Indian schoolchildren films shortlisted for Blair Foundation awards

Six short films by Indian schoolchildren have been shortlisted for an international competition sponsored by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to promote inter-faith dialogue through cinema.

They were selected from among hundreds of entries around the world including Britain, America and Pakistan. Winners of three best films will be flown to London to introduce their films at an awards ceremony at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) on July 22.

The films were chosen by a 14-member jury that included Mr Blair, and actors Anil Kapoor and Hugh Jackman.

The shortlisted entries are:

Faith is the question, Faith is the answer ; Grandma or Godmom ; True Friend ; Child Rights (all from New Delhi); The Path ( Kerala ); and The Guide (Haryana).

“Many of the young people that were shortlisted came from schools in India taking part in the Face-to-Faith schools project that links secondary schoolchildren around the world through video-conferencing including Apeejay School, Bal Bharati Public School and Ahlcon International School,’’ according to a Foundation press release.

It said the films dealt with “family, loss, overcoming adversity, personal devotion and hope”. There were also films from non-believers who were nevertheless inspired by different faiths.

One film tells the story of a young Muslim and Hindu who overcome their respective families’ resistance to their friendship and ultimately help their parents to rid themselves of their prejudices. In another, an Indian pupil presents a portrait of child poverty in India with a journey through the slums of Delhi.

Congratulating the six young Indian film-makers, Mr Blair said their films “celebrate India’s diversity”.

“I’ve been deeply inspired by the films I’ve seen. These are films made by young people who have something to say about their faith and about the world they live in. The stories they tell are incredibly powerful, some challenging, others uplifting. They all confront head on the prejudices that so often abound about different religions. I am proud to have been a part of providing these young people with the tools to share their faith with the world and I am sure the films they’ve produced will be a powerful resource in breaking down barriers between different cultures and religions,” he said in a statement.