MIFF2020 gives platform to Youngsters with Autism; Their Short films Screened

Artistic, Not Autistic

For the first time in the history of Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), nine short films made by intellectually challenged youngsters were screened at MIFF, Mumbai today. Films Division, M/o Information & Broadcasting, has set an example by recognizing the artistic talents of aspiring film makers with autism.

“This is a great initiative as the world begins to include people with diverse abilities; and our children are going to be in the forefront of the revolution. Our kids have stories to tell that is different those that you usually watch .It is also important that these stories are also heard because these will take our cultural diversity forward and make it inclusive, “ said Sunita Sethi while expressing her happiness about this inclusive step taken by MIFF this year. Her daughter Pranavi Sethi’s film Behind the Scenes was one of the nine films screened today.  She also added “I would like to thank MIFF for recognizing them and would like to extend my gratitude to Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi who had designed a course for persons with autism”

National award winning photo journalist and documentary film maker, Ajmal Jami trained the directors of these films during a 10 day course ‘Smart Phone Film Making’ for special young adults at IIMC (New Delhi) in 2019 about the art of film making through smart phones.
Behind the Scenes, Freedom of Lights, Autism in the Corporate World, Global Warming, Open skies, True Happiness, Only Nani and me, Swachch Home Swachch Bharat and My Take are the films which were screened at JB Hall, Films Division which received an overwhelming response from the audience. 

“I want to express our extreme gratitude to the Director, MIFF for giving us this platform. It has been an amazingly supportive exercise. Our films were shortlisted. Films Division facilitated the entire process. The environment was made comfortable for the young adults and was handled sensitively”, said Shalini Gupta of The Art Sanctuary, an NGO that works for people with special needs. “We hope to see more film makers attending our show next year and we will be back with better movies”, she added.