Project Partners
Dr. Pushpinder Chowdhry MBE
UK Asian Film Festival, London
A trained Psychotherapist, Pushpinder has dedicated over 38 years of her life, to assisting the neediest members of the community whilst educating authorities to their predicament. Seeing the positive impact films have with mental health and well-being, specifically that many films highlight certain social issues that trigger thought provoking discussions, she co-founded the not for profit organisation Tongues on Fire Ltd (TOF) which organises the annual UK Asian Film Festival (UKAFF). Over the years Pushpinder has received awards including: Women Make Change contribution to Arts and Creative industries Award by Arab British Chamber of Commerce; Queen Mary University Community Engagement Award for Memories through cinema project; Services to South Asian Cinema by Punjabi Circle International; Melvin Jones Award for dedicated humanitarian service presented by Stanmore Lions Club and Contribution to Indian cinema Award presented by Indian Link International. In November 2018 Pushpinder received a MBE for her services to the Community and Arts Industry. Pushpinder is a published author of “Women if Substance,” 1997. Pushpinder is a trustee at DAWN, Diwa Asian Women’s Network and committee member of Asian Circle NGO. She is a current member of BAFTA and the British Film Institute.
Sridhar Rangayan
Kashish Pride Film Festival, Mumbai
Sridhar Rangayan is a pioneering Indian gay activist, award winning filmmaker, and festival director of South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ+ film festival. As one of the earliest out gay men in the 90s, Rangayan has contributed greatly to the LGBTQ+ movement in India through his writings, films and as a public speaker. His award winning films have won 35 awards and have screened at more than 300 international film festivals. As the festival director of KASHISH Pride Film Festival, earlier known as KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, the festival has emerged over the 14 years as one of the most important events in Indian cultural calendar and also as South Asia’s biggest LGBTQ+ film festival. He has been the Grand Marshal at Montreal Pride in 2016 and has also spoken at several TEDx events, conferences, and on news. He was one of the petitioners for the successful reading down of the anti sodomy law in 2018 and also a petitioner alongwith his partner of 30 years for the same-sex marriage petition.
Premendra Mazumder
World Film Festival, Kolkata
Premendra Mazumder is a film critic, author, and organizer. He writes extensively on cinema. He has authored five plays, an anthology of short stories, two collections of essays. He is the Vice President of the Federation of Film Societies of India (estd.1959), Asia-Pacific Secretary of the International Federation of Film Societies (Estd.1947), General Secretary of the India Chapter of the International Federation of Film Critics FIPRESCI (Estd.1930), and Editor of the quarterly film journal E-CineIndia (ISSN:2582-2500). He works for many national and international film festivals in home and abroad as the chairman, program director, curator, festival coordinator and consultant. He has served the jury in more than forty important international film festivals worldwide. He is the founder of the World Film Festival Kolkata and South Asian Short Film Festival Kolkata. He is the recipient of the coveted Ritwik Ghatak Award (Rajshahi, Bangladesh, 2016), Satyajit Ray Memorial Award (Asian Film Foundation Mumbai, India, 2018) and Vijaya Mulay Lifetime Achievement Award (FFSI-Keralam, India, 2023) for his contribution to cinema on various capacities. PREMENDRA MAZUMDER is a film critic, author, and organizer. He writes extensively on cinema. He has authored five plays, an anthology of short stories, two collections of essays. He is the Vice President of the Federation of Film Societies of India (estd.1959), Asia-Pacific Secretary of the International Federation of Film Societies (Estd.1947), General Secretary of the India Chapter of the International Federation of Film Critics FIPRESCI (Estd.1930), and Editor of the quarterly film journal E-CineIndia (ISSN:2582-2500). He works for many national and international film festivals in home and abroad as the chairman, program director, curator, festival coordinator and consultant. He has served the jury in more than forty important international film festivals worldwide. He is the founder of the World Film Festival Kolkata and South Asian Short Film Festival Kolkata. He is the recipient of the coveted Ritwik Ghatak Award (Rajshahi, Bangladesh, 2016), Satyajit Ray Memorial Award (Asian Film Foundation Mumbai, India, 2018) and Vijaya Mulay Lifetime Achievement Award (FFSI-Keralam, India, 2023) for his contribution to cinema on various capacities. He is based in Kolkata and could be reached at <pmfilm@gmail.com> and +91-98301-40517.
Dr. Pradeep Kenchanuru
Bengaluru International Film Festival, Bengaluru
Dr. Pradeep Kenchanuru is from Kenchanuru, Karnataka. After securing Master’s degree in History from Mangalore University, he pursued his Ph.D. from Kannada University Hampi on the topic of, ‘Ideology and the Cultural Questions of the Kannada Film’ in 2020. He pursued his film education through FTII Pune in 2015. He has done a short course on Sound through SRFTI Kolkata in 2020. He is the Screenwriter of the National award winning Kannada film Reservation in the year 2016. Ideology and the Cultural Questions of the Kannada Film, Chittha Ketthida Chitra: Philosophical issues in Kannada Cinema, Ritvik Ghatak: An Introduction, Imperfect to Perfect; The Films of Kim-Ki-Duk, Filmic World of Kristolf Kieslowski’ are his works on Cinema. Charitreyemba Varthamana and Charitravadu Prakatavalla are his works on History. CurrHe was the member of Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy which is under IB ministry of Karnataka. He has served as Jury member and Selection committee member for various film festivals across India including Mumbai International Film Festival of India (MIFF), International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Bengal International Short Film Festival (BISFF) and Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) and also served as jury member for the 70th National Film Awards. He is also a curator, programmer and consultant of some of the renowned Indian film festivals. Pradeep was the fellow of ICHR New Delhi in 2018. He also served as Visiting Faculty of National Institute of Design (N.ID.) Ahmadabad, Nitte University Mangalore, Manipal Institute of Communication (M.I.C.) at Manipal. Artistic Director (D.) of 14th Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFES) in 2023.
Vidyun Singh
Habitat International Film Festival, New Delhi
Vidyun Singh is the Creative Head of Programmes IHC. She has worked extensively in the programming of performing and fine arts events, helming Habitat World, India Habitat Centre as Director Programmes since it began in 1997.
She is a pioneering fashion choreographer. She has been closely involved in fashion and design since the inception of the Indian fashion industry. She has given direction to and benchmarked the presentation of Indian design on national and international platforms. She had been an advisor on the National Design Policy panel and Handloom board.
She is a pioneering fashion choreographer. She has been closely involved in fashion and design since the inception of the Indian fashion industry. She has given direction to and benchmarked the presentation of Indian design on national and international platforms. She had been an advisor on the National Design Policy panel and Handloom board.