From Wishberry and the National Institute of Design:
We are a nation obsessed with movies. Starry-eyed, we follow the world of cinema and accept everything that it has to offer as gospel truth. And in this glitzy world of cinema, there lies a special corner — the world of animation. Now, many of us have watched the coolest animation films from around the world and spout names like there’s no tomorrow. But do we know the scene when it comes to animated filmmaking in India?
There’s a small, yet growing group of animation filmmakers determined to develop the genre and take it to greater heights in the Indian film scene. One such initiative is Chitrakatha, the National Institute of Design’s annual animation film festival. This year, it has introduced Script2Screen, in collaboration with Wishberry, to give wings to selected film animators’ dreams. Through the collaboration, nine shortlisted films will be turned into actual film projects, if they get produced.
These 9 films are particularly relevant in this day and age, delivering powerful and thought-provoking messages that deserve our attention. Have a look at them below:
BABA
Farmer suicides are a brutal and everyday reality for many in India. This Akshay Malotkar film throws light on the issue through the journey of a little girl, whose father, a farmer, commits suicide.
The One Way Journey
What would you do if you knew that your father was embarking on a journey, with no possibility of return? Drawing from Elon Musk’s SpaceX plan, Suyog Khadikar’s film tells one such story about a boy whose father is about to leave for Mars.
Smriti
Narrated by a 10-year-old boy, Risabh Banshkar’s story strikes an emotional chord, dealing with how a child views his fear of the dark. What’s noteworthy is that the film uses traditional 2D animation to get the message across!
A Strange Night for Mr Shasmal
Adapted from Satyajit Ray’s short story (of the same title), which appeared in ‘Galpo Ekso Ek’ (101 Stories), this story deals with a dishonest man and the demons from his past. The story is crisp, full of suspense and thrills, and also contains an important moral message.
Udaan
Kanhaiyyalal wants to become a pilot but his authoritarian father doesn’t believe in him. Will Kanhaiya fulfil what he believes is his destiny? This is at the heart of Dipantor Talukdar’s film, and is sure to resonate with many of us!
The Cure
Using soot animation, hard-carved models, replicable masks and a built-from-scratch train, Kapil Gopinathan’s film talks about a man’s lone journey to find a cure for his ‘strange’ physicality!
How To Deal With An Impossible Child
Childhood is at the heart of this story as Samyo Ghoshal sets out to regale you with the antics of 5-year-old Tatai as he creates chaos in his surroundings, thanks to his naughty nature!
Dhamachakdi – Pilot Episode: Dhamako!
Kaitav Patel’s Dhamachakdi is a 7-part animated series that brings back forgotten lessons, childhood pranks, and innocent moments that were presumed to be lost in time.
Ghost Electrons
8-year-old Naina, her dog, and a ball teach you that physics is as natural as nature! With this film, Amritha Warrier focuses on explaining what’s generally perceived as difficult concepts such as quantum physics, the concept of electrons, and even experiments such as Schrödinger’s cat, through the perspective of a child.
For all these filmmakers, the greatest challenge has been that there is very little support and encouragement for the animation format, which has been setting them back. But it’s time we changed that, because as history is witness, look at what Walt Disney did!
You can support these filmmakers in completing their projects, too! NID has joined hands with Wishberry, India’s largest crowdfunding platform for Script 2 Screen, to give them a chance to crowdfund their films and take it to Chitrakatha — NID’s annual film festival. To show your support head to Wishberry, and help make these projects a reality!