KATHMANDU, May 22: A presentation of the Southasian identity through films and documentaries, the ninth edition of the biennial festival, Film Southasia (FSA) 2013 is scheduled to take place in Kathmandu from October 3 to 6.
Run by the non-profit The Southasia Trust, FSA 2013 is currently calling for submissions for non-fiction films and documentaries. Films made after Jan 1, 2011 about Southasia or the Southasian Diaspora are eligible for this festival while the festival is open to filmmakers from all parts of the world.
“There’s a lot of cross cultural exchange between the West and the East but very little of it within the Southasian region,” Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati, the Director of the festival highlights the significance of the festival.[break]
“Regardless of the proportion of the films that come in, we try to have a fair number of films from every country because the festival represents Southasia to the world and so diversity is important,” she adds.
FSA 2013 is also calling upon local filmmakers to be a part of this festival. “Due to the access to DSLR cameras and availability of technology, there are a lot more young Nepali filmmakers than they used to be. We encourage them to send in their films,” says Kakshapati. FSA 2013 will be a platform for Nepali filmmakers to compete with other filmmakers of the region, as well as the world.
The FSA jury is on the process of watching entries and selecting films. Films can be sent in for competitive and non-competitive categories. In the competitive category, three awards, that for the best film, the second best film and the best debut filmmaker, will be given. The Best Film will be awarded the ‘Ram Bahadur Trophy’ 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. Whereas, the Best Debut Film will be awarded the ‘Tareque Masud Award’ and cash prize of USD 1,000.
While preparation for the final days are being made, to keep the Southasian spirit alive here in the host city, FSA is organizing weekly film screenings from its archive at Bikalpa Art Center in Jhamsikhel, every Friday at 6:30 pm. Travelling FSA (TFSA) is also taking film packages to different parts of the world and screenings are currently going on.
Deadline for submissions to FSA 2013 is June 30. To submit your entry and for more information, visit www.filmsouthasia.org.
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