, Sitaare Zameen Par (SZP) , which had released in theatres in June. This aligns with his decades-long pattern of being a disruptor – as an actor and filmmaker. In this freewheeling conversation with us, the superstar talks about access, affordability and the future of cinema beyond theatres. Aamir also confesses that he's not fearless, unlike what most would assume, and tells us why, at 60, comfort is not an option — ' ab comfort hai hi nahi, toh kuch karna padega .' Read on... A still from Sitaare Zameen Par How do you think the pay-per-view model gives more power and choice to both the audience and the producer? You are aware that we are able to reach only 2-3% of our population in the theatrical business, and this is for the biggest hit. For a film like Sitaare Zameen Par , around one crore people would have watched it by the end of its theatrical run. In the absence of enough theatres being built, this model is perhaps the only way to reach the vast majority of India, especially with rising internet penetration. In one stroke, this solves that problem for everyone. It's great for filmmakers because it strengthens them and empowers them to make better films. To be able to watch a movie, access and affordability are key. Was this model born out of that philosophy – to make both these points a reality? Today, cinemas in India, and here I am talking about the multiplexes, are trying to give a unique experience, but that costs money. So, over the years, theatres have evolved from the time when I started out with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (QSQT) . Back then, the average ticket price was Rs 10. Today, the ticket prices are not affordable for a large section of society. And multiplexes, because of the high cost and heavy investment (in terms of rent, etc), have also started catering to an audience who can afford to come there. So, who will cater to the masses? This model caters straight to the masses. Continues… In every press conference prior to my film's release in the past 10 years, I would be asked, ' Aap film bana rahe ho, jo masses hai woh kaise dekhenge ?' The answer to this and the pricing of tickets is not in my hands. I can't tell theatre owners who have invested a lot of money to go into a loss. If this model works, it will dramatically change the way we distribute films. From an economical point of view, I had strong OTT offers for SZP , if I were to accept that, it would have been a safe bet. I chose not to. I would rather earn Rs 100 from each Indian who watches my movie. Also, this is a great opportunity for younger filmmakers who are trying to break in and don't get a chance to showcase their work. It will give creative voices more freedom. It will give them the freedom to price their content the way they want to. You are a theatre loyalist and have spoken about 'protecting our theatres'. What are some ways exhibitors and filmmakers can work together to reimagine cinema-going as a more inclusive, feasible experience? Let me clarify, my loyalty is to cinema. Cinemas came first, then theatres came to serve cinema. Earlier, there was no theatre. Cinema dikhane ke liye pardah laga dete the , and it would be shown through a projector. Phir tent aaya, wahan dikhate the. Then permanent theatres came about. Cinema is what I am protecting, and emotionally, I am very tied to theatres. I believe that the theatrical experience cannot be replaced by anything else. When you are sitting in that dark space with 300 people around you, it's a group experience where you laugh and cheer together. Imagine watching Lagaan , where the whole theatre is cheering... abhi woh experience aapko ghar pe baithke apne family ke saath bhi nahin milega . I am loyal to cinema first, and then to theatres, clearly in that order. To answer your question, I think first of all, we need more theatres. In districts where there is no single screen, not even a single theatre, we should at least have one theatre. India needs many more theatres, but they should be economical theatres. Do you believe that, at some point, the theatrical business will start thriving again? Yes, of course. I really hope so. Do you think that, as makers, focusing on tier-2 and tier-3 cities is key, as therein lies the scope for theatrical recovery in India? Absolutely! I believe that we need theatres in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. The tier-2 cities have theatres, but as we go deeper, we don't. I also feel that it's not that people want to watch only action films in theatres – that was the feeling for some time. If that were the case, SZP wouldn't have done well, and Saiyaara wouldn't have been such a success. These are phases that keep coming and going. When I did Ghajini , everyone told me that you are doing an action film at a time when this genre was not working. It worked. I think audiences are interested in watching films irrespective of the genre. So, the genre of your film and how it fits with current trends and mood doesn't concern you? No, it doesn't. Stories that inspire me and affect me the most are what I gravitate towards. Stills from Ghajini and Dhoom 3 You've consistently been a disruptor — as an actor and a filmmaker. In an industry that often plays it safe, where does this creative fearlessness come from? No, no, there is a lot of fear. There is fear every time I am doing a film, and unfortunately, my choices are also unusual, but I can't help but make them. When I was doing Dangal , I felt that dus saal baad karte hain, abhi mein itna mota, buddha dikh raha hoon . Just before that, I had done PK and Dhoom 3 . People thought I am 30-35, they didn't know I am 55. I thought yeh film karoonga toh meri asliyat saamne aa jayegi (laughs). It was in my blood; I had to do it. I am not a fearless person. Before the release, you can't assume the film will work, at least my films. There were exceptions like Ghajini and Dhoom 3 , where you could say yeh kuch toh karegi . But with the unusual ones, it's difficult to tell. I go with my instinct and my heart. So, I am not thinking about what the audience wants to see. I am thinking mujhe kya banana hai. There's still this restless energy about you. Does that fuel your creativity? I suppose so. If the status quo is comfortable, I have no problem with it. But when it's not, then I want to do something to correct it. I am comfortable about being comfortable, but ab comfort hai hi nahi, toh kuch karna padega, haath pair marna padega , because in today's times it is difficult for creative people to make what they want to make. Unless you have a subscription model pre-sale, you can't greenlight a project. That's not a comfortable situation to be in for creative people. A still from Talaash Knowing the kind of connection and influence you have with audiences across generations, do you feel a certain sense of responsibility when you take on a film? I do feel a sense of responsibility, so I don't do films that propagate any thoughts, views or ethos which are not mine. At the same time, I also believe in having my freedom as an artiste, as that's how I always operated from the beginning. I have selected films that I wanted to do. Some of them worked, some didn't. Fortunately, most of them did. I have tried not to take the unnecessary load, ki meri har film 300, 500 ya 600 crore banayegi . I am not chasing that. Mujhe Talaash ki script pasand aayi aur mujhe pata tha yeh 500 crore ki film nahin hai, yeh 200 crore ki bhi nahin hai. In fact, I remember telling the team that I believe the film will do about 70 crores. It went on to do 95 crores. I did the film as I loved the story. Just because I knew it wouldn't break my Ghajini record, didn't mean I wouldn't do it. I can't think like that. This comes from my excitement as an artiste, and also because I can't keep doing the same kind of films again and again; I don't know how to do that. You said that you feel a sense of fear every time you embark on something new. Can you recall what you felt on the first day first show of QSQT ? I still remember that moment – I remember the premiere show of the film. My uncle (Nasir Hussain) had booked the balcony, and the stall was for the paid audience for the first day, 6pm show. And Shammi (Kapoor) uncle had come, in fact, he was the only star my uncle had called from the film industry. I remember walking into the film with no one recognising me, and when the film got over and I walked out, I was mobbed.
Mint
15 hours ago
- Mint
Aamir Khan gambles with YouTube release, experts doubt pay-per-view traction
Aamir Khan's bold move to release his latest movie Sitaare Zameen Par on YouTube, after a theatrical stint, instead of selling its rights to a streaming platform may not pay off, trade experts cautioned. The pay-per-view model on YouTube could help the film make just about ₹25-30 crore over the next few months as audiences pay ₹100 for each viewing, with the revenue to be split in a ratio of 55:45 in favour of the popular actor. By comparison, an OTT deal would have brought Khan at least ₹125 crore, they said. Also TVoD (transaction video-on-demand), or pay-per-view, hasn't really taken off in the country even as piracy continues to pose a big challenge to the movie business. 'TVoD is an established protocol internationally and even companies like Zee and Amazon have tried it domestically. So, it's not like it's never been attempted before. But deals like this definitely don't help make as much as an upfront OTT deal and it is likely that the film will eventually make its way to an SVoD (subscription video on demand) platform, albeit at a much lower price than would have been offered initially," said a film producer on the condition of anonymity. This person further pointed out that compared to mature markets like the West, not premiering the film on OTT is unlikely to have helped it find a big theatrical draw or bolstered its collections by a huge margin. Also, given that Sitaare Zamin Par's release strategy is the first experiment of its kind, it hasn't made adequate noise and marketing has been below par. On the other hand, services like Netflix and Prime Video go all out to promote films acquired after the theatrical release, coordinating media and fan interactions and special promos. YouTube, that works as a platform for all user-generated content, rarely pushes for individual titles to the same degree. On the launch of the film on YouTube, Khan had admitted in a conversation with Mint that TVoD has seen fairly low traction in India so far. But recent developments could aid its growth. 'UPI has ensured the payments mechanism is no longer cumbersome. Add to that improving internet penetration and a platform with such a large footprint, and I think this is the right time to experiment with pay-per-view," Khan had added. According to Comscore data for March 2024, YouTube reached four in five internet users in India aged 18. Entertainment-related content represented over 7.5 billion daily views on YouTube in 2024. Film producer Shariq Patel welcomed the experiment, saying it's encouraging that Indian creators like Khan are adopting the globally-established six-week window between a film's theatrical debut and its online release, including pay-per-view. 'But the practice needs to be followed consistently by others in the industry. It would be difficult for consumer behaviour to evolve if this is just a one-off," Patel added. To be sure, some industry experts believe that Khan's move makes business sense given the wide reach of YouTube, something that no OTT platform, foreign or homegrown, can match. The Ficci-EY media and entertainment report said YouTube reached 800 million in India in 2024, and average daily YouTube consumption by online adults aged 35 years or above stood at 80-plus minutes. 'Plus, they will get data on viewership and engagement more easily, something that platforms such as Netflix and Prime Video rarely part with. This would help them plan content and marketing strategies, going forward," said Yusuf Shaikh, business head of feature films at production and distribution firm Percept Pictures.
