By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, October 25: Aimed at facilitating and encouraging aspiring Tibetan filmmakers, Tibet TV of Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR) awarded its first ever ‘TTV’s Take-Off film grant 2017’ to three Tibetan youth today at Lhakpa Tsering memorial hall.
CTA President (Sikyong) Dr. Lobsang Sangay, who also heads the Department awarded INR 3 lakhs each to the grant recipients – Thupten Sonam Dorje, Kalsang Jigme and Jamphel Sherab – with a hope that it would kick-start the beginning of Tibetan film industry, which he jokingly referred to as ‘Tillywood’.
Explaining how film is the most watched medium compared to newspapers, radio and TV, President Sangay said, “Through filmmaking we want to reach out to larger audiences, in exile, inside Tibet, in China and internationally as well. Hence this grant is very important as it is the seed to greater things in future.”
Sikyong congratulated the three recipients while lauding the themes chosen by them. Thupten Sonam Dorje will be making a short film on gender equality in the Tibetan community, Kalsang Jigme and Jamphel Sherab will make ten-minute documentary respectively on Tibetan Muslims and the Special Frontier Force or the Establishment.
“These three topics have some commonality. They are the peripheral or the forgotten, if not neglected, needing some kind of recognition and acknowledgement to be brought in the mainstream discourse of the Tibetan society,” Sikyong said, adding that they films would be shown in all the Tibetan settlements and also through Tibet TV.
With 12 initial applicants, the three grant recipients were selected out of the six final budding filmmakers through two phases including a two-day orientation program held earlier this year in July.
“The major concern and the biggest barrier for a filmmaker is the lack of financial support and I see this grant as a great opportunity for any aspiring Tibetan filmmaker,” said Kalsang Jigme, a Delhi-based photographer.
His main aim is to thoroughly document a proper narrative of a common man, which according to him is lacking in the Tibetan society.
Currently in pre-production stage, the deadline for the submission of film is February 20, 2018 and exile Tibetan filmmakers Tenzing Sonam, Tenzin Tsetan Choklay and Kalsang Rinchen will guide each of the three winners till completion of the project.
