How can local communities be empowered to tell their stories using contemporary media? 
 
The Tribal Animation Film Festival is a three day event to take place at the North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong, Meghalaya on 1-3 March 2019, to bring a curated programme of animated films made by local, national and international film-makers and independent artists for audiences in North East India. 

Indigenous media has emerged worldwide as a genre of media practice for decolonization that is controlled by local communities, represents their content and concerns and is targeted at local audiences.   In countries such as Australia, Canada, the African nations and Scotland, Indigenous media extends to the medium of animation and in India some independent film-makers are collaborating with folk artists to re-interpret local stories for animated films to sustain the narratives. How can local artists and storytellers use animation as a tool to communicate their cultural knowledge to wider audiences? The Tribal Animation Film Festival sets out to explore the scope for developing animation from the North East region.  

The Festival, supported by the North-Eastern Council (NEC) is jointly organised by North-Eastern Hill University (Department of Anthropology) and the Trust for Tribal Art Culture and Knowledge (Delhi).  It is a premiere event in North East India that is expected to attract media enthusiasts from across the region, and it provides networking opportunities for film-makers and students from the NE states with the media community in the rest of the country.  The festival engages a dialogue between ethnography and media practice:  the first day of the event reflects on the cultural knowledge of the communities of the region; the second day introduces experimental films by independent artists and local film-makers and concluding day presents media and animation education with the focus on ethical practices.  

Tara Douglas
Trust for Tribal Art Culture and Knowledge
https://www.facebook.com/events/309755102969376

TOPIC LINKS

How Nyanchedo Myniku Taught a Man to Fly (Script of the animated film 2005)

Northern myths. Dedicated to the great potential of animators! (2019)

Official response from the Yamal-Nenets Department of External Relations regarding the first Tribal Animation Film Festival