Boycott Bhubaneswar Film Festival '07
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Dear Friends,
I would like to bring to everyone's urgent attention on a disturbing trend emerging in Bhubaneswar amongst the film fraternity & media persons. Over the last few years more and more film festivals are being sponsored by corporations facing charges of gross human rights violations & environmental damage. The best example being Vedanta Alumina Ltd., a company that has been internationally hounded for its activities in Orissa. Vedanta sponsored Bring Your Film Festival in Puri two years back and now it has sponsored the Bhubaneswar Film Festival '07.
The timing of these festivals sponsored by Vedanta is always when the company is going through a tough time. The Bhubaneswar Film Festival '07 kicks off today, a week after the company was denied permission to carry out bauxite mining in the pristine primary forested Niyamgiri Hills by the Supreme Court of India on many grounds, a week after the State Pollution Control Board issued a notice to the company for affecting more than 25,000 villagers in 10 villages by the air and water pollution caused by its illegal factory in Lanjigarh and three weeks after the Govt of Norway withdrew its investments in the company for its malpractices in Orissa.
The people's movement against Vedanta has been raging for five years now. Many inncoent civilians have been beaten up by goons, and arrested under false charges. Vedanta's factory was built in the most dubious manner and many villages were forcefully displaced with ample support by district administration. Their villages were bulldozed while the police held them captive. Their cattle was shooed away and they have been put in a virtual prison since then which the company has termed Rehabilitation Colony. One local person was allegedly killed by the goons of the company for resisting displacement and protesting strongly against the atrocities of the company. Around the factory there are many stories of many deaths that have been hushed up.
As a headline in the frontpage of The Times of India questioned a week back "Whats good for Orissa, bad for Norway?", the same question can be put to the organisers of the Bhubaneswar Film Festival who choose to ignore the mishappenings in other parts of the state caused by their patron company Vedanta. Just google keywords like Vedanta, Niyamgiri, & Lanjigarh and one finds hundreds of webpages with adequate information on how the company has violated almost every law of the land in order to get its way ahead.
One can only guess if the organisers are ignorant partners in this 'consent manufacturing event' or not. Nevertheless, their disrespect towards other citizens of the state who are suffering due to the company's activities, cannot be more overt than the mammoth billboards plastered all over Bhubaneswar, advertising the film festival and Vedanta's name. These bilboards might create some goodwill amongst lovers of cinema and distract them from the real nature of the sponsors which is most certainly a planned strategy. Unfortunately these kind of festivals which are supposedly for the cause of meaningful & good cinema will incur more damage on society than the very meaningless & commercial cinema with whom they are fighting for space.
Though I have tried my best not to make this appeal to boycott the film festival to be a personal attack on the organisers I am compelled to mention that seemingly they have started to make a livelihood out of organising film festivals. In Orissa erring companies like Vedanta and Tata need all the goodwill they can and are more than happy to pay these people more than they ask for. Being a volunteer in some festivals in the past I am aware of how budgets are proposed to potential sponsors who are mostly companies with overactive PR wings (meaning they require more damage control) many times more than the actual cost
Inscreen Film Society of which I was once a part is also planning on a film festival next month in Bhubaneswar and it will not be a surprise if names like Vedanta or Tata pop up again alongwith as they have started the trend of manufacturing consent through film festival with BYOFF in Puri. Ironically BYOFF was born to liberate and democratise film festivals but has only proved to be facade for 'consent manufacturing'. Now Bhubaneswar Film Society is doing it with the Bhubaneswar Film Festival '07 from today without any regard for thousands of people in Orissa who might be displaced if Vedanta Alumina has its way. This film festival cannot be treated as a film festival, rather an advertising vehicle by Vedanta. I would call it a Trojan horse and would like to sincerely appeal to everyone to boycott such film festivals that disregard human life and nature.
With regards,
Surya Shankar Dash
Filmmaker,
Bhubaneswar
I would like to bring to everyone's urgent attention on a disturbing trend emerging in Bhubaneswar amongst the film fraternity & media persons. Over the last few years more and more film festivals are being sponsored by corporations facing charges of gross human rights violations & environmental damage. The best example being Vedanta Alumina Ltd., a company that has been internationally hounded for its activities in Orissa. Vedanta sponsored Bring Your Film Festival in Puri two years back and now it has sponsored the Bhubaneswar Film Festival '07.
The timing of these festivals sponsored by Vedanta is always when the company is going through a tough time. The Bhubaneswar Film Festival '07 kicks off today, a week after the company was denied permission to carry out bauxite mining in the pristine primary forested Niyamgiri Hills by the Supreme Court of India on many grounds, a week after the State Pollution Control Board issued a notice to the company for affecting more than 25,000 villagers in 10 villages by the air and water pollution caused by its illegal factory in Lanjigarh and three weeks after the Govt of Norway withdrew its investments in the company for its malpractices in Orissa.
The people's movement against Vedanta has been raging for five years now. Many inncoent civilians have been beaten up by goons, and arrested under false charges. Vedanta's factory was built in the most dubious manner and many villages were forcefully displaced with ample support by district administration. Their villages were bulldozed while the police held them captive. Their cattle was shooed away and they have been put in a virtual prison since then which the company has termed Rehabilitation Colony. One local person was allegedly killed by the goons of the company for resisting displacement and protesting strongly against the atrocities of the company. Around the factory there are many stories of many deaths that have been hushed up.
As a headline in the frontpage of The Times of India questioned a week back "Whats good for Orissa, bad for Norway?", the same question can be put to the organisers of the Bhubaneswar Film Festival who choose to ignore the mishappenings in other parts of the state caused by their patron company Vedanta. Just google keywords like Vedanta, Niyamgiri, & Lanjigarh and one finds hundreds of webpages with adequate information on how the company has violated almost every law of the land in order to get its way ahead.
One can only guess if the organisers are ignorant partners in this 'consent manufacturing event' or not. Nevertheless, their disrespect towards other citizens of the state who are suffering due to the company's activities, cannot be more overt than the mammoth billboards plastered all over Bhubaneswar, advertising the film festival and Vedanta's name. These bilboards might create some goodwill amongst lovers of cinema and distract them from the real nature of the sponsors which is most certainly a planned strategy. Unfortunately these kind of festivals which are supposedly for the cause of meaningful & good cinema will incur more damage on society than the very meaningless & commercial cinema with whom they are fighting for space.
Though I have tried my best not to make this appeal to boycott the film festival to be a personal attack on the organisers I am compelled to mention that seemingly they have started to make a livelihood out of organising film festivals. In Orissa erring companies like Vedanta and Tata need all the goodwill they can and are more than happy to pay these people more than they ask for. Being a volunteer in some festivals in the past I am aware of how budgets are proposed to potential sponsors who are mostly companies with overactive PR wings (meaning they require more damage control) many times more than the actual cost
Inscreen Film Society of which I was once a part is also planning on a film festival next month in Bhubaneswar and it will not be a surprise if names like Vedanta or Tata pop up again alongwith as they have started the trend of manufacturing consent through film festival with BYOFF in Puri. Ironically BYOFF was born to liberate and democratise film festivals but has only proved to be facade for 'consent manufacturing'. Now Bhubaneswar Film Society is doing it with the Bhubaneswar Film Festival '07 from today without any regard for thousands of people in Orissa who might be displaced if Vedanta Alumina has its way. This film festival cannot be treated as a film festival, rather an advertising vehicle by Vedanta. I would call it a Trojan horse and would like to sincerely appeal to everyone to boycott such film festivals that disregard human life and nature.
With regards,
Surya Shankar Dash
Filmmaker,
Bhubaneswar
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Goal
50 signatures
Goal: 100
Latest Signatures
9 October 2015
3 September 2015
4 August 2015
48.
Gunjan J
|
We condemn the corporate takeover of culture and art especially by those corporations that are creating social and ecological devastation.
28 July 2015
47.
Tapas R
|
Corporate sponsorship is often the only or major source of funds for organisers of cultural events. For sponsors, it is a way of building image and forging links with the intelligentsia. If Vedanta's activities have such grave environmental and human cons
19 April 2015
21 November 2014
45.
Suchira Rush
|
I think this practice of damage control is becoming universal since many corporates use their CSR for covering up the damages they create for the civil society... vulnerability is very contextual but we should not forget that that we may turn from being t
28 September 2014
44.
Gunjan J
|
We condemn the corporate takeover of culture and art especially by those corporations that are creating social and ecological devastation.
31 August 2014
43.
Dharmesh S
|
Any association with a criminal company like Vedanta is only reflective of the poor moral status of its associates.
28 August 2014
42.
Film L
|
In ancient Rome corrupt rulers sponsored gladiator fights to distract people. In the modern world we have films, music & dance festivals. The organisers cannot be innocent, they are allies of criminal companies like Vedanta.
1 July 2014
2 May 2014
40.
Vinod King
|
Black listed companies use us and the public space to come clean of all their misdeeds and gain more public acceptance. Should we allow this to happen when we are fully aware that they have brought misery and pain to our people?
16 January 2014
11 December 2013
28 November 2013
37.
Majid M
|
I know why you are against Vedanta.Like other protest groups, you'll start this protest till you are paid well for that.After getting your money, you'll be happy.SUCH AN IDIOT YOU ARE.
11 September 2013
22 July 2013
21 May 2013
34.
Mihir B
|
Art cannot exist in isolation. It is a reflection of the society and times we live in. Existence and art can't be separated. I detest the company's open publicty via the Art medium. Increasing commodification is taking roots in the work of art, which show
9 March 2013
27 February 2013
32.
Steven Vanb
|
Tribal Festival in Koraput sponsored by Nalco, BBSR Film Festival sponsored by Vedanta, and everybody's just buying it! In my country film festivals are sponsored by the government, press and banks at most. Not by criminal organisations who put profit and
3 August 2012
31.
Kulu Le
|
Don't make the societies as shield.I belong to BYOFF. How dare you use our name in your nasty ambition?Do you have any idea what is the involvement of Vedanta in a film festival.What and how it's activities are involved in alliance with a society...can yo
28 April 2012
27 March 2012
29.
Hellraiser Mcgrath
|
are any of you personally involved with the film society ? How could you miss the prime sponsor Airtel ... that was not seen?A cultural event like BFF'07 requires quite an amount to create the awareness among you people.It has got all the sympathies for t
24 January 2012
29 December 2011
12 November 2011
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