11th chennai International documentary and short film festival 2023!

Mar 03 2023

11th Chennai international documentary and short film festival was held at multiple venues from 20 th feb 2023 to 28th feb2023 which was organized by Maruppakam film festivals.

This important event been spearheaded by Award winning Film Maker R.P.Amudhan who is a teacher, curator, programmer and an activist.

The festival had entry free for audiences at all venues.

Chennai International Documentary and Short Film Festival is the only event in Chennai exclusively run for documentaries. The festival has brought in many renowned filmmakers from across India to the city in the past. The festival has also collaborated with prestigious institutions such as Madras University, Loyola College, Madras Christian College, Ethiraj College, Periyar Thidal and Goethe Institute.

The idea behind the film festival is to promote and support documentary and short film culture (both viewing and making) in the state of Tamilnadu for which the city of Chennai is the administrative, economical and political capital.

Amudhan R P, director of the festival, said that this concluded festival had more than 1,000 students as quality audience.

“The whole idea of doing the festival in many venues is not just using them for venues. It is also making them co-organisers… In the process they deconstruct the whole idea of film festivals,” he said. The students will get introduced to the culture of film festivals, he added.

More than 120 films was screened successfully under different sections.

Sections :

1) International Documentaries

2) Indian Documentaries

3) International Short Fiction

4) Indian Short Fiction

4) Retrospective – Vinod Raja

5) Filmmaker in Focus – Sunanda Bhat

6) Homage – KP Sasi

7) Homage – Venkatesh Chakravarthy

8) Director’s Cut – curated by Amudhan R.P.

9) Student films from L.V.Prasad academy.

Screening Venues

20 Feb : DOT School of Design, Ambattur – 9 am to 4 pm
21 Feb : Ambedkar College of Arts and Science, Vyasarpadi – 10 am to 1 pm
22 Feb : Women’s Christian College – 12 pm to 5.30 pm (students only)
23 Feb : Don Bosco College of Arts and Science – 9 am to 1 pm
23 Feb : Madras School of Social Work – 10 am to 4 pm
24 Feb : Stella Maris College – 10 am to 4 pm (students only)
25 Feb : Roja Muthiah Research Library – 10.30 am to 5 pm
26 Feb : LV Prasad Preview Theatre – 10 am to 8 pm
27 Feb : Loyola College (Kaushal Kendra) – 9 am to 1 pm
27 Feb : University of Madras (Chepakkam / main campus) – 10 am to 5 pm
28 Feb : Loyola College (Visual Communication) – 9.30 am to 1.30 pm
28 Feb : Loyola College (LIVE) – 2.30 to 5.30 pm

This festival had got wide attention among colleges, film enthusiasts and concluding day awards were presented.

11th Chennai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2023 : 20-28 February

Competition for Indian Short Fiction

Arunmozhi Memorial Award for Best Indian Short fiction (a certificate and a Rs.25,000/- cash award)

Film : Shimga

Directed by Sanat Dhananjay Ganu

Jury : Pritham Chakravarthy, M.R.Bharathi and Ulaga Cinema Bhaskaran

Competition for Indian Documentaries

Shubradeep Chakravarthy Memorial Award for Best Indian Short / Medium Length Documentary – up to 40 minutes duration

(a certificate and a Rs.25,000/- cash award)

May be an image of 4 people, outdoors and text

Film : Fantasy Parks

Directed by Ardehl Nainan

Jury : Joshy Joseph, Maheen Mirza and Anirban Dutta

Competition for Indian Documentaries

Shubradeep Chakravorthy Memorial Award for Best Indian Long Documentary (above 40 min duration) – a certificate and Rs.25,000/- cash award

Winner : P for Pyaaz (Onion), P for Paisa (Money) and P for Pain (Water)

Directed by Laxminarayan Devda

Produced by SPS Community Media

Jury : Joshy Joseph, Maheen Mirza and Anirban Dutta

Amudhan who was elated by the festival grand success and says

Ulaga Cinema Bhaskaran, a film enthusiast, a filmmaker, a film activist and a critic has played a key role in conducting the 11th Chennai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2023 smoothly and successfully.

Bhaskaran looked after the parallel screenings, moderated the discussions on many occasions and brought in many speakers to initiate interactions.

I completely relied on him and Shash, our festival coordinator in the coordination of DCP screenings at LVP Preview Theatre. Both of them handled the whole issue of downloading, transferring, checking the files and the final projection at the theatre without any flaw and without my involvement at all.

He was selfless and ego-less and thoroughly motivated during the entire event.

Bhaskaran was also part of the Jury for Indian Short fiction section along with Pritham Chakravarthy and M.R.Bharathi, as part of the film festival for Arunmozhi Memorial Award.

Amudhan also said his friend Mr. Krishna gifted books to the audience members who attended film festival.

SICA member R.R.Srinivasan’s Documentary Paravai Kaalam : Karakurichi Arunachalam Nayana Isai
Dir : RR Srinivasan, Kutty Revathi ; 155 min was also screened.

Article writeup by

CJ Rajkumar

Author/Cinematographer