Schoolgirls win laurels at film festival

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 17th International Children's Film Festival of India (ICFFI) has brought accolades to a group of schoolgirls from the state as three short films directed by them have found special mention in the festival which concluded in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Three short films - 'Nishadam', 'Thullyam' and 'Dhanam' - directed by a group of schoolgirls aged between 10 and 17 won the coveted honour for the social issues discussed through their attempt.The film 'Nishadam'- made by Vishnupriya, Himachandran, Jincy, Anaka and Aasmi - portrayed the ostracisation of a 10-year-old kid, Kunjumol, afflicted with Aids.
The general tilt of the society towards the male child over a female has been well-portrayed in 'Thullyam', crafted by Lakshmi, Anjumol, Liya Elizabeth, Jwala Parameshwaran and Shaharbana.
'Dhanam', which travels through the tale of protagonist Aswathy, showcases the plight of families toiling for raising hefty dowries to marry off their daughters. This social issue was discussed onscreen by Bismi, Aishwarya, Athira, Aswathy and Durga.
They had scripted, cinematographed, directed and edited these short films with technical assistance from a team of filmmakers led by well-known director Sanjeev Sivan who had put them together, along with two other short films, to create the 74-minute documentary '25 Girls -Their Stories'. The film was produced by the Kerala State Social Welfare Department in association with the Kerala Social Security Mission. "These films carry a significant message and have left a deep impact. I am happy that the girls have found recognition at such a global platform," Sanjeev Sivan said.
Panchayat and social welfare minister M K Muneer, who was present at the screening of the documentary, termed it as a big moment for all girls in the state. "This has come as a great source of encouragement to us. The department will produce more films in the future to bring out latent talents of children," he said.
ICFFI is organized by Children's Film Society of India (CFSI), a national government body committed to nurturing a dynamic children's film culture in the country.