Srinagar, May 10: Two Days Travelling Film Festival on Gender Diversity will begin from 16th May at Educational Multimedia Resource Centre and Centre for Women Studies and Research in collaboration with Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA) at University of Kashmir.
MAVA, a voluntary organization based in Mumbai and working for over 30 years to stop gender-based violence on women by engaging Men and Boys are organizing a 2-days unique film-festival called SamaBhav (meaning Equanimity).
The theme of the festival is gender, masculinity, sexuality and diversity. The festival is open to all university and college students and representatives of civil society organizations from the region.
The film festival is on 16-17 April, 2023 from 10 am to 5.30 pm at Media House Auditorium, University of Kashmir, Srinagar. The SamaBhav International Film Festival, only of its kind in India, is part of a Travelling festival, in its 5th year, that kicked off in Mumbai in February 2023.
It has been travelling to Bengaluru, Pune, Guwahati, Chennai, Kohima, Srinagar, Gorakhpur, Bilaspur, Kochi and 4 rural districts of Maharashtra. Young people studying in Universities, Colleges that run under-graduate, post-graduate and professional courses in Technology, Arts, Commerce, Humanities, Management, Engineering streams, members of civil society including those working on human rights and gender are invited to participate at the Film Festival.
The travelling film festival would engage youths through stirring conversations with experts on contemporary gender issues and Intersectionality, related to all genders, and advocate for a healthy, pluralistic, gender just society.
The festival aims to provide a safe, non-threatening platform to open up,ventilate differences and celebrate diversity in Gender.
The film festival, being held in 16 locations pan India, and also in Jakarta and Thimphu with local collaborators during February to August 2023, is featuring from a package of 24 national and international short films, documentaries and feature films on gender.
These films cover a wide range of gender matters – from various forms of gender-based discrimination/violence against women to transphobia to toxic Masculinity.
Award-Winning and notable Films Trans Kashmir, Untying the Knot, Hasina, Gandi Baat, Kaali Peeli, We Need to Talk, Binary Error, Ujjhyo, Kohrra, Gair and Footprints are among the notable films that would be screened.
Animated discussions over screening of films would be a key part of the Program. Gender Rights Practitioners Harish Sadani, Asiya Shervani, Dr. Aijaz Ahmad Bund, Dr. Mantasha Binti Rashid, Supreet Singh, Altamash Khan, Syed Suheel, Dr. Rehana Kauser, Filmmakers Surbhi Dewan and Akmal Hanan, Academicians Dr. Roshan Ara and Salima Jan from the University of Kashmir will be among the key discussants at the festival interacting with the gathered participants.
