Documentaries and short films play a crucial role – especially in a country like India where, according to recent reports, almost 67% of the rural population is still without education and information. If we aspire to be global leaders and a super power we need to empower our people and …Education is the key!!

Value based documentaries fulfil that need. Educational content in multiple languages can reach millions, even the remotest areas through well-crafted documentaries.

Unfortunately documentaries in India lack an effective platform or distribution system. The mandatory screening of documentaries and News reels produced by Films Division before the screening of feature films in theatres has disappeared long back. There are over 1000 TV channels in India but only a few like DD National, NDTV and Epic have slots to telecast Documentaries.

In India we have the talent, the expertise, committed organisations and dedicated individuals. All we need is political will and support from the Government.

Documentary film making is not a commercial activity. Apart from awareness generation, Documentaries are effective agents of change. They are also visual records of the passage of time and witnesses to important historical, social, cultural and political events.

IDPA, the oldest documentary and short film Trust in India is now actively creating an interface between the Govt, the filmmakers and the National public broadcaster Doordarshan. Through DD National these films will reach over 800 million people every week.

IDPA is continually engaged in an endeavour to establish new film makers, to expand their horizons and improvise to tell their stories in innovative ways by providing exposure and workshops for skill enhancement.

Either we remain a collective of individual producers or gain strength and stature by creating a federation to meet the challenges ahead. Let all the organizations, associations and collectives come together to create one powerful platform. All we need is for us all film makers across the country to unite and create a core group. Unity will help revitalize the documentary movement and take it to the next level.

Let’s re-invent the documentary movement…together we can re-invent Indian cinema…and thereby re-invent India.