Well known actor and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee Dr Mohan Agashe and National Award winning filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan were part of the five member jury that recently convened to decide on winning films in five categories for the We Care Film Festival, which will be held as part of the International Purple Festival Goa, 2024. The film festival will be held from 8 to 13 January 2024 at INOX, Panjim, Goa. The other jury members were Shachi Chaturvedi, representative from UNIC, Delhi; Neenu Kewlani, entrepreneur with disability; and Dr. Prerna Sharma, consultant, former Senior Manager at TISS-SVE, Mumbai.
“Being a Psychiatrist, I prefer to be non-judgemental, and hence prefer not to be on the Jury or examiner. That’s why I do not usually agree to be on any jury panel. But ‘We Care’ is a film festival with a difference and a noble purpose. So as the chair of Jury, instead of judging, I tried to see whether the film serves the purpose for which it is made, and how many perspectives it can generate respecting the perceptions of other juries from different walks of life”, said Dr.Mohan Agashe.
“Recently the Union Government registered 94 lakh Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) across the country. That is a huge number and a population that cannot be ignored. The We Care Film Festival has been doing yeoman service in spreading awareness and I was a part of the festival several years ago, and happy to return. The films we saw were of amazing quality, and I’m eager for the larger public to see these films at the festival”, said Sridhar Rangayan, who had worked in the field of disability for several years in the early 90s.
Brotherhood, an organization based in New Delhi has been conducting film festivals on disability since 2003 and this is the 16th edition of We Care Film Festival.
“Their voices of people with disabilities are still unheard and neglected by society. Very few organizations are using audio-visual media and organizing film festivals on disability issues in India to create awareness through the medium of films and to foster integration in society by spreading the message of ability. Also, the festival is aimed at giving a fillip to the rights-based approach where persons with disability are considered persons first. We also want to remove the myths, misconceptions, prejudices and stereotypes about disabled and disability among society by using the medium of films”, said Satish Kapoor, founder and director, Brotherhood.
Creating awareness on disability issues through the medium of films is a new concept in India though such festivals have been held in various countries. Research shows that in most countries, the majority of children with disabilities do not know any adults with disabilities and consequently, many have a difficult time in imagining their future. Audio-visual media can provide opportunities for them to observe adults with disabilities undertaking a wide variety of activities and, in effect, introducing them to positive role models.
