Film festival showcasing scientists' role in Independence to be held in Delhi
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New Delhi: Marking India's 75th year of Independence, Vigyan Prasar, an autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Science and Technology (S&T) organises a science film festival between August 13 and 15 to highlight the role of Indian scientists, science communicators and teachers in the Indian Independence movement.
The film festival, named 'Swatantrata Ka Amrit Mahotsav Ka Vigyaan Filmostav', is jointly organised by Vigyan Prasar with Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), an NGO, CSIR-NISCPR and Films Division, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India.
"The film festival is a part of the year-long celebration, where Vigyan Prasar will showcase the involvement of Indian scientists in the country's freedom movement. From a digital standpoint, this festival will bring to the Indian populace a web portal - www.swavigyan75.in - which has been designed to act as a single access point to all the information on the Mahotsav," said Nimish Kapoor, senior scientist with Vigyan Prasar and coordinator for the film festival.
Documentaries, docu-drama, animation, and short videos (up to 60 minutes) made in the last five years will be showcased in the 'Swatantrata Ka Amrit Mahotsav Ka Vigyaan Filmotsav'.
The themes chosen include - the role of scientists in India's freedom movement and Science and Technology in India during 1947 or pre-independence.
Keeping in mind the pandemic situation, the film festival would be held virtually and would be available for viewers on Vigyan Prasar's social media platforms such as Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vigyanprasar), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/user/VigyanPrasar1/) and even Vigyan Prasar's website (https://vigyanprasar.gov.in/), apart from the special portal created for the year-long festivities (https://swavigyan75.in) and that of Films Division (https://filmsdivision.org/), Kapoor said.
"Indian scientists' love for their motherland was manifest in their work. The British brought science to strengthen their rule in India and they allowed very limited access to Indians. But they continued to suppress those people and discriminated against them. This, however, helped in strengthening the Swadeshi sentiment," said a former scientist at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai and VIBHA's national organising secretary Jayant Sahasrabudhe, in his write up for a special issue by Vigyan Prasar on the occasion.
The films will also receive awards. The first prize will fetch the winner Rs 1,50,000 with a trophy and certificate; the second prize winner will get Rs 1,00,000 with trophy and certificate while the third prize winner will get Rs 75,000 with trophy and certificate.