Toto Creative Writing (Kannada) Award 2015: Call for Entries

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Xl4WXqielHMVgtTGRGXzhkSm8/edit?usp=sharing

Sumantra Ghoshal: Learnings From the Fringe

LEARNINGS FROM THE FRINGE

Sumantra Ghoshal

It was as I was reading Pawan Kumar’s blog “Making Enemies” that I came across this heart-stopping sentence: “The old will be scared and insecure and they will die soon.” And, I realised, with that shock of recognition that strikes most true when you are most unprepared: “Hang on. That’s me he’s talking about.”

And so, I decided that before I realize the full intensity of that prophesy by actually popping it, I should share some learnings from my scared and insecure career.

But, to start at the beginning, it wasn’t always like this. I remember being young once—very long ago—and being motivated by the same enthusiasm and hope that this audience has now . . . and should never lose.

I came from a film background—not just any, garden variety film background, but perhaps the best that a young kid could hope to flower in. My grand uncle was the film director Satyajit Ray. And growing up in the presence of that extraordinary man and in an environment that threw up a panoply of film gods I knew immediately that I was a devotee and that my religion flickered at 24 frames per second.

I have since met too many interns, too many assistants, too many colleagues who have neither gods, nor a religion. For them film is a job. Of course, it’s a job but that’s not all it is; today, I am disturbed to see success calculated in shifts and in the number of shooting days accumulated this month. And I can in no way associate that feeling with the one that I grew up with. So, I say to you—and this is the first learning I acquired as I began my fascination for film—if you wish to worship in the temple of cinema, go seek out your gods.

What does that mean? “Seek out your gods.” It means realizing T. S. Eliot’s idea that we may know more than the past, but the past is what we know. It means realizing that you stand on the shoulders of giants. It implies the act of not just watching, but of “darshan”—looking deeply at how a great artist interprets the world he/she inhabits.

In my own genuflection to Ray I discovered a tenet that has remained a cornerstone of my very limited, humble offerings in that temple— humanism. He taught by shining example the ability to engage with the inner life of a character rather than the impersonation of one.

And that is something I would recommend to any filmmaker. It goes beyond the crafting of clever dialogue or intricate camera movement or expert cutting, which is not to deride any of those; but, it comes instead from observation and from empathy—not just of and with the person but, equally importantly, observation of and empathy with context.

And, so I urge you—because I myself have slipped too often into the valley—that when you next sit down to script, or when you direct actors, do not be entrapped by how cleverly the dialogue speaks, or how the camera swoops from the establishing shot to the detail, or how magically the green matte will be replaced, but consider how true you are to the inner life of your character and to his or her particular context.

And if you want a quick lesson in what this means simply revisit the opening scene of Charulata and you will know immediately how empathetic observation of character in context can resonate beyond the particular to become universal. Or go to something quite at the other extreme—Apocalypse Now. And see how the arrogance of America is distilled into the strut of Robert Duvall on a Vietnamese beach and how much criticism of US foreign policy is contracted into that memorable line: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”

Which brings me to my second—seemingly contradictory—learning: Having found your gods run away from them.

Why do I say this? Precisely because Ray was a brilliant man: he could draw, write, score music, design sets and costumes; and he also operated camera and directed. At the impressionable age of 12, I thought it was all great fun. And—hey!—it was easy. I have spent a lifetime discovering that it is not.

By the time I graduated I was beginning to see the truth of my situation and it was this: I was drawn to telling stories and I believed that film was my medium; but if I stayed in the shelter of the great banyan tree that was Satyajit Ray, I would be stunted forever. I needed my own piece of sun and, at 21, I ran away from all that had nurtured me to Bombay and to advertising.

So: having found your gods, run away from them.

When you are starting out you need to have role models, you need to be part of a tradition that is bigger than you but one that essentially informs your own development as an artist; you need to test different voices before settling on your own. But, then, as you begin to discover your own sur, you must break away. This step is perhaps the most difficult—too early and you could remain unformed, unprepared; too late and you could be doomed to repeating by rote.

You can see the dangers most clearly in our classical musicians and singers. I refer, of course, to those who grew up in the guru-shishya parampara. It is a way of life that is moving towards extinction; and yet, I believe the benefits of that model to be immense. I believed in that idea enough to introduce it into the running of my company and today in Bombay, there are at least a dozen successful filmmakers or producers who have profited by that grooming. And each one of them has found his own voice and intention.

But I have gone ahead of myself.

I started a company to make commercials when I was in my early 20s. And, I think, owing to the fact that in those years there were perhaps a dozen of us who were in any serious competition, I made a place for myself pretty quickly in the big, not-so-bad world of advertising. But, when I think about why I managed to make a rather protracted career out of advertising, I believe I did three things that you might find useful:

1. I practiced my craft and learnt from my mistakes. 
2. I had people around me that I respected.
3. I was not frightened to lose business.

What does this mean to young filmmakers such as yourselves?

1. Practicing craft. Or, to go back to my musical analogy, riyaaz. I cannot stress enough the importance of this. I was lucky to be able to do that because for about 5 intense years I was making two or three films a month. In those days that was a big thing. Everything about film before digital was expensive—both the shooting and the post— and some of it was arcane knowledge and the preserve of the few who “knew”—like 35mm cinematography. But today, with the accessibility of digital cameras and cheap editing systems, you can practice your craft more readily. And you should grab every opportunity to do so, regardless of the stage you are given to tell your stories. Make virals, make wedding videos, do advertising promos, music videos, short films. Some of these will be execrable (as so many of my ad films were) but you will gain something that is invaluable at this stage of your career—you will get to hone your craft. But, remember, you still won’t find that true voice unless you are brilliantly self-critical and unless you embrace my second point. Which is this:
2. Surround yourself with talent you respect. And when I say talent I don’t mean just writers and technicians. I mean production talent as well. Young filmmakers don’t realize how critical a good producer is to the making of films. Very often she is the difference between success and the dream that became a nightmare. We have an excellent representative on the panel today—Ruchi Bhimani. I don’t think it is a coincidence that she shepherded both Kai Po Che and that astonishing work, Ship of Theseus. More than any other medium, it is the talent you associate with that helps you grow. These are the people who will criticize and contribute. It is an axiom that film is a collaborative medium and yet I see too few well-knit teams. Why is this? Because trust is earned over time and too many players in the team suffer from self-deception about their individual worth. One-upmanship rings the death knell of both creative work and the human spirit. So, cherish the creativity of your compatriots. But a word of caution: shy away from the mediocre. I haven’t always succeeded myself—for it is a tightrope that we walk in film between arrogance and humility. What do you stand by? What do you give up? Each of you will have to find your own answer; but none can duck the question. It will define your work. And, by extension, your life. 
3. I was not frightened to lose business. In a world of commerce and, sometimes, easy morality, this was a difficult principle to uphold. The world of advertising today, and indeed of films, is so competitive, so demanding, that abiding by one’s convictions (not arrogance, convictions—there is a difference) is very difficult. And yet, as filmmakers, our convictions are what define how we play our very own game of thrones. In my book, persistence of vision is not just the basis of cinema; it is the bedrock of a filmmaker’s life. And yet, ironically, it is often the very first thing we compromise in the need to make work. 

Before I speak of my third learning from the fringes (where I have lived), let me digress and mention two regrets:

(i) The lack of deep roots. Even though I came from a very culturally aware family, I grew up without any deep roots in the literature and mythology of my country. My upbringing was very Western. For example, I learnt Western classical piano (badly!) and had no grounding in an Indian musical tradition or, for that matter, in what should have been the most natural music of all given my background—Rabindrasangeet.

Besides, we were Brahmos and not at all religious. My association with Hinduism was restricted to what I gleaned from the annual Pujas at my neighbours; but these were events that were more convivial than educational or spiritual.

Later, I made a conscious effort to be more connected to my own culture. I have spent a lifetime listening to Hindustani classical music; I have brushed up on my mythological texts; I even learnt to read and write Urdu. But it was too little too late. I realized my lack with particular sharpness while making my recent documentary on Bharatanatyam. There was so much that was superficially familiar and yet not an essential part of my life. I had information but I was not informed.

You must cherish and celebrate and constantly renew your roots and that includes an essential engagement with Indian language. Most of the talented Indian filmmakers I have met (or whose work I respect) have this in common: they have very deep roots and are habitually bilingual. You cannot do without English in today’s world; but the sap of your creativity will be in your own soil. Nurture it. Speak the language.

(ii) The second regret is something physiological and I don’t know how to circumvent it. It is that I forget easily. Memory, as much as imagination, is what allows us to make better films. I am now regarding the idea of memory as separate from the idea of roots. Memory is the smell of earth after a kaal baisakhi; memory is the taste of tea from a bharh at a railway station, memory is the peremptory ting-ting of a tram bell; memory is roadside pehlwans slapping their haunches. Memory is not just not forgetting; it is feeling made all the richer in recollection.

So, if like me, you tend to forget easily, do something about it. Make notes, keep video diaries or written ones, caption your Instagrams and store them for remembering; not just Facebook them for forgetting.

And one more thing: memory is the basis of structure. You can tell complex stories when you remember and, then, connect. You can have deep structure only when you remember well.

I have, of course, referred to a certain kind of film in this talk—one where the director has something to say about the world in which he lives. This is film as argument or as investigation or, sometimes, as essay. There are, of course, many other kinds of films and, I dare say, I have spent many hours of—to use a good Bombay phrase—“time pass” in the cinema. But I have no idea how to go about the job. And no interest in telling you how to do it—if I knew.

So, after such knowledge, what happened? Why, in a career spent mainly in and around the craft of film, have I only two documentaries to show for it?

That leads me to my third learning: Get out of your comfort zone.

As I mentioned, I became successful fairly early on in the game. Bu, a career in advertising films is a very consuming process for you are judged every fortnight. And I discovered quite quickly that with clients, the evil you do lives after you; the good is oft interred with your bones. But I got lucky. I was well rewarded both in terms of money and the respect of my peers. And, so, I found comfort in what I knew I did well. And that, I discovered too late, is hugely dangerous.

When you start getting comfortable you should begin to worry. The greatest comfort in filmmaking is the sequel. Imagine a world made up of Krishes and Dhooms stretching to an infinity of numbers. In a sense that is what became of my advertising film career.

I was no longer young; there were some very good, very motivated filmmakers—people like you—snapping at my heels; and I had nourished a ravenous company that needed constant feeding. So what started as a challenge and became a joy, turned into a grind. I could see the wave coming and I thought I would ride it. Instead, I drowned.

So, learn from my mistake. Get out of your comfort zone before you are trapped in it. Challenge yourself in what you do and how you do it. Dare to fail; just don’t make a habit of it.

I have taken my own advice. I retired from the company I started. I have no employees. I operate from a small room. I recently made a film on a subject—Bharatanatyam—about which I knew nothing. I researched the film; I wrote it; I narrated it; I edited it; I produced and directed it.

In a way it was my escape from the comfort zone of advertising. Today, I am, once again, alive. I am young. I am you.

Thank you.

Toto Photography Awards 2015: Call for Entries

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA), in association with TASVEER, invites applications for its eighth annual TOTO AWARDS for Photography from persons between the ages of 18 and 29. Two winners, to be decided by an eminent panel, will get a cash award of Rs 30,000 each. The last date for entries has been extended to 21 October 2014. 

Only Indian nationals resident in India are eligible to apply. Since the spirit of the award is to identify promising photographers, you can apply if you were born on or after 1 January 1985. No exceptions will be made. 

The submission should comprise a maximum of 16 images, in either colour or black and white, or a mix of the two. 

1. The submission should comprise still images. Video photography will not be accepted.
2. The images should be of a size between a minimum of .5 and a maximum of 1 MB each.
3. The submission should be made on CD (three copies) along with hard copies of only five photographs of your choice. These should be in reasonable size, i.e., easily visible, but not larger than A-4. DVDs will not be accepted.
4. The photographs should be on one or two themes. Your choice. Please do not send a random assortment.

Entries should be sent by courier or ordinary post (and NOT by registered or speed post)  to the address below (the phone numbers supplied are for courier purposes only).  

Toto Funds the Arts (TFA)

(Category: Photography)

H 301 Adarsh Gardens

8th Block, 47th Cross

Jayanagar

Bangalore 560 082

Phone 080 26990549/098806 23357

Entries must be accompanied by a statement, signed by you, confirming your name, date of birth, whether your work has been exhibited/published in print (give details), and also affirming that the submitted work is original. Please also give us your postal address, email ID, phone number (landline and mobile) and a short bio. Also ensure that your name does not appear either on the hard copy version of your photographs or on the CDs. Your entries will be given code numbers to protect your identity from the jury during the judging process. 

If you have any further queries please email sarita.tfaawards@gmail.com.  No queries will be answered on phone. 

Note: Submitted material will not be returned. The decision of the TFA jury will be final and cannot be contested in any forum. We reserve the right to use your submitted photographs (if necessary) to publicise the awards either on our or the TASVEER website or in any of our in-house materials such as a newsletter. Otherwise, the copyright rests with the photographer and your submission will be put to no other use without your express permission. 

TASVEER is an organisation committed to showcasing the finest in photography.

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) is a not-for-profit public trust set up in memory of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani, who was intensely passionate about music, literature and films. 

Toto Music Award 2015: Call for Entries

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) invites entries for its eleventh TOTO Music Award for young musicians and bands. The winner, to be decided by an eminent panel, will receive a cash award of Rs 60,000. The last date for entries has been extended to 21 October, 2014.

Contemporary original music from all parts of India, in any genre and language, is welcome. In the past TFA has received entries in genres ranging from rock, jazz, heavy metal and electronic to instrumental and folk. Although it is never easy to compare diverse entries, our experience is that talent and potential have a way of standing out regardless. TFA tends to reward music that explores new territory in the Indian music scene in the hope that the recognition and the cash award can help sustain it. The selected jury comprises individuals with experience as well as an open ear for new sounds. 

Only Indian nationals resident in India are eligible for the award. Since the spirit of the award is to identify and encourage young talent, you can apply if you (and band members if any) were born on or after 1 January 1985.

Over the past ten years, the Toto Music Award has come to be coveted by young musicians because it recognizes excellence. It helps you to see where you stand among the best upcoming musicians in the country, and to get your music heard and appreciated by knowledgeable young music writers as well as veterans in the field. The jury will assess musical content as well as the potential of the artist/band. Professional recording quality is not a requirement but applicants are encouraged to make their tracks sound as good as possible.

How To Apply for the Toto Music Award

Your application package may be submitted electronically OR physically. 

Please read the requirements carefully and send a complete package.

Electronic: To be sent via email or wetransfer.com to totomusicaward@gmail.com

1. An application form is downloadable at: 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx4M75IIpdEcYjR4eWt0bzdnMm8/edit?usp=sharing
2. A signed and scanned copy of the same application form. This will be in the form of an image (jpeg, gif, PDF etc).
3. Music! High-quality MP3s of your music (pick 3 of your best tracks). The file names for the MP3s should be in this format: ArtistName_TrackName.mp3.
4. 3 high res pictures of the artist/band, if possible in performance.

Physical: To be sent by courier or ordinary post (and NOT speedpost or registered post)

1. Music! Make a CD with your 3 best tracks. The track names should be in this format: ArtistName_TrackName.
2. 3 high res pictures of the artist/band, if possible in performance.
3. A completed and signed application form that can be downloaded from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bx4M75IIpdEcYjR4eWt0bzdnMm8/edit?usp=sharing
4. Send your package to the following address:

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS

(Category: Music)

H-301, Adarsh Gardens

47^th Cross, 8^th Block

Jayanagar

Bangalore – 560 082

Phone: 080 26990549 / 09880623357

Further queries: totomusicaward@gmail.com.

No queries will be answered on the phone.

Note: Submitted material will not be returned. The decision of the TFA jury will be final and cannot be contested in any forum. We reserve the right to use excerpts of submitted music to publicise or showcase the awards. Otherwise, the copyright continues to rest with the musicians and submissions will be put to no other use without their express permission.

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) is a not-for-profit public charitable trust set up in memory of Angirus 'Toto' Vellani who was intensely passionate about music, literature and films

Toto Short Film Awards 2015: Call for Entries

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) invites applications for its Toto Awards for Short Films from persons between the ages of 18 and 29. These awards have been instituted to honour the memory of Dr Sanat Kumar Ghosh. Much loved by family and friends, Dr Ghosh was a doctor of medicine whose varied interests included a deep passion for films. 

We invite young filmmakers to submit short fiction, non-fiction or animation films or any combination of these. Two winners, to be decided by an eminent panel, will get a cash award of Rs 30,000 each. The last date for entries has been extended to 21 October, 2014.

Only Indian nationals resident in India are eligible for the awards. Also, since the spirit of the awards is to identify promising young filmmakers, you can apply if you were born on or after 1 January 1985.  No exceptions will be made.

The submission should comprise between 1 and 3 short films in any language with English subtitles.  Please send each film on a separate DVD, three sets of each film.

The films should be submitted in MP4 format and should be single-screen films.

They should not be longer than 30 minutes each.

Only films completed between 1 July 2013 and 30 June 2014 will qualify.

The award will go to the Director of the film. 

Entries should be sent by courier or ordinary post only (and NOT by speedpost or registered post) to the address below (the phone numbers supplied are for courier purposes only):

Toto Funds the Arts (TFA)

H 301 Adarsh Gardens,

8^th Block, 47^th Cross,

Jayanagar,

Bangalore  560 082

Phone  080-26990549/+91-98806 23357

Please state the category for which you are applying on the envelope, e.g. Short Films (documentary), Short Films ((Fiction), etc.

Each entry must be accompanied by a statement, signed by you, confirming your name, date of birth, when the film was completed, whether it has been screened (give details), and affirming that the submitted work is original. Please also give us your postal address, email ID, phone numbers (landline and mobile) and a short bio. A small paragraph on each of the films submitted is essential. 

If you have any further questions please email sarita.tfaawards@gmail.com.  No queries will be answered on phone. 

Note: Submitted material will not be returned. The decision of the TFA jury will be final and cannot be contested in any forum. We reserve the right to use excerpts from your submitted films (if necessary) to publicise the awards either on our website or in any in-house materials such as a newsletter. Otherwise, the copyright rests with the filmmaker and your submission will be put to no other use without your express permission. 

TOTO FUNDS THE ARTS (TFA) is a not-for-profit public trust set up in memory of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani, who was intensely passionate about music, literature and films.

Dr Sanat Kumar Ghosh was a doctor of medicine whose varied interests included a deep passion for films.

Toto Creative Writing Awards (English) 2015: Call for Entries

Toto Funds the Arts (TFA) invites applications for its tenth TOTO Awards for Creative Writing in English from persons between the ages of 18 and 29 in three genres: short plays, short stories and poetry. Two winners, to be decided by an eminent panel, will get a cash award of Rs 30,000 each. The last date for entries has been extended to 21 October, 2014.

The awards are meant only for Indian nationals resident in India. Since the spirit of the awards is to identify promising young writers, you are eligible to apply if you were born on or after 1 January 1985. No exceptions will be made.

Each entry should be not more than 7,500 words. If you are submitting poems, please send 6 to 10 poems. If you are submitting short stories, their combined word length should be at least 2,500 words. You can, if you wish, send only a single story of 2,500 to 7,500 words. You can send entries in all three categories — poems, short stories and plays — but you must send them as separate entries for each category. For example, your poems can constitute one entry, your short stories the second entry, and plays a third entry. 

Entries should be sent in soft email copy to sarita.tfaawards@gmail.com as well as in hard copy form by courier or ordinary post only (and NOT by speedpost or registered post) to the address below (the phone numbers supplied are for courier purposes only).  

Toto Funds the Arts (TFA)

H 301 Adarsh Gardens

8th Block, 47th Cross

Jayanagar

Bangalore 560 082

Phone 080 26990549 / 09880623357

Please state the awards category for which you are applying on the envelope, e.g., Writing-English (poetry) or Writing-English (short fiction), etc. 

Each entry must be accompanied by a statement, signed by you, confirming your name, date of birth, whether your work has been published in print (give details), and affirming that the submitted work is original. Please also give us your postal address, email ID, phone numbers (landline and mobile) and a short bio. Also ensure that the hard copy version of your submissions does not carry your name on it. Your entries will be given code numbers to protect your identity from the jury during the judging process. 

If you have any further questions please email sarita.tfaawards@gmail.com. No queries will be answered on phone. 

Note: Submitted material will not be returned. The decision of the TFA jury will be final and cannot be contested in any forum. We reserve the right to use your submitted writings (if necessary) to publicise the awards either on our website or in any in-house materials such as a newsletter. Otherwise, the copyright rests with the writer and your submission will be put to no other use without your express permission. 

Toto Funds the Arts is a not-for-profit public trust set up in memory of Angirus ‘Toto’ Vellani, who was intensely passionate about music, literature and films. 

Toto-Sangam House Residency Fellowship 2014

TFA, in partnership with Sangam House, is delighted to announce a two-week residency fellowship for writers at Sangam House for the winter session 2014.

The fellowship covers board and lodge for a two-week period at the Sangam House International Writers' Residency located outside Bangalore.

(For more information about Sangam House, please visit www.sangamhouse.org)

Please note that the fellowship does not include a stipend or cover costs of transport/travel to and from Sangam House.

The fellowship is open to anyone who has either won or been short-listed for the TFA Creative Writing Awards since their inception in 2006.

Applications from the following genres of writing are welcome: poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fiction.

Your application must include:

- a one-page statement describing what you intend to work on while at Sangam House 

- a recent writing sample of not more than 5,000 words.

Applications should reach Sarita Vellani at sarita.tfaindia@gmail.com no later than 25 August, 2014. If you have any questions, write to the email address provided or call +919880623357. 

All applications must be sent by email with a covering note (which mentions your date of birth, your current occupation, your phone number and your current address) and two attachments, one each for your statement of purpose and your writing sample.

The name of the recipient of the fellowship –– to be determined by Sangam House –– will be announced in the second week of September 2014. 

NB

If you have been awarded a residency at Sangam House since 2010, you are not eligible to apply this year.

The Sangam House winter session runs from 2 November 2014 to 25 January 2015. Please do not apply if you are not available during that time.