In a major setback to the event, a package of a dozen documentary films was
today withdrawn in protest from the forthcoming 4th International Conference
of Social Communication Cinema organized by Roopkala Kendro, Kolkata
(18th-23rd Feb 2005). The films were part of a package of films put together
last year under the banner of "Vikalp - Films for Freedom" by documentary
film-makers from across the country, as a protest against the arbitrary and
capricious censorship of films by the Government of India. Over the past
year the Vikalp package has been screened all over the country by Films For
Freedom as an intrinsic part of its national Campaign against Censorship.

Roopkala Kendro is an autonomous organisation "under" the Department of
Information and Cultural Affairs, Govt. of West Bengal. Set up with the
intention of producing films for "the social disadvantaged and vulnerable
population groups", the Conference of Social Communication Cinema is meant
to "highlight issues of existence/survival of common people, violence
against vulnerable groups like women and children, human rights,
environment, etc".Roop Kala Kendro had approached Films For Freedom to show
the Vikalp package during its Conference. However after selecting, and
obtaining the films from film-makers, Roopkala Kendro wrote in at the last
moment, quoting a "recent ruling of the Law Ministry" and Ministry of
Information & Broadcasting officials, and asking for censor-certificates to
be submitted before the films could be screened.

Films For Freedom believes that film festivals are spaces for an unfettered
ex-pression of film makers ideas and should be free of censorship, as is the
international norm. In keeping with our committment to protect festival
spaces, film makers have decided to withdraw their films from the
festival/conference being organised by Roop Kala Kendro.

The films withdrawn are:

Amakaar / Dir: Surbhi Sharma
Bakkarwals / Dir: Rajesh Kaul
Kitte Mil Ve Mahi / Dir: Ajay Bharadwaj
Ladies Special / Dir: Nidhi Tuli
Manjuben Truckdriver / Dir: Sherna Dastur
River Taming Mantras / Dir: Sanjay Barnela & Vasant Sabrewal
Sita�s Family / Dir: Saba Dewan
The Bitter Drink / Dir: P. Baburaj & Saratchandran
Unlimited Girls / Dir: Paromita Vohra
Water Business is good Business / Dir: Sanjay Barnela & Vasant Sabrewal
Words on Water / Dir: Sanjay Kak