Cinema Rendezvous 1st Bala Kailasam Memorial Award 2015

1st BALA KAILASAM MEMORIAL AWARD 2015
for Innovative Use of Media towards Social Causes

The Bala Kailasam Memorial Award (BKMA) has been instituted by Cinema Rendezvous Trust to celebrate Mr. Bala Kailasam’s spirit and visions. Bala Kailasam, fondly known as BK was a highly respected television professional and an activist documentary filmmaker. He was a man of vision who could foresee the impacts of mass media well ahead of the times. His visions of using media for social wellbeing, environmental upkeep & improvement of human conditions remain unfulfilled by his untimely demise in 2014 just before his father K. Balachander’s demise.

Cinema Rendezvous is a registered Non Profit Trust, working on Art & Culture related platforms promoting social dialogues between Artists. The Cinema Rendezvous Trust celebrates Mr. Bala Kailasam’s spirit and honours media personnels for their Innovative Use of Media towards Social Causes. The award will carries a citation and a cash portion of Rs.50,000/- BKMA is awarded to a work of an individual or an organisation that makes use of
one of the following media to create a social change.
1. Social Media
2. Television
3. Print Media
4. Radio
5. Documentary

The recipient of First Bala Kailasam Memorial Award 2015 is Mr. Haobam Paban Kumar for his documentary film Phum-Shang (floating life). Floating life, a 52 minutes film produced by Film Division is a quiet and fairhearted investigation of the fishermen communities and their floating dwellings in Loktak Lake, North East India. In 2011, Manipur government burnt down hundreds of huts in the pretext of cleaning the lake and blaming the locals for the pollution of the lake. Thousands of fishermen were displaced, became homeless and their livelihood snatched. With nowhere to go the fisherman still continue to fight the authorities. They continue to fight a losing battle where the authorities are even questioning their being a native of the lake since they live on floating huts built on floating biomass. In its treatment, the film has reached an epic quality and stands as a metaphor in portraying the vulnerabilities, struggles and strength of our lives.

The film moves and impacts the viewer at different levels and opens up whole new vistas for thought. It has won the Silver Lotus for the Best Investigative Film, 62nd National Film Awards 2014 and the Best Long Documentary, 8th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala 2015. Haobam Paban Kumar studied film making at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute Kolkata. His films have been shown at many festivals international events and have won several recognitions including the FIPRESCI prize at Mumbai International Film Festival 2006. He was one of the six emerging talents to represent India at Cannes film Festival 2011 supported by National Film Development Corporation India. Haobam stays in Manipur and makes film about Manipur.