Press release from the Dept of Journalism, St Aloysius College

Mangalore, Oct 28: The Department of Journalism, St Aloysius College, Mangalore, has organized a documentary films screening show on Sunday, October 29, at 11.00 am. The film screenings are a part of the week-long National-level Documentary Filmmaking Workshop held by the Department of Journalism.

The films package consists of four short documentary films made by the participants of the workshop. The topics of the documentaries are interesting and extremely relevant to our day-to-day life. They relate to havoc created by bad roads in Mangalore seen through the eyes of common people, the recent Mangalore riots, Sultan Battery and neglect, and a Day in the Sea (tales of fisher-folk). All these documentaries make extensive use of footage from actual locations. They are a representation of the forgotten aspects of our lives - experience, struggles, and perspectives of common people.

The documentary films' duration varies from five minutes to 10. The films are the fruit of the participants' tryst with documentary films and digital media at the Department of Journalism.

Sixteen participants from Goa and South Kanara are participating in the week-long (Oct 23-29 ) National-level Documentary Film Making Workshop. The workshop is organized by Fr Richard Rego, Head, Dept of Journalism (St Aloysius College) in an attempt to impart documentary film making education to students and interested participants, who are interested in the medium but are constrained due to availability of infrastructure and expertise.

P N Ramchandra from Mumbai is the instructor. He is a renowned filmmaker, who has made Suddha (the Cleansing Rites) – the first full-length Tulu digital film. The film won the Best Indian Film award at the Osean's Cinefan Festival of Asian Films (July 2006). Besides, the film was also screened in Croatia and Germany at their International Film Festivals. It has been selected for the Austin Asian Film Festival to be held on 08 November.

Ramchandra was the director of Surabhi (Karnataka episodes), a popular television serial telecast on Doordarshan. Besides making many short films and documentaries, Ramchandra has secured a project from UNDP to make a film on Human Development. Currently, he is engaged in making a short film on HIV/AIDS Testing – a 20-minute documentary and has readied a script for another Hindi film on sexual hypocricy, and he is looking for finances.

Richard Castelino, a noted film director from coastal Karnataka region, will be the chief guest for the valedictory of the workshop during which the documentatry screenings will take place. astelino will give away certificates to the participants.

The film screening is open for the public; admission free.

Time: 11.00 am sharp

Date: October 29, Sunday

Venue: Teletorium, St Aloysius College

Working Titles of Films:

• Where is the Road? (Effects of Bad Roads in Mangalore)
• Trawler Fishing – the Experience (A Day in the Sea with Fishermen)
• Mockery of History (Neglect of Sultan Battery)
• Silent Fears (Communal Riots of Mangalore)