E-Paper
A film fest dedicated to breaking gender-based binaries
PUNE Samabhav; a two-day travelling film festival organised by department of Mass Communication, Mahatma Phule College, Pimpri and Men Against Violence and Abuse
PUNE Samabhav; a two-day travelling film festival organised by department of Mass Communication, Mahatma Phule College, Pimpri and Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), a voluntary organisation based in Mumbai, began on Monday.
The first day of the festival, which is being held at vocational training centre, Mahatma Phule College, Sambhajinagar, Chichwad took place from 10 am to 5.30 pm. The travelling festival in its third year kicked off in Bengaluru on November 25, 2019 on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women will be held in four districts of Maharashtra: Pimpri, Pen, Nagpur and Wardha.
Men Against Violence and Abuse (MAVA), has been working for past 26 years to stop gender-based violence on women by engaging men and boys.
“The concept of travelling film festival engages the youth via healthy conversations with experts on contemporary gender issues and intersectionality, related to all three recognised genders (Men, Women and Transgenders), and advocates for a healthy, pluralistic, gender-just society. The festival aims at providing a safe, non-threatening platform to understand differences and celebrate diversity in gender,” said Harish Sadani, equal rights activist.
“Samabhav, meaning equanimity highlights the theme of gender, masculinity, sexuality and diversity. The festival is open to all college and university students, young filmmakers, film enthusiasts and representatives of social organisations from the region and it is open to all,” added Sadani.
The festival will showcase a total of 14 short films, documentaries and feature films from India and abroad on gender-based discrimination, violence against women, homophobia and transphobia, toxic masculinity and breaking gender binaries. National award winning films such as Bulbul Can Sing, Sonrise and Kharvas, Untying The Knot, Turup, Please Mind The Gap, Kaaye Kaaye Sexual, Mohini, Bachelor Girls, Pehchaan, Mahalachumi, and U Ushacha are among the films that will be screened.
