JOIN USA club for filmmakers
The coronavirus-forced lockdown has inspired people to put their creative cells to good use. Pawan Kumar, known for exploring untapped ideas, has come up with a film club, a first of its kind in the Kannada film industry (KFI).
Called the Filmmakers United Club (FUC), the club promises a plethora of exciting opportunities, for both professionals from the fraternity and audience. In the cut-throat world of cinema, it’s difficult for like-minded filmmakers to have immersive conversations on their love for movies.
Any instant admiration for a colleague’s work happens through a phone call or a text message. Brief chats during awards functions and success parties fuel friendships. But once directors resume their respective journeys, the lack of a common platform makes it difficult for them to share ideas. The FUC aims to exploit the magic of teamwork.
Directors have always craved for a free-hand from established practices in the industry. Many first-time filmmakers have only limited freedom. “We have often come across people who tell us what to write and direct. I think many of us were waiting for a change,” says Pawan.
The director, who shot to fame with the crowd-funded ‘Lucia’ and followed it up with the acclaimed ‘U Turn’, took a cue from The British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) to create FUC.
“The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is a reputed place to study cinema but otherwise, there are only a handful of good private schools teaching films. I wanted FUC to help youngsters learn about world cinema and the creative, technical and business aspects related to KFI. The BAFTA model promotes generating a community that works towards one goal, something that I like,” explains Pawan.
The FUC has a good mix of youth and experience. There is a commercial cinema giant in Yogaraj Bhat but there are also promising talents like Arvind Sastry (‘Kahi’ and ‘Alidu Ulidavaru’) and Adarsh Eshwarappa (‘Shuddhi’ and ‘Bhinna’). The presence of seasoned campaigners like Kavitha Lankesh, Shashank, AMR Ramesh and Jayathirtha BV enhances the balance of the club.
“I sent a message to everyone I know from the industry. The response has been encouraging,” says Pawan, who reveals that Lijo Jose Pellissery, the maverick director from the Malayalam industry, has also shown interest in joining the FUC.
Pawan, who debuted with ‘Lifeu Ishtene’ has often laid importance on the process of filmmaking, the struggles involved in it and the key aspects that make a good director. “I want FUC to be as democratic as possible. People can collaborate with film teams in various capacities,” he says.
Today, several incoherent YouTube videos have dented the value of film appreciation. The FUC attempts to promote quality discussions and stimulate unique ideas through its ‘Newsfeed’ section. In the ‘Newsfeed’, Club members have expressed their philosophies, narrated stories from their film journeys and revealed their inspirations to make films.
Pawan makes an interesting point about the ‘Newsfeed’. “We don’t have the usual ‘like’ or ‘comment’ options in the ‘Newsfeed’. We don’t want our members to be under the pressure of being liked for what they share. In the audience, we want to develop a practice of digesting the information and understanding it without feeling the compulsion to post a comment immediately,” he says.
FUC has a long way to go. Continuous commitment from the members and support from the audience will help the Club prosper. The Club will also have to evolve with time to survive. Pawan will know the challenges of a unique project. His Home Talkies, a movie viewing website launched in 2012, succumbed to piracy.
So can the FUC achieve its goals? Only time will tell.