 ``We received 200 entries of films, TV and Radio programmes from Australia, Belarus, Canada, Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Russia, Slovakia and Poland,`` says festival president Danuta Stachyra.
``Besides our regular festival categories of Feature Film, Documentary; Radio Programme, Educational Programme and Amateur Film, we have introduced a new YouTube film category this year,`` says festival vice-president Zygmunt Gutowski.
Feature Film:
``The 28-minute film Seasons of Love is a touching story of Tommy, a turbulent university student. He is a person of good nature but like any typical youth, comes into conflict with his parents and teachers. He has dreams for his life which do not match with the dream that his parents have for him,`` says debut director, Father Jiji Kalavanal, doing his masters in Cinema and Television.
``A youth for youth film, you can find a Tommy on every campus,`` the Salesian priest adds stating the film was telecast a few times on Shalom TV and was the official selection for VIBGYOR International Film Festival, Trichur, Kerala, earlier this year.
YouTube Animation Film:
Indian-born Salesian Brother Mathew John, currently at the Salesian Institute Verona, Italy, produced and directed Boy With A Dream, in the YouTube category.
The eight-minute film narrates the life-changing dream young John Bosco had at the age of nine. He saw a multitude of very poor boys who play and blaspheme. A man of majestic appearance tells him: With meekness and charity you will conquer these your friends; and a lady just as majestic adds: Make yourself humble, strong and robust. At the right time you will understand everything. The scene concludes with a message of Don Bosco to today`s youth.
The film is totally a computer animation mingled with an element of realism and a sense of fantasy. It was executed in about 200 hours of animation work and had its premiere at the Salesian General Chapter held in Rome, April 9.
Film & Radio Programme:
Indian-born missionary Tom Kunnel`s River Mee based on the book Landmarks by Margaret Silf, takes you on a soul-searching adventure into self-discovery. Every person is flowing like a river from the mysterious origin in the dark womb to the ocean of eternity. Produced by Bosco Eastern Africa Multimedia Services (BEAMS) based in Kenya, the video is exclusively shot in Eastern Africa. Featured in the movie are the enchanting streams in Mount Kenya, the source of Blue Nile in Uganda, the coast at Bagomayo in Tanzania among many other streams and rivers.
The talent in the movie, Ms. Lilian Mwangi, portrays the twists and turns in everyone`s life from being ignored and betrayed to being a celebrity. The quote by St. Ignatius of Loyola, ``We are our deepest desire`` gives you the insight behind every person`s search for meaning, a search that will charter the course of each person`s life.
It received a SIGNIS award for its innovative productions at an expose in Kampala (Uganda)which brought together Media houses of eight East African countries in 2005.
Another programme by BEAMS selected for the festival finals under the Radio programme category is called Heart to Heart Talk on the Bible, also directed by Tom Kunnel of BEAMS. This 20-part series on the Bible in the African context is currently on air by Radio Bakhita in Juba (South Sudan) and has been accepted by four other radios.
Photo collage by P.T. Joseph Chennai
e-Mail contact
Fr Tom Kunnel: kedytom@yahoo.co.uk
Bro. Mathew John: bromathew@yahoo.com
Fr. Jiji Kalavanal: jijikalavanalsdb@gmail.com
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