Film Maker

• Mainstream

Onir (2009-10)

Onir is a filmmaker, producer, writer and editor who has constantly used his filmmaking skills effectively to create awareness about various causes. Be it the controversial issues like Homosexuality or the less spoken about issues like sodomy, his movies have certainly been a reflection of truth. His first film My Brother Nikhil, touched upon the sensitive issue of homosexuality and AIDS and was a breakthrough for the Gay community in India. Another issue that he strongly feels for and has been working for is that of Child Sexual Abuse in India and it was to bring about the gravity and seriousness of this issue that he conceptualized the movie – Abhimanyu. He has also been associated with 7 NGOs working for the cause of child Sexual Abuse. Currently he is working on a series of short films, all of which deal with important social issues like MEGHA which is about Kashmiri Pandits who have been refugees, OMAR which is about the significance of the verdict on Homosexuality, to name a few. He believes that the powerless have the strength of truth and courage and if they all stand against the wrong together, change is inevitable.

Pritish Nandy (2008-09)

Pritish Nandy began as a poet at the age of 16. In a decade, he had published 40 books and received a Padma Shri. Mr. Nandy was a Member of Parliament for 6 years, from 1998 till 2004. His outstanding work in heritage and restoration won him the UNESCO Heritage Award in 2006. A majority of the movies he directs are based on social issues. He has showcased and highlighted myriad social stigmas and social evils to the audiences through his films.

Revathy (2007-08)

Revathy is an award winning actor and director of Indian films. Through the strong character roles she has played, she has managed to touch thousands of lives, especially of the oppressed Indian women. She has been working the disabled and the mentally ill, women and children through organizations including the Ability Foundation, the Banyan, Vidyasagar and the Tanker Foundation with whom she works for awareness about renal diseases and organ donation.

• Contemporary Issues

Girish Joshi (2009-10)

Mr.Girish Joshi is a qualified software engineer and presently a filmmaker. He truly believes in using the mass entertainment pull of Hindi Films in propagating awareness of social issues. His films like ‘Zor Lagaa Ke Haiya’ have been an attempt at making people aware of the visible and alarming issues around them that mostly get ignored. This movie is the first commercial film ever in Bollywood to touch the environment issue in a very significant way and has also won various awards worldwide. Mr.Girish has also made several Corporate AVs for NGOs working for the mentally challenged children. He has a desire in him to harness his media experience for the welfare of the society as a whole.

Bhavna Talwar (2008-09)

A filmmaker striving to create a difference, Bhavna is the director of ‘Dharm’ - a story about a Hindu Pandit priest accidently adopting a Muslim child who challenges the very core of the priest’s belief system. The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has commented that the film will go a long way to help create a secular nation.

• Documentary

Ridhesh Sejpal (2009-10)

Mr. Ridhesh Sejpal  is a documentary filmmaker and has been experimenting with the medium of cinema. At the age of 21, he has already directed marvelous documentaries on diverse social subjects and has always accumulated the essence of the appeal brilliantly. These documentaries and films have been globally recognized and awarded over the years. Mr. Ridhesh has also served as the Vice President, Community Service Director and a Volunteer for the Rotaract Club of Mulund.(Mumbai) He has coordinated several projects such as Aids Awareness Campaigns, Polio Dose Camps, Ban Plastic Camps, Relief to 7\11 Blast Victims & Film Screenings for BMC School Students. He also worked for the global warming issues as an active member of the Global Warming Research team for the Vidhyarthi Pratinidhi Mandal(Ruia College).

Nitin Das (2008-09)

A documentary filmmaker by profession, Nitin Das has created a niche for himself by addressing an issue of immediate international concern. His film on global warming is unique because it focuses on the solution rather than the problem. It offers a simple and effective way for every individual to make a difference. Films are a very powerful medium to reach out to the masses and change mindsets, and Nitin strives to do exactly that. The film has been on the main campaign page of the Billion Tree Campaign, seeing over 50,000 page hits every month. The film has also been screened in a number of conferences on Climate Change and Environment.

Akanksha Joshi(2008-09)

Akanksha Joshi is an emerging new talent in the field of documentary film making. She took on a project in January 2004, documenting a Satyagrah march in Orissa. The issue was Land Rights struggles across the state. She began to make a film on Chilika - Asia’s largest brackish water lake, India’s largest coastal lake and the largest wintering grounds for migratory birds in the sub-continent. In many ways, it can be said that this was the beginning of her ‘love affair’ with the lake and her people. She showcased violence, land grabbing, murders, and corruption - at every rung of the business around Chilika. She highlighted not a ‘mainstream’ or a ‘hot’ issue, but a very important one. By choosing an issue of global concern, she has made an everlasting impact on the viewers' minds.

• Short Films

Rahul V Chittella (2010-11)

Rahul V Chittella is a filmmaker and media entrepreneur who has been active in the process of empowering the youth with media in Mumbai. He has also been active in the theatre sector of Mumbai. Rahul has recently completed directing and producing a short fiction film titled, 'Muted' which is based on the simple theme of how we as individuals in the society have forgotten the basics of being good humans. Rahul has worked as the Creative Director for MAM Movies, an international organization which seeks to use media for social issues and has been the producer of "I am That", a short documentary on the eunuch community of India. He was also the producer for the Seva Journals Project under which filmmakers make videos for non-profits at an economical amount of money and has directed videos on various NGOs like that for I Volunteers, Rang De, Centre for Development Finance (CDF) and USHA. Under MAM Movies, Rahul also conceived the SHE Creates Project in association with the UNDP where 25 girl school children from various walks of life, society, religion and culture were brought together to produce 5 short films on women issues made completely by themselves. This helped the girls to express themselves as individuals and taught them about the basics of life. Rahul recently finished working on projects with the United Nations at New York City and is currently actively involved with the Global Lives Project, India as its director and executive producer.

FILMBOOTH- iCONGO (2010-11)

Rintu Thomas (2010-11)

Rintu Thomas is a filmmaker who completed her Masters in Mass Communication from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia University. Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh run an independent media outfit – Black Ticket Films – and have produced & directed award-winning films. Their movie ‘In Search of My Home’ which explored the lives of refugees living in the capital city of the largest democracy of the world received the best film award & the best director award at The Short & Documentary Film festival of Hyderabad in 2010. They produced films like ‘The Miracle Water Village’, ‘Flying Inside My Body’, ‘Children of the Night’, ‘Bullets & Butterflies’ which highlighted issues relating to climate change, gender & HIV AIDS, lives of handicapped street children and disability. Their films have been screened in film festivals across the world and also premiered on global television networks like the National Geographic Channel and NDTV. They also conduct film appreciation and filmmaking workshops for young adults in various educational institutions in Delhi. Some of their films are also being used as an advocacy tool by various NGOs working with street children in France, Germany, Italy and India.

Sushmit Ghosh (2010-11)

Sushmit Ghosh is a filmmaker who completed his Masters in Mass Communication from the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia University. Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas run an independent media outfit – Black Ticket Films – and have produced & directed award-winning films. Their movie ‘In Search of My Home’ which explored the lives of refugees living in the capital city of the largest democracy of the world received the best film award & the best director award at The Short & Documentary Film festival of Hyderabad in 2010. They produced films like ‘The Miracle Water Village’, ‘Flying Inside My Body’, ‘Children of the Night’, ‘Bullets & Butterflies’ which highlighted issues relating to climate change, gender & HIV AIDS, lives of handicapped street children and disability. Their films have been screened in film festivals across the world and also premiered on global television networks like the National Geographic Channel and NDTV. They also conduct film appreciation and filmmaking workshops for young adults in various educational institutions in Delhi. Some of their films are also being used as an advocacy tool by various NGOs working with street children in France, Germany, Italy and India.

Geeta Kumar Singh (2009-10)

Geeta Singh, over the past 6 years, has been working on films on the impact of climate change and sustainable methods of combating the effects of global warming. An editor by profession, she now directs and produces films on subjects such as emancipation of women and the girl child, street children and education for all. For 2 consecutive years, she has been a member of the jury for selection of films for the UK Environment Film Fellowships, instituted by the British High Commission and the British Council in India. Her films have been finalists not only at the CMS Vatavaran environment film festival, but also the world renowned Panda Awards, at the Wildscreen film festival in the United Kingdom.

Avinash Kumar Singh (2009-10)

Avinash Kumar Singh, a writer / director / cinematographer by profession, has worked on films on the environment and climate change over the past 6 years. ‘Turtle on a Hammock films’, run by his wife Geeta and himself, consists of a team of young, enthusiastic and skilled professionals who deliver films that make a mark. Working extensively with a variety of NGO’s such as Action Aid, CARE, Frendicoes, Youthreach and Udayan Care, his efforts at making films that make a difference have been critically acclaimed and well received. He is also working on his 1st Hindi feature film with Konkona Sen Sharma and Ranvir Shorey.

Swati D’souza, Sehej Mantri, Sheetal Bhan, Aalap Deboor (2008-09)

These young students at the SIES College, Mumbai has been making socially relevant films for a year now. Her first film focused on the need for eunuchs to be appeased and treated as a part of the society. Her second film was based on female foeticide – portraying how a pregnant woman puts her foot down and resolves to give birth to her girl child by choosing not to bow down to societal pressure. Swati hopes to go a long way in seconding social causes that require immediate attention.

Print Journalist

Syed Nazakat (2010-11)

Syed Nazakat is a journalist from the Kashmir valley currently based in Delhi. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Konrad Adenauer Asian Center of Journalism, Philippines. He is at present working with THE WEEK magazine as a Senior Correspondent and also is a member of its investigative team. He has extensively reported on politics, security, terrorism, developmental and human rights related issues like custodial killings, torture and abuse of power; India-Pakistan relations and peace process, Kashmir conflict and troubled Northeast region of India. He has also covered international affairs like political turmoil in Burma, Thailand, Pakistan and Nepal, the developmental issues in Laos and Cambodia, the war in Afghanistan, killings of Indians in Philippines and more recently he has reported from Australia on India-Australia strategic ties. He has been awarded the prestigious journalism award in India, the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for a series of in-depth reports on South Asian earthquake in 2005. He has also been nominated as the finalist for the 2010 Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding International Investigative Reporting in Geneva for his two powerful cover stories on “India’s Secret Torture Chambers” and “Top Secret” on India’s secret chain of Guantanamo-like prisoners and rendition program for kidnapping terrorism suspects. He continues his exceptional work and coverage of sensitive stories with courage and determination

Anita Pratap (2010-11)

Anita Pratap was the South Asia Bureau Chief of CNN till January 1999. She covered all the major stories in the region including the nuclear tests, the ethnic war in Sri Lanka, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, conflicts in India's Kashmir and North East. She was the first television journalist to report from the 22,000 ft Siachen Glacier. Before joining CNN, she worked eight years as a correspondent for TIME magazine, covering stories in the region. Anita worked as a reporter for leading Indian magazine and newspapers including India Today, Sunday and the Indian Express. In addition to hardcore breaking news, she has consistently reported on issues such as population, education, health care, poverty, child, women, cultural and Historical issues. She has worked as an independent documentary film-maker, directing and scripting films on these issues. She has won the American George Polk Award in 1997; the Eminent Indian Award conferred by the Indo-American Society in 1997; won all three nominations in the television news category for the Pinnacle Award; won the Chameli Devi Jain Award in 1998 given to an "Outstanding Woman Media Person". She won a Lifetime Achievement award in 2007 and was honoured by her alma mater Miranda House for her "Outstanding contribution to the fields of international print, television and web journalism" in 2009. Her first book "Island of Blood", published by Penguin was an instant best-seller. Photographed by Mahesh Bhat and authored by her, their book UNSUNG, on people who have contributed to society against personal odds, was released in mid 2007. It has helped generate over Rs.6.5 million (USD130000.00) in aid to the causes of the Heroes featured in the book. UNSUNG has received rave reviews and made a great impact on the lives of the Heroes featured.

Tarun J Tejpal (2009-10)

Mr. Tarun J Tejpal is a journalist, publisher and novelist and in his 26-year career he has worked with India Today, Indian Express, The Telegraph and Outlook. In 2000 he started Tehelka, a news organization that has earned a global reputation for its aggressive public interest journalism. Mr. Tejpal has been listed as one of Asia’s 50 most powerful communicators and among 50 leaders at the forefront of change in Asia. His debut novel The Alchemy Of Desire was hailed as a "masterpiece", and his new one, The Story of My Assassins, has been termed "an instant classic". Both have been translated in more than a dozen languages worldwide. Both as a journalist and a writer, his work is seen as courageous and pathbreaking.

Umesh Anand (2008-09)

Umesh Anand is a journalist by profession. His last assignment was as the Resident Editor of the Times of India in Delhi. Umesh conceptualised Civil Society, a monthly magazine that was launched to track Indian change leaders. Through this venture, he has helped spread new ideas on green business, water, organic farming, alternative models in health and education, innovative use of information technology and traditional knowledge.

Rita Anand (2008-09)

A teacher by profession, Rita Anand switched to being a researcher and reporter on social issues in the nineties. Rita conceptualised Civil Society, a monthly magazine that was launched to track Indian change leaders. She has worked with the Centre for Science and Environment, the Women’s Feature Service and has studied urban slums and reproductive health under a Panos fellowship. She has built a loyal, national readership, thereby proving that Indians value free media and serious content.

Altaf Ahmed(2007-08)

He is a freelance journalist and a social activist with a special interest in human rights. He has been working for the last 25 years on communal and linguistic harmony, and peace and human rights. He has organized campaigns and written a number of articles on social issues like land rights, tribal rights, Indo-Pak harmony, environment, conservation of resources, etc. and has also been recognized by the Indian government for his services to the community.

Author

Gregory David Roberts (2009-10)

Gregory David Robert’s novel SHANTARAM has been acclaimed as ‘a masterpiece’ by a number of critics and reviewers across the globe. He has devoted much time, energy and money in helping to raise the health standard of the people living in the Cuffe Parade Zhopadpatti (Ambedkar Nagar). Gregory David Roberts works as an ethical consultant for major international corporations. Further, he has focused on employment and education related issues. He has himself funded ‘THE SHANTARAM’ initiative and never accepted from anyone. Mr. Gregory Roberts has been closely involved in providing free, open and universal education to the poor. His Shantaram initiative works towards educating poorest of the poor, in order to help break the poverty cycle that keeps families without access to education. He has also been working with like-minded charities like Akanksha and The Heart for India Foundation, to create positive synergies and expand his work.

Vandana Shah (2008-09)

This author believes in the philosophy "Care, Stand up, Do something and make a difference”. After participating in the Lead India campaign, she feels she has emerged a stronger and more empowered person. She has initiated the first ever support group in India named ‘360 degrees back to life’ for those going through a breakdown of relationships. She has also actively participated with an NGO that promoted a waste management technique endorsed by the United Nations.

Literary Consultant

Mita Kapur (2008-09)

Siyahi was founded by Ms. Mita Kapur along with a group of eminent members of the literati, who truly believed in the power of the written word. Ms. Kapur answered her true calling after graduating with honours from the University of Delhi by taking up a career in journalism with a purpose. She has fought relentlessly for the cause of the downtrodden and Dalits, and for cases of domestic child labour abuse. As a part of Siyahi, she doubles up as a literary agent along with conceptualising and directing literary events. She is also Advisor and Senior Consultant for Bookaroo – the first ever children’s literature festival in India, being held in collaboration with the German Book Office in November 2008. Other than social and human rights issues, she has written extensively about developmental and environmental issues, along with concerns within the publishing industry. Her commitment to making a difference was made apparent when she single-handedly volunteered and put together an unprecedented Indian International Literary Festival.

TV Reporter (Instituted in 2009-10)

Shereen Bhan (2010-11)

Shereen Bhan is the Executive-Editor CNBC-TV18. She has been producing and anchoring CNBC-TV18’s flagship shows like India Business Hour and Whats Hot. Through her shows such as Young Turks, Change Agents and The Heart of Business, she tries and focuses on social entrepreneurs who believe in the magic of changing lives and who are the real change agents for the society. She believes that social entrepreneurs have emerged with innovative solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. Shereen feels that more than the government or public policy, it is the entrepreneurs who are going to change the face of India. Driven by passion and not profit, they are both visionaries and realists. They have taken on the mantle to question status quo rather than leaving societal needs to the government or business. She has tried to highlight the stories of champions of change, people who are making a difference for society. In future, Shereen plans to venture into the field of education and make a difference there.

Online reporting (Instituted in 2009-10)

Music Video (Instituted in 2009-10)

Manish Jain (2010-11)

Manish Jain is a writer and director, Films and Music Videos. He started his career with few short films like “A Story without a Title” and directing a documentary film “Just Rs 5” for an affiliate of London School of Economics. He is also a qualified editor and special effects compositor. He was assistant director to Mr. Sangeeth Sivan and Cannes award winner Manish Jha. Currently, Manish is writing 4 feature films. He has ventured into film production and started his film production company “Shot OK Motion Pictures”. His most recent work was a music video “Azaad 26/11”, an anti terrorism tribute to Mumbai that he directed & produced in collaboration with Subhash Ghai's company. This video stars some of the big names like Isha Koppikar, Celina Jaitley, Gul Panag, Jaaved Jaffery, Aushima Sawhney and Indian idol finalist Meenal Jain and was played on about 10 prime TV channels like Aaj Tak, Star News, CNN-IBN, Times Now, Headlines Today, etc on the anniversary of 26/11. This video got raved reviews from veteran Oscar winning Hollywood directors and had become a big rage even before the official release. His company believes in making innovative cinema and will soon be announcing 2 feature film projects and 3 music videos which he says will be very innovative.

Photo Journalist (Instituted in 2009-10)

Mahesh Bhat (2010-11)

Mahesh Bhat, a documentary and editorial photographer based out of Bangalore, has been commissioned by prestigious international periodicals and corporations from over 20 countries. His book UNSUNG co-authored with Anita Pratap, on people who have contributed to society against personal odds, was released in mid 2007. It has helped generate over Rs.6.5 million (USD130000.00) in aid to the causes of the Heroes featured in the book. He was awarded the Vocational Services Award from the Rotary Club for his work on UNSUNG. UNSUNG has received rave reviews and made a great impact on the lives of the Heroes featured.

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