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MP
Carves out a Global
Cultural
Niche in Tribal
Art & Culture
ndia's central State
of Madhya Pradesh
is creating a niche
for itself as a
global centre for
promoting tribal
art and culture.
Vanya, a State Government
department looking
after tribal welfare
has succeeded in
hosting an International
Film Festival of
Tribal Art and Culture
(IFFTAC) 2008 last
February and is
now all set to hold
the second edition
of the event in
the bustling commercial
city of Indore from
6 to 9 February,
2009.
The inaugural three-day
IFFTAC 2008 was
an overwhelming
success, with films
from across 40 countries
participating in
the festival, besides
showcasing tribal
culture through
an impressive exhibition
and seminars. According
to O.P. Rawat, Principal
Secretary in the
State Government's
Tribal Welfare Department,
the idea of IFFTAC
has received instant
global response
because tribal culture
is spread across
the world, with
the host India,
especially Madhya
Pradesh, having
its own distinct
identity in this
arena. The IFFTAC
organizers believe
Madhya Pradesh rightfully
qualifies for hosting
a festival on a
global scale as
tribals constitute
a fifth of the State's
total 60 million
population and mostly
live in their natural
habitat of forests,
spread across a
third of its total
area.
This Indian cultural
identity is derived
from the essence
of various forms
of folk life, lyrics,
songs and dances.
Tribal society,
without any ambiguity,
has been the custodian
of culture, tradition
and natural resources.It
has thus become
imperative for the
civilized world
to conserve its
tribal culture,
while achieving
an integral connection
with it.
Against this background
the IFFTAC 2008
was conceptualized
to highlight the
essence of tribal
culture and way
of life and help
remove the misconceptions
about these vibrant
people. In this
era of Global Village,
the necessity of
putting forward
these thoughts became
a necessity. Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan,
young and dynamic
in outlook, personally
took up the matter
with his Cabinet
colleague and Forest
and Tribal Welfare
Minister Kunwar
Vijay Shah for directing
Vanya to conceptualize
the IFFTAC 2008.
Vanya in association
with Mumbai's Indian
Infotainment Media
Corporation, a professional
organization committed
to social causes,
organized the festival,
the first of its
kind in the world
in Indore from 1
to 3 February, 2008.
The IFFTAC 2008
took off to a glittering
start with popular
Bollywood star and
politician Shatrughan
Sinha, along with
actor Randhir Kapoor
and several other
film and television
personalities attending
the inaugural function.
Among the distinguished
foreign guests were
Peru's acting Ambassador
Carlos A. Yrigoyen,
and Shewangizaw
Endale, a representative
from Ethopia.
Speaking on the
occasion, Sinha
said, “The
effort to bring
the tribal people
into the mainstream
and develop their
tribal art, culture
and civilization
is not only appreciative
but also exemplary.
All should learn
from this.”
On his part, Kapoor
congratulated the
Madhya Pradesh Government
and the organizers
of this unique event.
He said, “This
is a special occasion,
which not only the
country, but the
whole world will
witness.”
The festival received
as many as 250 film
entries from 40
countries. Of these,
69 films were selected
for competition
and for screening.
Apart from these,
non-competitive
documentary and
short films and
feature films on
tribal issues were
also screened during
the festival.
The countries participating
in the festival
included Australia,
France, Germany,
Hungary, India,
Iran, Ireland, Israel,
Italy, Japan, New
Zealand, Pakistan,
Peru, Russia, Scotland,
Singapore, South
Africa, Sri-Lanka,
Switzerland, Sweden,
United Kingdom and
the US. Ethiopia,
Ecuador, Peru and
Botswana were country-partners
of the festival.
The award for the
best International
Film went to to
Haken Berthas of
Sweden for her film
"Thin Ice"
an inspiring interpretation
of women's empowerment
in a remote area
of Ladakh.
Director and Producer
Vijay Pratap won
the award for the
Best National Film
for her film 'Tribal
Fertility Rites
(Itikela Panduga).
She won the award
for its well researched
documentation of
ritualistic practices
of tribes in the
Eastern Ghats of
Andhra Pradesh.
Joseb (Soso) of
Georgia was awarded
for the Best film
by a Tribal Film
Maker for his truthful
& convincing
portrayal of tribal
culture & ethos
in his film "Svani".
Director Ravi Williams
won the award for
the best film by
a Film Maker from
Madhya Pradesh for
his film "Oh
Lohgundi Raja Ho"
depicting the honest
and sincere treatment
of the problems
of Agadiya tribes.
Director M Yashwanth
Reddy and Producer
Ch. Shriniwas Reddy
won the award for
Best Film by a student
film maker for the
film "Please
Don't Disturb Us"
for its sensitive,
realistic documentation
of the lives of
the Khond tribes
of Andhra Pradesh.
Director Lesile
Mackenzine &
Tara Douglas won
the Jury award for
the best Animation
Film "The Tallest
Story Competition"
for its elegant
craftsmanship and
handling of tribal
stories from different
parts of India.
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