The Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) is coming up with a film festival that is designed to put the spotlight on the hardworking women in the film industry. The film festival – the first to be conducted in the state on this scale – will be held at St. Teresa’s College from November 1-3, and is named Macta Women’s International Film Fest (MWIFF ‘19).
The festival will feature 11 critically acclaimed international films, all by women filmmakers, to be screened for the first time in Kerala. In addition, three films of renowned filmmaker Aparna Sen will be screened in the retrospective section. And there will be two workshops — a VFX workshop and the M.J. Radhakrishnan Memorial Photography Workshop –at the college arts auditorium on November 1 and 2, respectively. National Award-winning actor Seema Biswas is the festival director of this edition.
The association revealed that the idea of conducting an international film festival had been in consideration for a while. “We at MACTA feel that it is important for such events to reflect changing trends and perspectives in world cinema. The growing presence and rich contributions of women, as artists as well as creative technicians in motion picture industries across the globe, is undeniably one of the most exciting developments in the history of cinema over the past decades. To pay tribute to their outstanding achievements, we resolved to exclusively showcase the works of international women filmmakers in the first edition of the Macta Women’s International Film Festival,” stated the organisers at a press conference in Kochi.
“Women filmmakers are unique in their artistic sensibility and vision. To do justice to their cinematic achievements, we have tried to ensure the highest quality possible while representing a wide variety of talent. We are also encouraging more women to direct, produce, write, and work behind the scenes as well as in front,” they added.
MACTA is the first formal organisation of the creative technicians of the Malayalam motion picture industry. The organisation, which was formed on October 10, 1993, aims at bringing Malayali film technicians together on a common platform for collective bargaining and the common welfare of its members. MACTA, started with 39 members, now has more than 1,047 members, and is on a brisk track of development.
The movies to be screerned at the festival include, Khartoum Off Side (opening film), Bad Bad Winter, The Silence of Others, Just Like My Son, Sembra Mio Figilo, Las Distancias, House of Others (Skhvisi Sakhli) , Sofichka (World Cinema) Khartoum offside (opening film), Solitaire, 3000 nights, The guest, A day for women (Focus on Arabic Cinema) and Parama, 15 Park Avenue, 36 Chowringhee Lane (Aparna Sen Retrospective)
Khartoum offside, directed by Marwa Zein Arbab tells the story of A group of exceptional young ladies in Khartoum are determined to play football professionally. They are prepared to defy the ban imposed by Sudan’s Islamic Military government and they will not take no for an answer. Their battle to get officially recognized as Sudan’s National Woman’s team is fearless, courageous and often laughable. But their struggle is unwavering. Through the intimate portrait of these women over a number of years we follow their moments of hope and deception. Despite the National Football Federation getting FIFA funds earmarked for the women’s teams, this team continues to be marginalized. However, there is a new spark of hope when the elections within the federation could mean real change of the entire system.
