Sunday, May 10, 2015

YES FOUNDATION Announces Plans to Provide Funding for Social Impact Films


Eminent international film organisations participated in a discussion on the importance of matchmaking between investing, philanthropy and documentaries at a panel discussion hosted by Hot Docs,North America’s largest documentary festival.

Prerana Langa, CEO, YES FOUNDATION, the social development arm of YES BANK was one of the panellists at the panel discussion held at the Rogers Industry Centre in Toronto which featured other prominent speakers, including:
  • Steven Cohen (Impact Partners,)
  • Paula Foehle (Co-Founder, The Chicago Media Project, USA)
  • Sophy V Sivaraman (Co-Founder & Filmmaker, Indian Documentary Foundation, India)

The panel was introduced by Vicki Heyman, Cultural Envoy and wife of U.S. Ambassador to Canada with 25 years of philanthropy and fundraising experience while the discussion was moderated byAndrea NemtinPresident and CEO, Inspirit Foundation. 

The panellists shared how foundations, individual funders and impact producers can work with documentary filmmakers to impact local communities. The panel further deliberated on films being a powerful medium to bring to the centre stage voices less heard. To unleash its true potential for catalysing social transformation, requires dual strategies of democratisation of filmmaking -making it accessible to a larger group of people as well as development of a cohesive and supportive ecosystem to nurture filmmakers.

Ms. Prerana Langa, CEO, YES FOUNDATION announced, "YES FOUNDATION’s unique program YES! i am the CHANGE is India’s largest social film movement having energized over 50,000 youth pan-India to make films and positively engage with the nation-building process. At Hot Docs, we have found extremely strong resonance with various international government and private – public sector organizations. We have a definitive interest and are in advanced discussions to create an impact fund with matching grants with these agencies to nurture and support films to transform communities for an inclusive India”

The highly significant panel discussion was attended by an audience comprising global filmmakers, broadcasters, students and civil society members.
This year, Hot Docs is featuring ‘India’ as the Spotlight country in the ‘Made in’ section and has pledged its support and expertise for the much needed thrust in India to produce and distribute documentaries through mentorships, outreach campaigns and global exposure.

About Hot Docs

Hot Docs is North America’s largest documentary festival, conference and market and is regarded as an essential Festival, both for premiering films and for conducting business. Each year, the Festival presents a selection of approximately 200 cutting-edge documentaries from Canada and around the globe to an audience of 190,000. Through its industry programs, Hot Docs also provides a full range of professional development, market and networking opportunities to over 2000 attending documentary professionals. Key broadcasters, distributors, film funds and financiers list Hot Docs among their top festivals to attend.

Indian Documentary Foundation (IDF)

IDF is a Not-for-Profit organization, co-founded by the popular actor, Jaaved Jaaferi and filmmaker, Sophy V Sivaraman. The Foundation has a commitment to enable production and outreach of powerful documentary films, thereby using the cinematic medium in India to initiate, stimulate and empower. IDF has brokered new partnerships for Indian documentary filmmakers and facilitated outreach support from NGO’s, government agencies, organisations and corporates.

About YES FOUNDATION

YES FOUNDATION is the social development arm of YES BANK and works towards a vision of an empowered and equitable India. It focuses on stimulating entrepreneurship and innovative use of media initiatives for social transformation, to enable India’s inclusive growth and development. Its flagship program is YES! i am the CHANGE, inspires, engages and empowers youth to participate in India’s social transformation through the impactful medium of films. This initiative provides transformative experiences which enables youth to become agents of change while creating invaluable communication resources for use of Not-for-Profits. In less than two years, YES! i am the CHANGE has emerged as India's largest social film movement with 1900 films and participation of over50,000 youth from 1,000 cities and towns across all Indian States.

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