NABARD aims to inspire people in collaboration with Mumbai International Film Festival

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has worked relentlessly from its inception to address the challenges of rural India and farming communities. A special screening of 23 documentaries will be held in partnership with the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), out of which 12 were screened today.

Climate change, water, the rural market, NABARDS success stories, and other issues confronting rural communities will be addressed in the documentaries on display. To give just a few examples of short films,  ‘Water for the Future’ depicts how NABARD has helped people in Bhiwani district, Haryana, overcome water scarcity and ensure surplus water, ‘Coconut Story Success’ depicts the success of a NABARD-supported coconut processing unit in Kannur district, Kerala, and ‘In Loom A Film’ depicts how a NABARD-supported project under the ‘Revival, Reform, and Reconstruction Package’ has helped sustain livelihood and increase income of weavers and artisans in Manipur.

NABARD, in collaboration with MIFF, has organized the ‘SCRIPT SYNOPSIS COMPETITION 2022,’ which is open to all, including students, filmmakers, and others. The script will be judged by film division juries, and the winners will be announced on the festival’s final day, June 4, 2022. The competition’s themes are rural development, rural women on the move, and Indian farmers adopting technology.

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Students from film schools who are passionate about making films are welcome to associate with the organization and help in documentary production. In the past, NABARD has worked with students who aspire to make a career in filmmaking from notable institutions.

Talking about NABARDS’ journey of producing documentaries on our successful projects started in 2014. Commenting on the same, Shri. Pradeep Mehrotra, Chief General Communication Department, NABARD, stated, “We realized that films are also becoming learning platforms. And I am thankful to MIFF for giving us this platform. Connecting with millennials gives us an opportunity to make them aware of rural India, as they are the future of our nation. Also, there was a need to tell the world about the NABARD’s stories of development, stories of grit and resilience, stories of hope and inspiration. We were convinced that these stories would inspire many, many others to break the shackles of the status quo and encourage them to eye for a better tomorrow.”

Hundreds of short movies/documentaries from across the country demonstrate the government’s efforts displayed through its excellent programmes. They have a dedicated YouTube channel- ‘NABARD Online’ where one can watch all the documentaries made by them