"500 Dunam on the Moon"
USA-FRANCE-PALESTINE / 2002 / 47 MIN / ARABIC-HEBREW

CREDITS
Camera: Philippe Bellaiche
Editing: Ruben Korenfeld
Sound: Dahna Abourahme
Music: Anouar Brahem
Produced by: Momento!, RLJ Productions
Directed by: Rachel Leah Jones

SYNOPSIS A documentary about 'Ayn Hawd', a Palestinian village captured and depopulated by Israeli forces in 1948 and subsequently transformed into a Jewish Artists' Colony renamed 'Ein Hod'. "500 Dunam on the Moon" is a critical look at the art of dispossession and the creativity of the dispossessed.

THE FILMMAKER Rachel Leah Jones is a director/producer born in Berkeley, California. After growing up in the Middle East, she returned to the US where she completed a BA in Race, Class and Gender Studies and the politics of representation at Evergreen College in Olympia, Washington and an MFA in Media Arts Production at the City University of New York. Jones has worked as a producer and assistant director on numerous documentaries in Jerusalem, where she was also affiliated with the Alternative Information Center - a joint Palestinian/Israeli NGO that disseminates critical information and progressive analysis on Israeli society, Palestinian society, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She is bilingual in English and Hebrew and speaks colloquial Arabic. "500 Dunam on the Moon" is her directorial debut.

"A Certain Liberation"
BANGLADESH / 2003 / 38 MIN / BENGALI

CREDITS
Camera: Yasmine Kabir
Editing: Yasmine Kabir, Tarun Bhartyia
Sound: Tarun Bhartyia
Produced and Directed by: Yasmine Kabir

SYNOPSIS Gurudasi Mondol gave herself up to madness in 1971, during the Liberation War of Bangladesh, as she watched her entire family being killed by the Razakars, the collaborators. Imprisoned and raped by the commander of the Razakars, she was freed months later by a unit of the Bangladesh Liberation army.
Thirty years later, Gurudasi continues to roam the streets of Kopilmoni, a small-town in rural Bangladesh, in quest of all she has lost; snatching at will from strangers and breaking into spaces normally reserved for men. She is unafraid of authority and scorns it. In her madness, she has found a strategy for survival.

THE FILMMAKER Yasmine Kabir is an independent filmmaker based in Bangladesh. Her filmography includes: "Death Chant" (1992), "A Day at the Embassy" (1996), "For Solaiman" (1997), "A Mother's Lament" (1999), "My Migrant Soul" (2000), "Direct-Direct" (Music Video 2003). "A Certain Liberation" has won the Best Short Documentary award at the Mumbai International Film Festival 2004.

"A Decent Samosa, Ya!"
INDIA-UK / 2004 / 48 MIN / ENGLISH-PUNJABI

CREDITS
Camera: Natasha Badhwar
Editing: Aparna Roy
Produced by: New Delhi Television Ltd.
Directed by: Radhika Bordia and Natasha Badhwar

SYNOPSIS This film documents the fusion of sounds born out of the clash of cultures, the conflicts between generations, and a search, both internal and external, for a sense of identity in an alien, ever changing world. Filmed entirely in England, this film records the Asian artists' pulsating experiments with multiculturalism.

THE FILMMAKERS After starting out in 1996 as a TV journalist with NDTV, covering news feature stories from across India, Radhika Bordia now anchors and produces a weekly television series titled 'Ek Din'"(24 hours) in which she spends an intimate day with a person, a place, an event or even a phenomena.
Natraha Badhwar started her career as India's first female news videographer with NDTV in 1995. She has since taught an EU sponsored 2-year course in low-budget community filmmaking and is also involved with in-house training at NDTV.

"A Silent Killer"
INDIA / 2003 / 23 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera: Samir Debnath
Editing: Rupam and Amit Debnath
Produced and Directed by: Dhananjoy Mandal

SYNOPSIS Arsenic poisoning in drinking water drawn through tube wells in 75 Blocks of 8 districts in West Bengal (in India) is one of the most toll-taking menaces of society here. But people are exposed to such perils unknowingly. Although some measure has so far been taken to mitigate the problem, it is insufficient in scale. Despite knowing the imminent danger of arsenic, people consume arsenic contaminated water. But for how long?

THE FILMMAKER Dhananjoy Mandal comes from the countryside of Indian Bengal. He is a self- taught filmmaker but has working experience with eminent film directors such as Mrinal Sen and Goutam Ghose. He has been making documentaries, short films, telefilms and feature films for more than a decade. Altogether he has 23 films to his credit. His films have participated in a number of film festivals at home and abroad.

"About Baghdad"
IRAQ-US / 2004 / 142 MIN / ARABIC-ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera: Suzy Salamy, Bassam Haddad, Maya Mikdashi, Adam Shapiro
Editing: Carol Mansour
Sound: Adam Shapiro
Produced and Directed by: InCounter Productions

SYNOPSIS The main thread in "About Baghdad" revolves around the return of Sinan Antoon, an Iraqi poet, to his native Baghdad this past July, after twelve years of exile in the United States. The viewer sees Antoon searching for the familiar places and faces he left behind only to discover that they've been covered under the wrinkles drawn by tyranny, time, sanctions and yet another war. Through this frame narrative, more than a dozen Iraqis from all walks of life are introduced. These characters reflect on how they survived Saddam's tyranny, on sanctions and three wars and how that impacted their daily lives and left marks on their psyches. They also share their views and feelings about a precarious present and an uncertain future being shaped by an American military presence.

THE FILMMAKERS "About Baghdad" is co-directed by the members of the InCounter Productions collective. InCounter Productions is a collective of independent activists, academics and artists dissatisfied with the political, economic, social and symbolic status quo during an era of ubiquitous empire. The collective's desire is to represent perspectives often marginalized or muzzled by the ever more powerful reach of multinational corporate media and its various international and local clones.

"The Algebra of Water"
INDIA / 2004 / 48 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Narration: Anjali Khosla
Camera: Sanjay Barnela
Editing: Anjali Khosla, Ananya Roy
Music: Asheem, Amit, Rahul (Indian Ocean)
Producer: Moving Images
Scripted and Directed by: Sanjay Barnela,Vasant Saberwal

SYNOPSIS 'These things look good only on television. things about economy and saving water and all that' say Nidhi and Madhur looking fresh after a rollicking rain dance party. The Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai reveals startling facts to highlight the misuse of water by the urban elite. Quotes that reinforce the fact that the present water crisis is largely a crisis of our own making. Water is diverted from the countryside to meet the unending demand of India's urban population - as drinking water, but also to wash cars, to fill swimming pools or to ensure adequate water in water amusement parks. Denied this most basic resource, more and more of the rural poor are now forced to migrate - in search of work, but also, increasingly, simply in search of water.

THE FILMMAKERS Sanjay Barnel and Vasant Saberwal are part of a Delhi-based production team with specific interests in the environment and in development. They have worked on a range of issues from the politics of shepherd accessing grazing pastures in the Himalayas, to the complexities of adopting renewable energy and cost-effective construction technologies. Over the past decade, the team has produced a number of films. The group is currently working on a series of films on the political economy of water.

"Bhooli Hui Hoon Dastan"
(The Song Forgotten)
PAKISTAN / 2004 / 90 MIN / URDU

CREDITS
Camera: Najaf Bilgrami
Editing: Adnan Malik, Maheen Zia
Producer: Geo Television
Scripted and Directed by: Adnan Malik

SYNOPSIS The Lahore film industry, Lollywood, has reflected and adapted to the changing moods in Pakistan's socio-politico-cultural sphere over its tumultuous history, and has morphed from the sole source of family entertainment that unified the classes into a stigmatized sex and violence industry that caters specifically to the tastes of a small population of the working class. In a slightly camp and overtly analytical style, this comprehensive documentary reconstructs the demise of Lollywood, and deconstructs the various forces that have sidelined the culture of cinema in Pakistan today. A first of its kind documentary, "Bhooli Hui Hoon Dastan", is a tribute to the Lollywood film industry.

THE FILMMAKER Adnan Malik, 25, has a bachelor's degree in film from Vassar College in the US . He has worked with Miramax, Ridley Scott America, Dreamworks and various independent documentary production houses in New York and Hollywood and has recently returned to Karachi . Adnan is currently obsessed with the history of Pakistani pop-culture and its role in the creation of numerous 'Pakistani' identities. His last film, "Bijli", won the Best Short Film Ciepie at the 3rd KaraFilm Festival.

"Born to Sing"
INDIA / 2002 / 44 MIN / PUNJABI

CREDITS
Camera: Sabeena Gadihoke
Editing: Shikha Jhingan
Produced by: Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
Directed by: Shikha Jhingan

SYNOPSIS "Born to Sing" is a musical journey with four Mirasans, who sing life-cycle songs for their patrons in Punjab . Through an encounter with the Mirasans and their songs, the film explores a rich musical and oral tradition kept alive by these women across religious boundaries. What is the nature of their relationship with their land-owning patrons? What happens when Punjabi pop music takes the entertainment industry by storm? The documentary tries to grapple with these concerns faced by women who find themselves shunted out of their own expressive traditions. At another level the film also evokes memories of partition and the resilience of the secular and composite culture of the Malwa region of Punjab .

THE FILMMAKER Shikah Jhingan is an independent documentary filmkmaker based in Delhi . She graduated from the Mass Communication Research Center , Jamia Milia University in 1986. Jhingan is a founding member of Media-storm, an independent women's filmmaking collective formed in Delhi in 1986. She has made several documentaries on issues of gender especially focusing on their interface with social and cultural transformations. Some of her past work includes "Once This Land Was Ours", "The Hidden Story" and "Prisoner of Gender", winner of the Silver Panda award at the International Television Documentary Festival held in Cheng Du in 1991.

"Cemiterio Saoluiz"
(Sao Luiz Cemetery)
BRAZIL / 2003 / 13 MIN / PORTUGUESE

CREDITS
Camera:Aloysio Raulino
Editing: Eduardo Kishimoto
Sound: Paulo Seabra
Producer: Edu Guimaraes
Directed by: Ana Paul

SYNOPSIS Located in the toughest area of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the Sao Luiz Cemetery is considered to be the burial ground of the world's third highest number of people murdered by gunfire. The only cemeteries with a higher number of such people buried are in Cali and Medellin, in the cocaine heartland of Colombia. Eighty percent of the150,000 buried in Sao Luiz lost their lives in a violent way. One third of its occupants are male, young men between 13 and 25 years old. Four people who have their relatives buried in the cemetery have been interviewed for the film, each one of them reflecting on life, death, suffering and what is to live and die on the edges of a big city. The script was awarded by a public selection and developed under the program, Cinema Petrobras.

THE FILMMAKER Ana Paul has studied Motion Arts at the University of Sao Paulo and has a specialization in screenplay. Working as a writer since 1998, Ana has written many screenplays for documentaries, television and animated movies."Cemiterio Sao Luiz" is her first work as a director. She is currently developing two new documentaries; about rape and the other about female murderers.

"Crossing the Lines- Kashmir, Pakistan, India"
PAKISTAN / 2004 / 47 MINS / URDU-HINDI-KASHMIRI-ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera:Ali Faisal Zaidi, Nasir Teherany, Ajay Raina, Habib-ur-Rahman, Anand Patwardhan
Animations and Graphics: Manduck Productions
Written and Directed by: Pervez Hoodboy and Zia Mian

SYNOPSIS After four wars, Kashmiris and their land are divided between Pakistan and India, the source of recurring crises. Many feel that the next war may be a nuclear war. In this tragedy, each side tells the story of the injustice and violence of the other, and feels only the suffering of their own. This path-breaking independent documentary film, made in Pakistan, challenges us to look at Kashmir with new eyes and to hope for a new way forward.

THE FILMMAKERS Pervez Hoodbhoy is professor of physics at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, where he has taught for over 30 years. He holds a Ph.D. in nuclear physics from MIT and is the recipient of many awards including the Abdus Salam Prize for Mathematics, the Baker Award for Electronics and the UNESCO Kalinga Prize for the popularization of science.
Zia Mian directs the Project on Peace and Security in South Asia, which is part of Princeton University's Program on Science and Global Security. He teaches at the Woodrow Wilson School and previously has taught at Yale University and Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. "Pakistan and India under the Nuclear Shadow" was his previous documentary collaboration with Hoodbhoy.

"Dias De Carton"
(Cardboard Days)
AGRENTINA / 2003 / 51 MIN / SPANISH

CREDITS
Camera: Veronica Souto, Cesar Trazar
Editing: Roberto Rodriguez, Cesar Trazar, Veronica Souto
Script: Pablo Robledo
Producer: Justo Daract
Directed by: Veronica Souto

SYNOPSIS "Cardboard Days" casts disturbing light on the biggest economic and social crisis in Argentina's history and the way it is wreaking havoc on broad sectors of the population. Rooted in the lives and labors of the so called 'Carton Eros' who scavenge the city's streets and rubbish tips for cardboard to sell for a pittance, the film focuses on this army of the shadows - more than a hundred thousand strong - who assemble each night to seek out a pitiful subsistence on the streets of the richer districts of Buenos Aires.
An unforgettable trip in to the deep hopes and desires, the vested political interests, the shadows and lights of Latin America, the reality of a promising nation that Globalization has simply failed and impoverished.

THE FILMMAKER Veronica Souto has worked on a number of documentaries as assistant director and production manager since 2000. In 2002, she also co-directed a documentary on the World Social Forum held in Porto Allegre, Brazil. She has also served as casting director on a number of films, most recently for Argentina on the Walter Salles feature "The Motorcycle Diaries."

"Disbelief"
RUSSIA-USA / 2004 / 105 MINS / RUSSIAN

CREDITS
Cinematography: Alexander Petrovsky, Sergei Tsikhanovich
Editing: Andrei Nekrasov, Olga Konskaia
Music: Natalia Osterkorn
Producer: Olga Konskaia
Directed by: Andrei Nekrasov

SYNOPSIS A fatal bomb blast in a Moscow apartment building ignites a fury of questions about terrorism, shadow politics, and post-Soviet intrigue in a film as much about the high art of political deception as it is about violence and human tragedy. The bombing on September 9, 1999, of a nine-story working-class apartment complex in Moscow was quickly blamed on Chechen terrorists. But was it their crime? Or did the Russian secret service deflect its own responsibility for the bombing on the Chechens to heighten national fear and hysteria and justify Russia's subsequent military attack on the breakaway republic?

THE FILMMAKER Andrei Nekrasov studied acting and directing at the State Institute for Theatre and Film in his native St. Petersburg. In 1985, he assisted Andrei Tarkovsky during the filming and editing of "The Sacrifice." His first drama short "Springing Lenin" (1993) won the UNESCO prize at Cannes Film Festival that year, and in 1997 his first feature "Love Is As Strong As Death" won the FIPRESCI prize at Mannheim. The director's second feature, "Lubov and Other Nightmares" (2001) won recognition at many festivals all over the world (including Sundance and Berlin) and confirmed his status as a rebel among Russian filmmakers. Andrei Nekrasov is also a playwright and a theatre director.

"En Los Ojos"
(In the Eyes)
USA / 2004 / 30 MIN

CREDITS
Producer: Thea St. Omer, Fatima Faloye
Directed by: Thea St. Omer

SYNOPSIS The 'faces' of New York City. A short, experimental film. No voice; no narration; no dialogue. Only sounds.

THE FILMMAKER Thea St. Omer graduated from NYU's Graduate Film Program, where in 2004 she directed "En Los Ojos" (In the Eyes), a short experimental film, just beginning its festival circuit, "Love in an Elevator" (2002), a short documentary film, and "A Touch Of Tutelage" (2001), a short narrative film. Her films have won numerous awards and have been screened a festivals the world over. She received the Bronx Council on the Arts 2003 Award and, previously, scholarships from New York Women in Film and Television, the Helena Rubenstein Foundation, the Steven J. Ross Foundation and the Benjamin L. Hooks Foundation.

"Final Solution"
INDIA / 2003 / 149 MINS / GUJARATI-HINDI-ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera and Editing: Rakesh Sharma
Produced and Directed by: Rakesh Sharma

SYNOPSIS "Final Solution" is a study of the politics of hate. Set in Gujarat during the period Feb/March 2002 - July 2003, the film graphically documents the changing face of right-wing politics in India through a study of the 2002 genocide of Muslims in Gujarat. It specifically examines political tendencies reminiscent of the Nazi Germany of early/mid-1930s. The stance taken by "Final Solution" is anti-hate/ anti-violence since 'those who forget history are condemned to relive it'. The film won the Wolfgang Staudte award and Special Jury Award (Netpac) at the Berlin International Film Festival 2004.

THE FILMMAKER Rakesh Sharma began his film/TV career in 1986 as an assistant director on Shyam Benegal's "Discovery of India." His broadcast industry experience includes the set up/ launch of 3 broadcast channels in India: Channel [V], Star Plus and Vijay TV and several production consultancy assignments. He has now gone back to independent documentary filmmaking. His last film "Aftershocks: The Rough Guide to Democracy" won the best documentary film award at Fribourg, Big Mini-DV and at Big Muddy and won 7 other awards at various festivals in USA and Europe during 2002-03. It has been screened at over 90 international film festivals including the 3rd KaraFilm Festival.

"The Garage School"
PAKISTAN / 2004 / 17 MIN / URDU-ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera and Editing: Mahera Omar
Produced and Directed by:Mahera Omar

SYNOPSIS In November 1999, Shabina Mustafa's maid was refused admission to the neighborhood sewing class. "She cannot read or write," they said. And thus, the Garage School was formed. This is a documentary about one woman's dream to provide basic education to society's poor. It was an idea born out of the desperation she saw amongst the destitute around her.

THE FILMMAKER Mahera Omar graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in biology. After a brief stint doing laboratory research on the structure of proteins at Tufts University, she moved back to the city by the sea, Karachi. Before moving back she had produced numerous TV shows in Boston, most notably "Ek Saher", a series of conversations between Indians and Pakistanis in the Greater Boston area. While in college, she also co-produced and directed "Dispatches from the Loo", an independent feature film shot entirely in a loo. Her short film "Piano" premiered at the 3rd KaraFilm Festival. Her other short films include "Makhan Toast", "Time's Fun When You're Having Flies", "Perspectives in a Cook's Life", and "New York, New York." She currently produces and directs "Janu Janwar", the country's first weekly show on animals, for Geo Television.

"Hunting for Conservation"
PAKISTAN / 2004 / 13 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Directed by: Shahid Zaidi

SYNOPSIS The Himalayan Ibex is an endangered species mainly because of over-hunting. IUCN and the WWF initiated the Trophy Hunting Program some years ago, because of which the Ibex population has benefited.

THE FILMMAKER Shahid Zaidi was born on 26th of June 1942 in Lahore in a family of photographers and portrait painters. His diverse career includes working as a war photographer in the 1971 Indo-Pak War, teaching at the London International Film School from 1971 to 1973, working as a steadicam operator and directing documentary films.

"Indus Blind Dolphin Rescue"
PAKISTAN / 2004 / 15 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Directed by: Shahid Zaidi

SYNOPSIS The Blind Dolphin, an endangered species native to the Indus River, faces a severe loss of habitat. In recent years the government has made a dolphin reserve and has made efforts to protect it against hunting. Consequently, the numbers of dolphins is increasing. But because of lack of water in the rivers as well as lack of food, they often get swept away into the irrigation canals. The Wildlife Department rescues them and releases them back into the river. This film shows one such rescue and release. Some may feel the handling of the dolphin could have been better. The film also asks the question: are we glorifying ourselves at the expense of the animal?

THE FILMMAKER Shahid Zaidi was born in 1942 in Lahore to a family of photographers and portrait painters. His diverse career includes working as a war photographer in the 1971 Indo-Pak War, teaching at the London International Film School from 1971 to 1973, working as a steadicam operator and directing documentary films.

"Injustice"
UK / 2001-2004 / 98 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera: Kasim Abid, Koutaiba Al-Janabi, Donovan Fontaine
Editing: John Alcorn, David Fox, Richard Horn, Roya Salari
Script: Tariq Mehmood
Producer: Ken Fero
Directed by: Ken Fero and Tariq Mehmood

SYNOPSIS Seven years in the making, "Injustice" is the story of the struggles for justice by the families of people that have died at the hands of police officers. Between 1969 and 1999, over 1,000 people died in police custody in England. Not one police officer has been convicted for any of these deaths. Since its release, the UK police have tried to censor the film by threatening legal action at cinemas and at THE FILMMAKERs. "Injustice" has been described as the most politically controversial UK film of recent years and has won the Best Documentary award at the London Film Festival 2002 and the One World Film Festival 2003, and the National Social Justice Award 2003.

THE FILMMAKERS Ken Fero works as a director/producer at Migrant Media, a collective of media workers from migrant, black and refugee backgrounds, who since 1989 have focused on issues of self-representation in media and on issue of self-defense of their communities. His other films include "Britain's Black Legacy" (1991), "Germany - The Other Story" (1991), "After the Storm" (1992), "Sweet France" (1992), "Tasting Freedom" (1994) and "Justice Denied" (1995).
Tariq Mehmood was born in Lahore in 1956 and also works at Migrant Media. His previous films include "Kashmir Aflame" (1991).

"Ki Jana Main Kaun"
(Who Knows What I Am)
PAKISTAN / 2003 / 30 MIN / URDU-SINDHI

CREDITS
Narration: Khalid Ahmad
Camera: Sharjil Anwar Baloch, Ayaz Jokhio, Jamil Adil
Producer: Action Aid Pakistan
Edited and Directed by: Sharjil Anwar Baloch

SYNOPSIS This film portrays the historical harmony and co-existence between Hindus and Muslims in Sindh. It takes the viewer to many shrines that are commonly visited by both the communities. It also points towards some instances of discord in the background of rising communalism in the sub-continent and inquires if this harmony is going to last.

THE FILMMAKER Born in Quetta in 1972, Sharjil Anwar Baloch is a graduate of medicine working in film media since 1999.This documentary is his first independent project as a freelance director, actor and short story writer. Sharjil has also directed a short story by Ghulam Abbas as a television drama for the upcoming channel Aaj TV.

"La Wakt'aich"
(Until When)
USA-PALESTINE / 2004 / 76 MIN / ARABIC

CREDITS
Camera:Annemarie Jacir, Suzy Salamy
Editing: Annemarie Jacir
Music: Kamran Rastegar, Zafer Tawil
Produced and Directed by: Dahna Abourahme

SYNOPSIS Set during the current Intifada, this documentary follows four Palestinian families living in Dheisheh Refugee Camp near Bethlehem. Fadi is 13 and cares for his four younger brothers; the Hammash family pass on the lessons of life with humour and passion; Sana is a single woman who endures long commutes to do community work; and Emad and Hanan are a young couple trying to shield their daughter from the harsh realities of the occupation. They talk about their past and discuss the future.

THE FILMMAKER Dahna Abourahme is a New York-based filmmaker. She grew up in Abu Dhabi and Amman, and received her MA in media studies at the New School for Social Research in New York. She teaches video to youth and has been involved in several community art projects. Her CREDITS include sound recording for "500 Dunams on the Moon" and "Like Twenty Impossibles." Her previous work "Blue Flickers" is an audio-video installation exploring the abnormality of the normal and the violent urgency of stories in our lives. "Until When" is her first feature documentary.

"Living in Colour"
USA / 2002 / 43 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera: Meena Nanji
Editing: Libby Horne
Scriipt: Meena Nanji
Produced and Directed by: Meena Nanji

SYNOPSIS "Living in Colour" is an upbeat and light-hearted look at the lives of four second generation South Asian youths. Born and raised in L.A., their dreams and challenges are articulated with a mix of thoughtful self-reflection, insight and humour. Featuring Rasneek, a Sikh DJ, who mixes bhangra and hip-hop; Sonia, a committed feminist who works in health care for women; Amarpali, a classically trained kathak dancer, now dancing in the Cirque du Soleil; and Dileepan, a budding public policy maker.

THE FILMMAKER Meena Nanji has been working in film/video for the last 10 years. She is known for her experimental work which has been recognized by the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Paul Robeson Fund, and The American Film Institute Grant for Independent Film/Video, among others. Her work has won numerous awards and has been screened at film/video festivals internationally as well as broadcast on PBS stations throughout the US, and on European television. She has also curated and coordinated various film/video festivals and screenings in Los Angeles and San Francisco. She has also taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has been invited to guest lecture at universities and conferences around the world. She is now based in Los Angeles and New Delhi.

"Many People, Many Desires"
INDIA / 2004 / 46 MIN / TAMIL-KANNADA-ENGLISH-HINDI

CREDITS
Camera:Avijit Mukul Kishore
Editing: Jabeen Merchant
Sound: Girja Shanker Vohra
Producer: Sangama
Directed by: T. Jayashree

SYNOPSIS "Many People, Many Desires" explores the status (legal, social, political, cultural etc.) of sexual minorities (hijras, kothis, double-deckers, gays, lesbians, transgender and other people oppressed due to their sexual orientation and/or gender expression) in India. It is only since the early 1980s that homosexuality and transgender expressions have become visible "identity issues" in India. Cutting across class, gender, language and caste, the film tells the stories of such persons living in the city of Bangalore.

THE FILMMAKER T. Jayashree is an independent documentary filmmaker based in Bangalore, India. His previous work includes "Annapurna" (1995) which he co-directed, "A Woman's Place"(1998) which he produced for PBS, "Agni Varsha" (2002) on which he wrote the screenplay and served as first assistant director, and "New Americans" (2003) on which he was Associate Producer.

"Nee Engey"
(Where Are You)
INDIA / 2003 / 152 MIN / HINDI

CREDITS
Camera: R. V. Ramani
Editing: R. V. Ramani, Vijai Sankar
Produced and Directed by: R. V. Ramani

SYNOPSIS Before the advent of cinema, shadow puppet theatre was a prevalent and popular form of entertainment for many centuries in India. The shadow puppeteers are the 'original filmmakers' who, by manipulating leather puppets in front of a light source, created moving images on the screen. They led a nomadic life style, travelling, camping, setting up screens, and performing the story of Ramayana, adapting local languages and flavours. Today there are only a few shadow puppeteers still practising this art form. Stories and life styles have changed. This film is a celebration and dedication to the art of moving images, its original practitioners and community.

THE FILMMAKER R.V. Ramani was born in 1957. He studied physics from Bombay University, worked as a photojournalist and studied at the Pune Film School, graduating with a specialization in motion picture photography. Apart from working as a cinematographer for many films, he began making his own documentaries and short films in 1990. With more than 15 independently made documentaries, he has established a very unique style of his own, which has found recognition in both India and abroad. He is one of the few Independent documentary filmmakers in India working on the experimental plane. His retrospectives have been presented at DokumenART, Germany, APT3, Australia and at the Mumbai International Film Festival.

"Out of Status"
USA / 2004 / 11 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera: Sanjna Singh, Pia Sawhney
Editing: Todd Zelin
Producer: Chai Break Films
Directed by: Sanjna Singh and Pia Sawhney

SYNOPSIS In post 9/11 America, the curtailment of civil liberties in the name of national security has had an enduring impact on individuals of Muslim background. This community has been alienated by selective enforcement of a new and existing immigration policy. Families are being separated and communities uprooted. This film follows three families whose lives were dramatically changed after 9/11.

THE FILMMAKERS Sanjna and Pia are graduates of Bryn Mawr College, USA. They founded Chai Break Films in January 2003. They have been awarded grants from the New York State Council for the Arts and the Experimental TV Center to continue work on the feature length film based on this short documentary. Chai Break Film's advisory board includes director Peter Sellars and two-time Academy Award winning editor Geof Bartz.

"Patriot Acts"
USA / 2004 / 58 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera: Eric Burton, Laurie Little, Sree Nallamothu
Editing: Carmine Cervi, Sree Nallamothu
Produced and Directed by: Sree Nallamothu

SYNOPSIS "Patriot Acts" explores the human cost of the Bush Administration's controversial Special Registration immigration program. Inspired by national security concerns and facilitated by the USA PATRIOT Act, Special Registration requires non-immigrant men from predominantly Muslim countries to register with the Dept. of Homeland Security. "Patriot Acts" follows two Pakistani men in Chicago as they navigate a maze of newly minted and controversial immigration laws while under the constant threat of arrest, detention and deportation. Set just before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, "Patriot Acts" captures the turmoil and confusion of a moment during the U.S. Government's 'war on terror' when basic civil liberties were sacrificed at the altar of a false security.

THE FILMMAKER Sree Nallamothu holds an MFA in Film and Video from Columbia College, Chicago. She has collaborated with Sakhshi, Human Rights Watch India, taught at Columbia College Chicago and Chicago Filmmakers and worked extensively with inner-city youth from Chicago through the Community TV Network. She is the founder of Thirst Films, a production company focused on addressing issues of justice with the hope of inspiring positive social change.

"Portas da Cidade"
(City Gates)
BRAZIL / 2004 / 14 MIN / PORTUGUESE

CREDITS
Camera: Caue Ueda
Editing: Alexandre Carvalho
Sound: Ricardo Reis
Music: Kalau
Produced and Directed by: Alexandre Carvalho

SYNOPSIS This documentary portrays some memories of Sao Paulo's downtown during the '40s and '50s, a period of time considered by many as its golden era. It features local celebrities such as Vida Alves and ordinary people such as Reynaldo Carvalho who worked as a hotel doorman for 15 years.

THE FILMMAKER Born in Sao Paulo City, Brazil, in 1978. Alexandre Carvalho graduated in film and video from the University of Sao Paulo in 2001 with an emphasis on directing, screenwriting and film editing. He has worked on a number of short films as cinematographer, editor, assistant director and sound recordist. Among his other films as writer-director are "Toilet" (2002) and "One More Time" (2003).

"Rani Hindustani"
INDIA / 2003 / 24 MIN / HINDI

CREDITS
Camera: Deepti Gupta
Sound: Bhaskar Pal and Vipin Bhati
Music: Miko
Produced and Directed by: Priti Chandriani

SYNOPSIS "Rani Hindustani" is the story of a woman who has rebelled against many social traditions in the process of discovering her own identity, and today lives life on her own terms. Unable to come to terms with male insensitivity experienced with her father and, later, her husband, she disowned both the surnames that suffixed her name, Hemlata. Instead, she chose a name Poonam (after Poona, her hometown) Maharashtra (her state which she feels is like a father to her) Hindustani. She chose to have a child out of wedlock when the option of adopting one was denied to her and has dared to take on a profession that is almost entirely male-dominated - truck driving. Today she lives with an adopted mother, brother and a friend, under the family name, Hindustani.

THE FILMMAKER Priti Chandriani has studied Mass Communications (TV & Film) at Temple University, Philadelphia USA. After working briefly with KeroTV (California), she returned to India in 1998 and began working for an ad agency. In 1999, she formed her own production company and started making commercials, TV series and documentaries independently. She is currently based in Bombay.

"Raqsan"
PAKISTAN / 2004 / 32 MIN / URDU

CREDITS
Dance and Narration: Fasih ur Rehman
Music: Ustad Salamat Hussain, Nafees Ahmed, Bashir Ahmed, Naseeruddin Sami, Basharat Ali
Script: Fasih ur Rehman, Omar Kasmani
Producer: Mariko K. Shah, The Vision Factory
Directed by: Asim Raza

SYNOPSIS Classical dance kathak exponent Fasih ur Rehman talks about what kathak is, its brief history and development. He also touches upon what dance means to him and how it influenced him to develop his own life philosophy along with the display of different aspects and varied forms of kathak. The title "Raqsan" derives from the philosophical idea of dance in relation to the universal order with which everything constantly moves in ordained rhythm, explained by the legendary guru of kathak, Maharaj Ghulam Hussain.

HE FILMMAKER Asim Raza is one of the leading advertising filmmakers of Pakistan and has been in the field of direction for the last 10 years. He has worked on more than 200 TV commercials for a wide variety of clients and products including all the multinationals as well as most of the local clients. He is also directing regional advertising films for middle-eastern countries. Besides commercials, he has done about 15 music videos for various artists including Junoon, Awaz, Junaid Jamshed, Abrar-ul-Haq, Fakhr-e-Alam, Fakhir and Hadiqa Kiyani. He also shot the famous Junoon concert in Central Park in New York, directed a 13-episode program on Marketing and Advertising by the name of "The Big Idea" and directed the on-ground event as well as the TV broadcast for the 2nd Lux Style Awards, 2003. "Raqsan" is his first documentary film.

"Re-inventing the Taliban"
PAKISTAN-USA / 2004 / 54 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera: Ahmed Khan
Editing: Daniel Flahtry
Producers: Sharmeen Obaid, Ed Robbins for NYT Television
Directed by: Sharmeen Obaid and Ed Robbins

SYNOPSIS "Re-inventing the Taliban" brings a uniquely personal perspective to the disturbing rise of radical Islamic fundamentalism within Pakistan. It follows Sharmeen Obaid, a young Pakistani woman, as she travels into North West Pakistan. Her journey to find out what is going on has resulted in a portrait of people and places rarely seen in the Western media - people on both sides of a struggle now unfolding within Pakistan.

THE FILMMAKER Sharmeen Obaid is an award-winning Pakistani documentary filmmaker. Last year, her film "Terror's Children" was awarded the Overseas Press Club Award, The American Women in Radio and Television award and the South Asian Journalist Award. Her second documentary film "Re-inventing the Taliban?" was recently awarded the Banff Festival Special Jury award and has been screened at festivals around the world. Sharmeen is currently developing her next project in the Middle East.

"Roozgar-e-Ma"
(Our Times)
IRAN / 2002 / 78 MIN / FARSI

CREDITS
Editing: Nava Rohani
Directed by: Rakshan Bani-Etemad

SYNOPSIS A documentary about women in contemporary Iran, the film starts out following the enthusiastic campaign of a bunch of young people (including the director's daughter) during the 2001 presidential election in Iran. The focus later shifts towards the women who wanted to run for the presidency themselves (none of the candidates were eventually accepted by the organizing committee). The director follows one woman in particular, a single mother who is struggling to make ends meet in a very conservative society dominated by men. It's a moving portrait of the immense courage of one woman who, against all odds, never gives up fighting for a better future for her daughter and herself.

THE FILMMAKER Rakhshan Bani-Etemad is one of the leading women of Irani film. She graduated in the field of film directing from The Faculty of Dramatic Arts and joined Iranian TV in 1973, beginning her career as continuity girl and assistant director. Later on, she made a number of short documentaries and directed her first picture "Off The Limits" in 1988. Her next films - "Canary Yellow" (1989), "Foreign Exchange" (1990), "Nargess" (1992) and "The Blue-Veiled" (1995) established her as one of the most influential women directors in Iran.

"Roz-Qaza: Hibakusha Ki Aapbeti"
(A True Story of A Hibakusha)
PAKISTAN / 2003 / 30 MIN / URDU-JAPANESE

CREDITS
Narration: Rehan Sheikh, A.G. Shah
Camera and Editing: Mehr Elahi Gazdar
Music: Films D'art Studio
Script: Aisha Gazdar
Produced and Directed by: Aisha Gazdar

SYNOPSIS This docu-drama is based on the true experiences of an atomic bomb survivor who visited Pakistan and India after both countries tested their nuclear devices in 1998. The survivors of the atomic bomb, called hibakushas, were horrified to find that there had been celebrations on the streets of India and Pakistan spurred by the governments of both countries. Taking the experience of Myuki Kamezawa on the terrible day of August 6, 1945 in Hiroshima, the film re-enacts her story with a regional context. What happened in Hiroshima on that day could happen in Pakistan or India and the re-enactments symbolize such a tragic happening.
Her experience, heart-rending and tragic, is depicted through a mix of dramatatisation and documentary footage.

THE FILMMAKER Aisha Gazdar, based in Pakistan, has worked in the field of women's development and journalism and as a production assistant and researcher in a number of documentaries. This is her first film as director. She is currently working on a documentary on women's rights in South Asia.

"Some Roots Grow Upwards"
INDIA / 2002 / 52 MIN / ENGLISH

CREDITS
Camera: Shanker Raman
Editing: Monica Bhasin, Supratik Roy
Sound: Girijashanker Vohra
Producer: Public Service Broadcasting Trust
Produced and Directed by: Kavita Joshi and Malati Rai

SYNOPSIS What is the relevance of theatre - or of all art, for that matter - to the crisis of our times? "Some Roots Grow Upwards" explores the creative canvas and politics of Ratan Thiyam, acclaimed theatre director, against the backdrop of this query. For over 25 years now, Ratan Thiyam has been creating a theatre that is as visually compelling as it is intellectually stimulating. His theatre is steeped in the traditional performing arts of his home state, Manipur. But while his aesthetic influences are traditional, his concerns are intensely modern. Shot in the city of Imphal in Manipur, a region ravaged by violence and insurgency, the film took over one year and several trips to the region to complete.

THE FILMMAKER Kavita Joshi studied film direction at the FTII, Pune. She works chiefly on documentary films focusing on Indian heritage and issues confronting Indian society. In the past decade, she has also created several projects for television, shown on channels like BBC World, SBS Australia and Doordarshan.
Malati Rao has a masters in mass communication from MCRC Jamia. "Between Dualities", her thesis film at MCRC won the Best Film award at the UGC CEC Video Competition 2000. Her documentary focusing on labour issues in the USA won the Henry Chapin Media Award at the Human Rights Festival 2000 in New York.

"Words on Water"
INDIA / 2002 / 85 MIN / ENGLISH-HINDI-GUJARATI

CREDITS
Camera: Sanjay Kak, Ranjan Palit
Editing: Sameera Jain, Reena Mohan
Sound: Samina Mishra
Music: Rahul Ram, Amit Kalam, Asheem Chakrabarty
Script: Sanjay Kak
Produced and Directed by: Sanjay Kak

SYNOPSIS For more than 15 years, the people of the Narmada Valley in central India have resisted a series of massive dams on their river, and in their struggle have exposed the deceptive heart of India's development politics. This is a dialogue with authority that is usually conducted across barricades. But through the tumult and slogans, we make our way to the transactions between power and powerlessness, between truth and untruth. The film was shot over a period of two years, after the Supreme Court lifted the stay on the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam, and pushed the resistance into its most critical phase. In a world where the use of violence has become the arbiter of all political debate, "Words on Water" is about a sustained non-violent resistance, the almost joyous defiance, which empowers the people as they struggle for their rights, yet saves them from the ultimate humiliation of violence.

THE FILMMAKER Sanjay Kak is an independent filmmaker based in New Delhi. After reading economics and sociology at university, he worked extensively in television, and in documentary film. His films include "In The Forest Hangs A Bridge" (which received the best documentary award in 1999 National Film Awards), "A House and a Home" and "This Land, My Land, Eng-Land."