Siddhartha Gautam Film Festival 2005

[Guest guest]

SIDDHARTHA GAUTAM FILM FESTIVAL 2005

June 20-25, 2005 * Calcutta, Chandannagar

Organized by

Amitie', Chandannagar; Swikriti, Calcutta; and

Solidarity and Action Against The HIV Infection in India (SAATHII)

With support from

Elton AIDS Foundation, London

Remembering Siddhartha and his work through films and dialogue on

sexuality, human rights, sexual health and HIV/AIDS issues

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FESTIVAL SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE)

Day 1: June 20, 2005, 2.00-5.30 pm – Interaction with the media (Entry by

invitation only)

Venue: Park Palace Hotel, Singhi Villa, 49/2 Gariahat Road, Calcutta 700 019

Welcome address and introductions to the organizing agencies

Media conference addressed jointly by SAATHII, Amitie', Swikriti and Integration

Society to introduce the Rainbow (LGBT) Pride Week: June 20-26, 2005, which will

begin with the Siddhartha Gautam Film Festival 2005 and end with the Rainbow

Pride Walk 2005. Details of these and all related activities planned for the

Rainbow Pride Week will be provided

Short presentation on Siddhartha Gautam and the film festival named after him

Tentative launch of an inspirational music video expressing solidarity with LGBT

people produced jointly by Cactus and SAATHII, followed by an interaction with

Siddhartha Roy of Cactus

Tentative preview of a television interview series with LGBT people “Out On TV”

produced jointly by Sukriti Foundation and SAATHII

Unveiling of the SAATHII Rainbow Film Awards 2005

High tea followed by film screenings –

Virus No. 1: Dir. Ramchandra P. N., 2004, India, 10 min, Hindi / Gujarati with

English sub-titles. A short documentary on infections, emotions and the role of

the home in care, support and treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS

Piku Bhalo Aachhey: Dir. Tirthankar Guha Thakurta, 2004, India, 48 min, Bengali

with English sub-titles. A semi-fictional narrative about a gay Bengali youth

and his journey into self-acceptance

Interaction with filmmaker Tirthankar Guha Thakurta

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Day 2: June 21, 2005, 5.00-9.00 pm (Entry by invitation only)

Venue: Nritya Gopal Smriti Mandir, Bagbazar, Chandannagar

Welcome address and introductions to the organizing agencies

Special mention of Siddhartha Gautam Film Festival’s debut outside metro cities,

courtesy Amitie'

Short presentation on Siddhartha Gautam and the film festival named after him

Film screenings –

a) Babies and AIDS – Protecting Our Future: Dir. Pablo Chaterji, India, 22

min, Tamil / English. A short documentary on prevention of parent to child

transmission of HIV and the role each one of us should play in protecting our

future

Virus No. 1: See Day 1

Interaction with resource persons: Tarit Chakraborty, Bengal Network of People

Living With HIV/AIDS and Srabonti Ghosh, Counsellor

High tea followed by film screening –

a) Kinnor: Dir. Bikram Das, 2005, India, 30 min, Bengali with English

sub-titles. A short documentary on laundas – traditional cross-dressers and

transgender dancers from Bengal and Bihar who perform at weddings and festivals

in rural Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and sell sex for a living, often with violence

and HIV as occupational hazards

Interaction with filmmaker Bikram Das

Film screening –

a) Many People Many Desires: Dir. T. Jayashree, 2004, India, 45 min, English

/ Kannada / Tamil. First-person narratives of young men and women in Bangalore

who brave a conservative society and stand up for their sexuality,

gender-ex-pression and human rights

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Day 3: June 22, 2005, 5.00-8.00 pm – Interaction with families, friends and

colleagues of LGBT people (Entry by invitation only)

Venue: The Calcutta Samaritans, 44 A. J. C. Bose Road, Calcutta 700 016

Welcome address and introductions to the organizing agencies

Short introduction to Siddhartha Gautam

Swikriti representative to speak about their plans to start a support forum for

parents of LGBT people and the link with the day’s screening of films

Film screening –

a) My Brother Nikhil: Dir. Onir, 2005, India, 135 min, Hindi / English. A

sensitive story of a young swimming champion in Goa in the early 1990s. Told

through the eyes of his loving sister, Anamika the story focuses on

relationships that become strained when Nikhil becomes infected with HIV. This

film is about how relationships redefine themselves in times of crisis. About a

sister who defies her parents and stands by her brother. This film portrays a

gay relationship that withstood social disapproval. Finally this is a film about

a man’s quest to achieve something in life . . . to be happy and to be loved

Tea break

Resource person Anusree Das Banerjee, Counsellor, to initiate discussion based

on the film and explore possibilities of starting a support forum for parents of

LGBT people

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Day 4: June 25, 2005, 3.00-9.00 pm – All are welcome!

Venue: Gorky Sadan, 3 Gorky Terrace, Calcutta 700 017

Welcome address and introductions to the organizing agencies

Announcement of the day’s proceedings

Short presentation on Siddhartha Gautam and the film festival named after him

Film screening –

a) Kashish: Dir. Meenakshi Vinay Rai, 2003, India, 30 min, Hindi / English.

Producers: Sangini (India) Trust, New Delhi. Woman meets woman and a story

begins!

Interaction with Sangini representative Bharati Shah

Film screenings –

a) I Am Positive That We Shall Overcome: Dir. Social Awareness Service

Organization (SASO), 2004, India, 10 min, English / Manipuri. Musical vignettes

addressing disclosure of HIV status, hope and optimism

Second film to be decided

Interaction with representative of SASO: R. K. Premchand

Tea break

Tentative: Introduction to the Cactus team, and Siddhartha Roy of Cactus to

speak about the music video produced jointly by Cactus and SAATHII

Tentative: Screening of the music video followed by an interaction with the

Cactus team

Announcement of the SAATHII Rainbow Film Awards 2005 – presentation on the

awards voting process, announcement of the voting results, screening of video

recordings of winners’ comments, handing over of the awards

Announcement of the Rainbow Pride Walk 2005 proceedings on June 26, 2005

Film screening –

a) My Brother Nikhil: See Day 3.

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For more details contact:

Anis at 93310 38554 (after 5 pm), Anupam at 94331 56951, Pawan at 98312 88023 or

Rajarshi at 94330 09190

E-mail: saathiical_lgbtsc@...

Pawan Dhall

E-mail: <pawan30@...>