India’s Film Society Movement: The Journey and its Impact

Description

First comprehensive account of the seven-decade long journey of the Film Society Movement in India, and how it helped Indian cinema come into its own. Till 1950s, 80 % of the films screened in India were from Hollywood. Today, only 10 % films shown in India are of foreign origin. One of the main factors that aided in bringing about this massive transformation was the formation of Film Societies in India. They soon became a catalyst to a new film culture, impacting quality of Indian films, both in technology and content. This book studies this historic Film Society movement, from its origin, to the crisis of its identity in the 80s and 90s to its revival in 2000s. It not only narrates the history, the heroes, the institutions, crises, technological changes and the transformation of the Film Society Movement but also debates on the future of this movement.   Cover Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents List of Images List of Abbreviations Foreword by Adoor Gopalakrishnan A Note by Shyam Benegal From the Desk of FFSI President—Gautam Kaul Preface 1 A Nation Awaits a Pather Panchali 2 The Growth Path: From Calcutta Film Society to the Federation of Film Societies of India 3 Visionaries of the Film Society Movement and the New Film Culture 4 The Networks of Films and Film Buffs 5 The Driving Forces Behind the Film Society Movement 6 The Great Fall and Resurgence Through Digital Mode 7 The Star Film Societies and the Survivors 8 The Policy Shift and Waning Political Patronage 9 Towards a New Film Culture: From Crass to Class! Annexure 1 Genesis of Indian Films Annexure 2 Memorandum of Association: FFSI Annexure 3 Presidents of FFSI (1959–2016) Index About the Author Plates