Institute Talkies (the official film club of the Institute of English), presents a treat for film lovers on the 24th and 25th of February – CLAPS 2012, a short film festival with an international section and a competition section for students. This is the first time that such an initiative has been undertaken by the ardent film enthusiasts of the Talkies, which has always been a potent mixture of pure film fanaticism and sharp, insightful criticism.
The morning session of the 24th will see Dr. G.S Jayasree( editor of Samyukta and Professor of English at the Institute of English) deliver the welcome address. The festival will be inaugurated by director Shyamaprasad of ‘Agnisakshi’ and ‘Akale’ fame. The keynote address is to be delivered by Sajitha Madathil, a force to reckon with in the theatre scene of Kerala. Anulekshmi U.G., secretary of Institute Talkies, will then introduce the film club to the audience. A.Gopikuttan (Member, Senate, University of Kerala) and Dr. P.K Rajasekharan will offer their felicitations.
The afternoon session will showcase a splendid array of international short films including the works of Maya Deren, Alain Resnais, Jean Painleve, Edouard Muszka, Jun Wracke, Vasudha Joshi, Manoj Leonal Jahson and Balint Kenyeres. This will be followed by “Malayalam Cinema: On Scripting the Malayali”, a talk by Dr. Meena T Pillai (Director, Centre for Comparative Literature and Associate Professor, Institute of English). The exciting Institute Package, comprising the movies “Thoottal” and “Ke Sera Sera”, by former students of the Institute of English is next on the list.
The 25th, opens with the screening of the twenty movies in the competition section. The themes and styles vary so much that the competition encompasses a wide field ranging from a “Head or Tail” of a little under two minutes to a “My Love Costs You Nothing” of close to eighteen minutes. There is love, betrayal and revenge to be had in “Crossroads” while “Orukkam” is eloquent about the relationship between a mother and daughter. There are dark renditions of popular lore in the works “Hitchhikers”, “Presentense” and “Caricature” striking a poignant balance with the subtle vein of humor in “Headphone”, “States of the Mind” and “The Exhibit.” The tragedy of media sensationalism runs the story in “Aardram”. “Off Track” is a tribute to the martyrs of the professional rat race. “To Be Continued” deals with our way of handling (or manhandling) books. “Makalkayi” is the moving story of a Kathakali artiste and his daughter. “Tiffin Box”, “Humane Plus”, “White Shadows” and “Santhwanam” turn the cameras and our minds to an introspection of the society. “Where Is My Root?” and “A Cup of Tea” call for a closer look at who we are and what we really want in life.
The screening of K.R Manoj’s award winning social documentary, “A Pestering Journey”, and an open interaction with the director kick starts the afternoon session. This will be followed by the valedictory session, with J.Prabhash (Honorable Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Kerala) delivering the keynote address. The Institute Talkies Award 2012 which includes a prize money of rupees ten thousand will be presented by the chief guest, the celebrated film-maker, T.V Chandran. C.S Venkiteswaran, Chairman of the jury comprising of K.R Manoj and two student jurors, Vivek G and Kezia Anna G, will then proceed to make an evaluation of the films in the competition section.
CLAPS 2012 promises to celebrate the love of cinema and the spirit of innovation, promoting a healthy attitude towards competition all the way!
Click here to view the
&