Latest news with #8thSouthAsianShortFilmFestival
Time of India
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
SAF ends with ‘Spasm' bagging top award
1 2 3 Kolkata: A one-take short film on the audition of an actress in Iran ('Spasm') and a documentary on a trafficked woman-turned-activist ('Fatima') have won the top awards at 8th South Asian Short Film Festival organized by the Federation of Film Societies of India (Eastern Region). Other films about the musings at a music shop in Kolkata ('The Music Shop - Symphony of the City'), a girl's fight against caste system in India ('Ballad of the Mountain'), the awakening of sexuality in a tribal youth of Jangal Mahal ('My Comrade') and the impact of resettlement in Sri Lanka ('No More Land') also picked up awards. The jury comprising Debalina Majumder, Sudeshna Roy and Saibal Mitra watched 98 films. Sahra Asadollahi's 'Spasm', which won the Ritwik Ghatak Golden Award for short fiction, has overwhelmed the jury members. "To make a film in Iran under the current circumstances is an audacious effort. As a practicing filmmaker, I know how tough it is to retain the viewers' attention when the location and the camera don't shift. The craft of this one-take film is of such a high order that it left me gripped," said Majumder. Tarun Jain's 17-minute short film – 'Ballad of the Mountain' – picked up the Ritwik Ghatak Silver Award for short fiction. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Update: The Strategy Uses By Successful Intraday Trader TradeWise Learn More It prompts viewers to dwell on the menaces of caste system. Jain's film is a tale of resilience, courage, and hope. It is an invitation to confront the uncomfortable truths in our society and an opportunity to rewrite the narrative for countless girls who deserve a chance to flourish. "It is an evocative film that is visually poetic. The narrative has been crafted in a way that is intimate and addresses the deep-rooted systematic inequality on the basis of caste. It shows how a vicious cycle of exploitation still goes on," Majumder said. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata In the documentary segment, the top award was picked up by Sourabh Kanti Dutta's 'Fatima'. It narrates the compelling story of Fatima who, at the age of nine was married off to a pimp in the red-light area of Forbesganj, escaped the red-light area in 2007 and became an activist. "Considering the rough terrain, 'Fatima' has been shot and edited well. The candid filming gives us a palpable feeling of Fatima's struggle for a just cause,' Mitra said. Naskar & Co - an unassuming music shop in Kolkata – forms the backdrop of Bijoy Chowdhury's 'The Music Shop - Symphony of the City'. Black and white montage shots of the city intercut with interviews of musicians and patrons for a poetic exploration of Arabinda Roy's solitary journey as a master craftsman of Indian classical instruments. The film is populated by footage of enthusiast practitioners and listeners from abroad and Roy's memories of maestros. Impressed with the film, Mitra said, "I was left engrossed by the intelligent structuring of the documentary. The music used and played and the filming style gel well with the subject," Mitra added. Roy added that all the documentaries are incredibly good. "'Fatima' is very incisive about trafficking and women's positioning. 'The Music Shop - Symphony of the City' invokes a pride in making things that have been traditionally with us. Though set in Sri Lanka, 'No More Land' highlights a universal problem. In the short film section, 'My Comrade' was well-researched. It hits viewers in the right spot," Roy said.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
One-take movie by Iranian director among 98 films competing at fest
1 2 Kolkata: Ninety-eight films, exploring diverse subjects, such as AI, the desire for hilsa in a patriarchal household and Kolkata's music shop, are vying for the top awards at the 8th South Asian Short Film Festival that started at Nandan on Monday. Among the entries at the festival, launched by the Federation of Film Societies of India (Eastern Region), is a single-take film—'Spasm' —by an Iranian director and an Indian producer. Directed by Sahra Asadollahi and produced by Deepankar Prakash, the short film, 'Spasm', is about what happens when a woman who has never acted in film goes for an audition that becomes a test of more than just her acting ability. "I met Sahra at a festival in Nepal in 2023. Soon, we decided to collaborate and started work on this 27-minute-long film. Sahra, an actor in Iran, shot the film completely in Tehran, while I was in India. She herself played the role of the woman in the film," said Prakash, whose 'Naanera' had won in the competition on Indian Language's Films at the Kolkata International Film Festival in 2022. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata In 'Spasm', Asadollahi plays a young Iranian woman who dreamed of being an actor since her childhood but could not manage to get a good role. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Меките и удобни ежедневни обувки улесняват ходенето ZAROTRAVEL® КУПИ СЕГА Undo Finally, she is called for an audition, where the director and producer of an upcoming film interview her. From her father's horse to her 10-month-old baby—questions are flung at her from all quarters. Finally, a situation arises where she is compelled to believe she is rejected. But the situation takes a different turn when she is told the confrontation was deliberately orchestrated to evaluate her acting skill. In recent times, the long single-take shooting approach, especially after the success of 'Adolescence', has got cine enthusiasts talking. 'Spasm' is the first one-take film in competition at the South Asian Short Film Festival. What makes this film engaging is how minimalism has been effectively used to counter the challenges of filming by a woman director in Iran. Shot inside one room with minimal production and sound design, 'Spasm' features only an animated Asadollahi seated in front of the camera. The camera angle is such that the faces of no other cast member, including the director and the producer, are visible. For many independent film-makers, who complain about shortage of funds and lack of infrastructure in this city, the film is a lesson on how big ideas, not big budgets, are important for good cinema. "Sahra is unable to come to Kolkata now because of the situation in her country. But I will be at the festival," Prakash added.
