Goan beaches offer dreams to Bollywood novices
PANAJI, India: Twenty-three-year-old Rishad D'Cruz could be any other college graduate at this beach resort town with his uncombed hair and dishevelled clothes. But D'Cruz is actually one of dozens of budding, young filmmakers participating in a keenly contested competition at the International Film Festival of India that was underway in the holiday state of Goa. The contest to produce a short film in 24 hours was open only for aspiring, new filmmakers under 24 years of age. "I have not slept for three days as me and my team have been rehearsing to get into this competition, which if it goes well can be our way into the movie world," D'Cruz, a Goan resident told AFP. D'Cruz's stab at cinema is titled The Filmmaker and is about his crew trying to make a film about a gay Goan boy who wants to commit suicide. The 35th Indian film festival, billed by organisers as a spicy sub-continental riposte to the Cannes film festival, began November 29 in India's number one tourist destination, which boasts long, palm-fringed sandy beaches. Even as the festival exposed the nearly 2,000 delegates to world cinema, tucked in a small corner of the main venue was a stall dedicated to produce new films by young aspirants in 24 hours. "This is an idea that emerged from my own experience in making films," said Dev Benegal, organiser of the contest, film curator and director of critically acclaimed films, "English, August" and "Split Wide Open." "The concept was to give young filmmakers a platform away from the burdens of raising finances, dealing with bureaucracy, producers and so on." Forty such youngsters were shortlisted to participate in the contest and were provided with cameras and computers to edit. "The film they make has to be on the theme of nature and violence and its length can vary anywhere between 24 seconds and 24 minutes," Benegal said. "We believe that the number 24 holds a lot of meaning because a film moves at 24 frames a second and there are 24 hours to a day. For us, it signifies how cinema and life come together." Around five new films run daily and the organisers have granted a special time slot early in the day for the premiere of each one. The festival as a launch pad for their careers was a pleasant experience for these young movie makers. "Something like 24X7 definitely gives young filmmakers a platform and possibly even a foothold into the industry," said D'Cruz. "To make it in Bollywood is not easy if you don't know anyone or do not have anything to show." He said the festival gave him the opportunity to use the best equipment, which otherwise would have been unaffordable, and to screen his work in front of international judges. "I'm certainly hoping to get noticed," he added. Of the 40 films, the best will be given a special award and the winner a camera, Benegal said. "When I made my first film, I was told that an Indian film in English couldn't be done," he said of English, August, about a young Indian bureaucrat assigned to a remote village, which was released a few years back and starred Indian actor Rahul Bose. "With 24X7, we hope to let young filmmakers tell the stories they want to tell without anyone telling them it can't be done." The Indian film show ends on December 9 after 11 days and nearly 200 screenings from across the world. The Goa government spent more than 1.20 billion rupees (26 million dollars) to make the venue attractive. US blockbuster "The Incredibles" and Oliver Stone's controversial epic "Alexander" -- the closing film -- have proved top attractions, organisers said. Other prominent offerings were Sofia Coppola's "Lost In Translation" from the United States, "Yesterday" from South Africa, "Terkel in Trouble" from Denmark and "Manners of Dying" from Canada. - AFP -- www.gaybombay.info ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $4.98 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/Q7_YsB/neXJAA/yQLSAA/WfTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Group Site: http://www.gaybombay.info ========================== NEW CLASSIFIEDS SECTION SEEKING FRIENDS? VISIT www.gaybombay.info click on classified section and type your message in the post section once the link opens This message was posted to the gay_bombay Yahoo! Group. Responses to messages (by clicking "Reply") will also be posted on the eGroup and sent to all members. If you'd like to respond privately to the author of any message then please compose and send a new email message to the author's email address. 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