An Annual 3- day Film Festival on disability titled WE CARE started at Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication; Dwarka on 10th, October 2012.The festival has been Jointly organized by Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication in collaboration with an NGO Brotherhood.
The festival is organized in an attempt to sensitize the students and the society at large about the issue of disability with a common message “dignity and justice for all of us”. The films showcased at the festival conveyed the message ‘physical disability is no longer a challenge and that the only disability is our attitude.’
The Film Festival was inaugurated by Major Gen. S.K Razdan, the first wheelchair-bound General of the Indian Army. The occasion was graced by Mr. Sunit Tandon, Director General, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Ms. Kiran Mehra- Kerpelman, Director, United Nations Information Centre for India & Bhutan and Mr. Arun Chaddha, film-maker and National Award Winner. During the festival national and international award winning films will be screened to raise awareness of disability issues and the role of media inreporting the same.
The festival began with the inauguration of the Photography Exhibition on Disability. Around 50 photographs received from around 20 media colleges were displayed.
Prof Ogra, Director of Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC) said, “The aim of this festival is to raise awareness about disability issues using films as a platform to bring about a change in the mindsets of people.” He further added that AIMC will hold Documentary film competition on the issue of ‘Disability’ from next year to give a platform to media students from various colleges to share their thoughts on this issue through the medium of films.
The films screened were Dove’s Tale, Drop of sunshine, Mindscape, Shining stars , Taste of Berry and these movies highlighted the sensitivities related to disability and the experiences of the people going through it. Dove’s Tale and Mindscape dealt with the issue of sexuality & disability, while Drop of sunshine film takes a bold and constrain approach and offers hope to the patients and caregivers of schizophrenia, Taste of Berry explores the life in a ‘therapeutic community’ and Shining Stars, an Israeli film highlights the struggles of a single disabled mother who wants to commence fertility treatments to have a child
Mr. Kapoor of Brotherhood spoke about the importance of festivals on themes such as ‘Disability’ and urged the students to develop sensitivities in reporting on issues of ‘differently- able’.
The festival was attended by over 500 students from various media colleges of Delhi and NCR and a special screening was done for the school children to raise awareness among them about the issue of disability.
