The two-day Film Fest organized by the Department of Journalism & Mass Communication concluded at Government College for Women, M.A. Road, Srinagar on Saturday (June 17).
The event was organized in collaboration with Film Southasia (FSA) & Hri Institute for South Asian Research and Exchange.
Several critically acclaimed documentaries were screened followed by interactive sessions. A workshop and an exhibition was also part of the two-day event.
Resource persons for the event included Ms. Laxmi Murthy, Mr. Alok Adhikari, and Mr. Pawas Manandhar. The event was attended by students and faculty members of the college.
On the first day of the fest, four films were screened including ‘Taangh’ (Longing), ‘God’s Buffalo’ and ‘Gurkha Girls’. Besides, the home production of the Journalism department ‘Ayesha’ was also premiered on the occasion.
On the second day, a workshop on the theme ‘Reframing Visual Depiction of Women and Sexual Violence’ was held in which the students expressed their thoughts in creative forms including sketches and poems. It was followed by the screening of the documentary ‘City That Spoke to Me’.
Meanwhile, an exhibition titled ‘Create, Collaborate, Catalyse: Reflections on Sexual Violence in South Asia’ was also held on the sidelines of the event.
Earlier, in her introductory speech, Ms Laxmi Murthy spoke about the power of documentary films not only to highlight pressing societal issues but also to challenge problematic narratives around issues like gender discrimination and violence.
About the workshop, she said the broader aim was to look at the depiction of women and sexual violence.
“We are trying to reframe and change the way women are depicted in films, artworks, news and entertainment media,” Ms. Murthy added.
Mr. Adhikari moderated the post-screening discussions while Mr. Manandhar moderated the workshop proceedings with Ms. Murthy.
At the valedictory ceremony, Principal, Prof. (Dr.) Ruhi Jan Kanth felicitated the resource persons and appreciated the journalism department for the smooth conduct of the event. She also briefed the guests about the efforts of the college administration to uphold the rich legacy of the institution while constantly striving to improve its academic profile with key research and skill development initiatives.
On the successful culmination of the event, Ms. Murthy said, “We loved interacting with the students. They are full of talent, passion, and optimism. We are so happy with the overall conduct of the event. We hope this is the start of a long journey and collaboration with the journalism department of the women’s college.”
While presenting Vote of Thanks, the Head, of the Department of Journalism, Dr. Suhail Ahmad termed it a great learning experience. He said the films screened as part of the fest celebrated the human spirit in the face of adversity.
Thanking the resource persons, he said, “The way they curated the overall event and particularly the workshop, it was quite engaging and thought-provoking. We look forward to holding more such events on a bigger scale.”