By Matters India Reporter
Sonada, Oct 20, 2024: A documentary film produced by the students of the Salesian College Autonomous Sonada has won the third place in the Global Best film category at the Don Bosco Global Youth Film Festival.
The third semester students of the college’s Mass Communication and Journalism Department presented “Kamshola,” a 9 minute 15 second film at the festival held October 17-18 in New York.
The Indian documentary film narrates the journey of Kamshola Rai, a 17-year-old environmental enthusiast. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Gorabari village near Sonada, Darjeeling, the film delves into Kamshola’s life at a forest farm where she is immersing herself in the principles of permaculture.
Through her candid narration, Kamshola underscores the interconnectedness of humans and nature, emphasizing the importance of harmonious coexistence.
On winning the award, student film director Anjana Rai says, “There were moments when we considered giving up, but our mentors were instrumental in keeping us motivated and focused… This triumph taught us perseverance and resilience are essential qualities for overcoming challenges and achieving success.”
One of the mentors and head of the department of Mass Communication Shikshita Dewan praised the team. “I am elated. They’ve worked very hard, and now their hard work has been rewarded,” she added.
The film crew included: Bhaskar Rai and Justin Baskey for cinematography and camera; Rex Nayak (Assistant camera person); Yangchen Ramdasow (Voice over); Rounak Lama (Editor); Anjana Rai (Director) and faculty mentors.
During the two-day festival, some 320 communities from around the world viewed 120 short films carefully chosen from 1,287 submissions from 110 countries. The festival theme was “I Have a Dream: Youth and Climate Change – Making Mother Earth Cleaner and Greener.”
The festival ended with declaring 35 winners and recognizing across multiple categories to share prize money worth 120,000 Euros (10.9 million rupees).