Film South Asia
Film South Asia: Background and History
The goal of Film South Asia, an organisation within Himal Southasian magazine, set up in 1997 when the first edition of the festival of Southasian documentaries was organised, is to popularise the documentary so that it entertains, informs and changes lives. In addition to showcasing the best documentaries made within Southasia every two years, FSA also brings together filmmakers from all over the region to discuss films, share ideas and find avenues to promote Southasian non-fiction within the Subcontinent and around the world. We at Film South Asia believe the powerful medium of the audio/visual will not only help in better representing the region internationally, but also contribute immensely in introspection and attempts to change for the better at the local level.
Film South Asia is a competitive festival that runs usually over four days in Kathmandu. Six editions of the festival have been held. Film South Asia 2009 is the seventh edition of the festival and will be a four-day event, to be held from 17-20 September 2009. The films are judged by a three-member Southasian jury and the best film is awarded the ‘Ram Bahadur Trophy’ for Best Film along with a citation and a cash prize of USD 2,000. The second best film will be awarded a citation and cash prize of USD 1,000 and the Best Debut Film (introduced from Film South Asia ’05) will be awarded a citation and cash prize of USD 1,000. Past juries have been headed by well-known Southasian auteur filmmakers like Shyam Benegal, Goutam Ghose, Tareque Masud, Saeed Mirza and eminent journalist Mark Tully. Noted poet and filmmaker Gulzar opened the second edition of Film South Asia in 1999 and in FSA ’03, renowned Indian filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt was the guest of honour.
Travelling Film South Asia
As in the past, following FSA ’09, a selection of up to 15 outstanding films from the festival will make up the Travelling Film South Asia, which will tour all over the Subcontinent and the world. Each of the past editions of TFSA has been to above 40 venues, where they have been received enthusiastically by dramatically diverse audiences. Within Southasia, the travelling festival helps build awareness and empathy among audiences across frontiers. We expect the forthcoming TFSA to go to more venues than ever, making connections and building on the increasing interest in our region. While there is a charge levied on venues overseas, TFSA festival organisers within Southasia are charged no fee for the package, which includes the films and promotional material. The organisers in Southasia are only responsible for dispatching the films to the next venue as directed by the FSA Secretariat. TFSA ’08, picking up from FSA ’07, has opened to enthusiastic crowds in over 45 venues in Southasia and abroad, and we hope to take the next TFSA to over 50 venues in 2009.
Clearinghouse of Southasian Non-Fiction Film
The FSA Secretariat hosts the Clearinghouse for Southasian Non-Fiction Film, which markets documentaries from the region for non-commercial and non-broadcast purposes. An increasing number of documentaries are being sold by the Clearinghouse since it was launched at FSA ’01. The Clearinghouse works on the basis of non-exclusive agreements with filmmakers, and thus far has limited itself to films entered for Film South Asia. The Clearinghouse also works continuously to bring filmmakers together with all interested parties and with each other. This facility created by Film South Asia, is providing added opportunity to the Southasian filmmakers to market their films and increase their radius of influence.
Introduction to the Organiser
The FSA organiser is Himal Southasian, Southasia’s first and only regional magazine. Published and distributed by the non-profit The Southasia Trust, the monthly magazine is registered in Nepal and carries out activities of knowledge-generation and dissemination in the region as a whole. The magazine’s editorial council is made up of professional journalists from Colombo, Dhaka, Karachi, Kathmandu and New Delhi.
FSA Organisation
Film South Asia is headed by the festival co-directors, Upasana Shrestha and Mallika Aryal. Additional staff is recruited on short-term contract as the need arises, before and during the festival. The administrative support for Film South Asia is provided by Himal Southasian. Overall, Himal Southasian has a staff of 16, eight of whom are women including the co-directors of Film South Asia.
