Catch a selection of top short films from across the world at the Manhattan Short Film Festival that opens later this week
A moment from Taandav starring Manoj Bajpayee
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In the last few years, short films have come a long way with the increasing popularity of videos on social media and other Internet platforms. In India, too, the wave has been felt and stars like Manoj Bajpayee and Radhika Apte have worked in multiple shorts recently.
Nagesh Kukunoor
The Manhattan Short Film festival, the biggest short film festival in the world, is known for celebrating and promoting short films every year. Nicholas Mason started the festival in 1998 when he projected 16 shorts against the side of a truck on Mulberry Street in New York City, and it has become bigger through the years.
Devashish Makhija
The India chapter, VOTE FOR INDIA@Manhattan Short is being organised by Pocket Films, a company that actively works with and promotes short films. This is the seventh edition of the festival in India. Sameer Mody of Pocket Films, the director of the festival this year, says, “The India chapter is to promote short films in the country using votes that will help them compete at the international level, and create awareness about the genre itself.”
Gorilla is directed by Tibo Tinsard
On the days of the festival, audiences all over the world will be able to watch the final 10 shortlisted movies. In India, the jury comprising Uma DaCunha, Sudhir Mishra and Nagesh Kukunoor chose the top three winning films — Aglibaar and Taandav (both directed by Devashish Makhija with Taandav starring Manoj Bajpai) and Broken Image by Arvind VK Mody says, “The idea behind the Vote For India initiative is to get an Indian film to win the festival at the global level.”
Makhija, who has been participating in the festival for two years now, says the initiative is an important one in India where short films have little or no support. “I have made films with a budget of as little as Rs 50,000. In contrast, a filmmaker in the US can get several times that budget. There are short films on which a director works on for as long as four years,” he says. Makhija explains that the gap in interest and funding leaves Indian short filmmakers with little possibility to compete and win at an international level. “As of now, for Pocket Films to promote shorts is social service. My only suggestion to them is to keep doing this good work. I am hopeful things will turn around soon,” he says.
Jury members Sudhir Mishra and Nagesh Kukunoor both agree that the festival’s selection process through votes is democratic. Kukunoor says, “The festival will screen the 10 global finalists, thereby exposing Indian short filmmakers to pathbreaking short films and inspiring them to create content that can be appreciated all around the world.”
The last time an Indian won the top prize at the festival was in 2004, with Ashvin Kumar’s Little Terrorist. The short also went on to win a nomination at the Oscars in 2005.
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