राष्ट्रीय मानव अधिकार आयोग, भारत
NHRC announces the 7 winners of its ninth prestigious annual competition for human rights short films out of 139 entries received
Press Release
National Human Rights Commission
New Delhi, 05th February, 2024
NHRC announces the 7 winners of its ninth prestigious annual competition for human rights short films out of 139 entries received
The film on LGBTQI+ rights- ‘Kiran - A ray of hope’ from Delhi chosen for the first prize of Rs. 2 lakh
‘Mukhagni - The Cremation’ from Assam depicting caste discrimination and the right of dignity to the dead selected for the second prize of Rs. 1.5 lakh
‘Right to freedom’ from Uttar Pradesh symbolically advocating equal opportunities for the children of slum dwellers chosen for the third prize of Rs. 1 lakh
Four films selected for the ‘Certificate of Special Mention’ with a cash award of Rs. 50 thousand each
The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has announced the winners of its ninth prestigious annual competition for human rights short films in 2023. It has chosen ‘Kiran-A ray of hope’ for the first prize of Rs. 2 lakh. The film by Shri Bhushan Arun Mehare from Delhi highlights and raises concerns on LGBTQI+ rights, including among others, the right to equal opportunities with dignity to earn a livelihood. It is in Hindi and English with subtitles in English.
‘Mukhagni- The Cremation’ by Shri Bibhujjal Raj Kashyap from Assam has been selected for the Second prize of Rs. 1.5 lakh. Inspired by a true story, the film raises various issues including untouchability, caste discrimination, social dogmas, overbearing diktat of caste panchayat, right of dignity to the dead. It is in the Assamese language with subtitles in English.
‘Right to freedom’ by Shri Nitin Sonkar from Uttar Pradesh has been selected for the Third prize of Rs. 1 lakh. The film symbolically advocates equal opportunities for the children of slum dwellers and highlights that there should be no cap on dreaming and achieving big in life through the story of a young boy living in a slum.
The Commission has also decided to give a cash award of Rs.50,000/- each to the four short films selected for the ‘Certificate of Special Mention’. These are:
1. ‘Glass of Humanity’ by Shri Abdullah Alfazeena from Tamil Nadu. It is a silent film and using cinematic expressions raises the issues of denial of rights due to corruption, discrimination and unlawful practices;
2. ‘Harassment of Deepshikha’ by Smt. Supriti Ghosh from Tripura. It is in Bengali with subtitles in English. Inspired by a true story, the film highlights and raises concerns on the issue of body shaming and denial of the right to life with dignity and equal opportunities;
3. ‘Naragam – Hell’ by Shri M. Baskar from Tamil Nadu. It is in Tamil with subtitles in English. Inspired by a true story, the film highlights how citizens’ initiatives can protect violations of human rights;
4. ‘RAHAS’ by Shri Rashid Usman Nimblkar from Maharashtra. It is a silent film. The film highlights the challenges of nomadic tribes in realizing their rights to lead a life with dignity by earning a living through their folk arts.
The full Commission Jury, chaired by the NHRC Chairperson, Justice Shri Arun Mishra comprised Members, Dr. Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, Shri Rajiv Jain, Smt. Vijaya Bharathi Sayani, Secretary General, Shri Bharat Lal and two external experts, former DG, Doordarshan, Shri Leela Dhar Mandloi and Prof. Rachna Sharma of IIMC.
The senior officers who were part of the initial process of shortlisting the films were also present during the screening for the full Commission Jury.
The aim of the NHRC Short Film Award Scheme since 2015 has been to encourage and acknowledge cinematic and creative efforts of the citizens towards the promotion and protection of human rights. For the ninth edition of this competition in 2023, a total of 114 short films were in the fray for the awards after scrutiny of 139 entries received in different Indian languages from various parts of the country. The awards presentation ceremony will be organized later.
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