‘Voices from the Waters’ is a water film festival in Bangalore, India currently in its third edition. The first edition of the festival was held in 2005 followed by the second in 2007. The aim of the festival is not only to spread awareness of water issues among the people but also to celebrate the bountiful natural resource. It is one of the most comprehensive platforms for dialogues and ideas focusing on the pressing issues surrounding our most precious resource - water and has given common platform to students, film makers, artists, water activists, architects, engineers, scholars, visionaries and all concerned to learn, interact and debate on water across all its forms: economic, social, ecological, political, cultural, technological and the aesthetic. Since its inception as a small Bangalore-based film festival in 2005, 'Voices from the Waters' has become the biggest International Film Festival on Water screened in various cities and institutions across the nation and even abroad.
The festival will unfold across six days from the13th to the 18th of September, 2008 and will be held at the Jnana Jyoti, Bangalore University City auditorium. Along with the screening of the films, conferences focusing on certain central water issues will be conducted along with various cultural programs, painting and photo exhibitions and 'Water Voices' in which grass-root level water activists will narrate their personal experiences from a life spent in campaigning fearlessly for water, for nature, for society, for us all and the rest that are yet to follow.
Voices from the Waters 2008 is a result of the collaboration of a consortium of National and International organizations active in water issues that includes Bangalore Film Society, Arghyam, SVARAJ- Society for Voluntary Action Revitalization and Justice, Bangalore University,Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca College, USA (FLEFF) Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, USA, Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, Max Muller Bhavan, Bangalore and Water Journeys - Campaign for Fundamental Right to Water.
Programme Schedule:
Inauguration: Saturday 13th September 2008 at 5 pm.
Film screenings: There will be two screens
1. The Main screen will organize shows for high school children from 9 to 1pm. Students from different schools will participate in the festival spread over five days.
2. Screenings for College students from 1.30 pm to 6 pm. College students from different colleges in Bangalore will participate in the festival over the duration of the festival. At the end of each session of screenings eminent personalities from the town will interact with the students
3. 6 pm to 8 .30 pm Open screenings for the public. 100 seats will be reserved right through the day to enable the participation of the public.
4. Aquascope will screen films from 9 am to 8pm. The films screened will be shorter and artistic take on water in myriad forms. Approximately 100 people can be seated in the auditorium.
5. Interaction with documentary film directors.
Conference/Workshops
1. Bangalore University’s civil engineering and water department will organize a two days conference mainly for university teachers on 15th and 16th September 2008.
2. Conference on Gender, Caste and Water governance by Institute of Social Sciences on 17th September 2008.
3. Simultaneous workshops on the following topics will be held by organizations involved in water issues. However, the lead organization should make sure that at least 20 people participate in the programme they organize.
1. Water and Sanitation: The Utopia of an odorless City
2. Rivers and Streams: The Future of the Waters
3. Water access and Equity: Gender, caste, floods, draught, water diversion etc.
4. Water Voices: Grass root level water activists from different parts of India will be sharing their experiences in a separate gathering twice daily.
River songs: Throughout the day river songs from different languages will be played in the lobby.
Exhibitions:
1. Painting exhibition on the theme of Water and Life will be on display through out the length of the festival.
2. Photo exhibition: There will be a photo exhibition on the theme of Rivers and Streams.
3. Also there will be an art installation by Syamala Nandesh who has been working with water motifs.
Kiosks:
Spaces will be provided to institutions to exhibit their publications, posters arts and crafts to add to the celebrative atmosphere.
Voices from the Waters are the Voices of people who are deeply committed to water issues. The festival takes you to the waters: to see and listen to her manifold stories…