We Care Filmfest

A unique film festival with a difference, the ?WE CARE FILMFEST? has been organized since 2003 to promote the rights of persons with disability. The next edition of this festival is being organized by BROTHERHOOD in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), New Delhi, the National Trust, Oxfam, the AAFT and Palador from February 4 to 7. The Festival will also travel thereafter to Pune, Kolkata and Udaipur. A special highlight of the Festival will be the Special screening of films by some veterans like Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut, and Christopher Doyle by courtesy of Palador on various issues relating to disabilities. The organizers are inviting entries from all over the world of films that meet the rights as set out in UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability for the upcoming WE CARE Film Festival 2009 in four categories: up to one minute, up to five minutes, up to thirty minutes, and up to sixty minutes. The last date for submitting entries is 3 January 2009. The Festival will culminate with the award ceremony on 3 May 2009, which will mark one year of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Apart from professional filmmakers, the film festival is also open to students of Mass Communication, Journalism and film making institution from India and abroad. This is the first festival of its kind in the world and has unique feature of adjudging the films and documentaries. While a Preview Committee will shortlist the entries and an independent jury will judge these films, the organisers will also invite the audience (including students) to rate each films and be part of a PARTICIPATORY RATING PROCESS (PRP) which will give an alternate opinion on the quality, content and treatment in these films. Needless to say, it would be an excellent opportunity to all students to develop their understanding and perspective relating to disability issues, besides contributing to the process of participatory rating. This will help the students whenever they plan to make short films/documentaries on disability. The aim of the film festival is not merely to create awareness about disability issues through the medium of films and integration in society, but also to give a fillip to the rights-based approach where persons with disability are considered persons first. Through several projects, we have demonstrated that films and documentaries can be a powerful medium for educating the public about disability issues, dispelling myths, stereotypes and misconceptions about persons with disabilities and promoting a new approach to disability which guarantees equal rights and opportunities and equal access. Since 2003, Brotherhood has acquired about 200 films and documentaries on various disabilities including award winning films and documentaries. This initiative has got support from various organizations like the National Trust, the World Bank, NTPC, AAFT, Nestle, Coke etc. and award winning films and documentaris have been distributed across the countries including organzations working for the welfare of Disability, Mass Communication, Journalism and film making and other educational institution.