Richa Chadha, Onir to judge Short Film Competition at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Actress Richa Chadha and National award-winning filmmaker Onir have been elected to the jury panel of the Short Film Competition at the 12th edition of the Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne (IFFM). The festival will be held from 12 to 25 August. Like the previous year, the organizers are gearing to host both online and physical film screenings and the online streaming of certain ceremonies will take place from 15 to 30 August. The theme of this year’s Short Film Competition is 'Modern Slavery and Equality'.

Chadha who has been a part of the IFFM in 2016 and 2018, when Love Sonia (2018) was the opening night film for that year's edition, is quite excited to be on the jury panel with Onir. "I feel completely honoured to have the faith of members of IFFM in having me as their jury member to judge their Short Film Competition this year along with the lovely Onir," she said.

The actress said she believed the theme of this year’s competition was not only relevant but of extreme importance. "I can't wait to see the entries we get this time around the theme of equality and modern slavery. It’s important to celebrate all formats of entertainment, and shorts are such a foundational concept for budding filmmakers and storytellers, to give voice and recognition to their style of filmmaking. Speaking from my personal experience having both acted and directed short films, it’s extremely tough to tell an entire story within a fairly short period of time," Chadha added.

The festival has opened entries for the IFFM Short Film Competition and the entries are to be submitted through FilmFreeway. The last date of submission is 20 July and the official website of the IFFM provides further details, terms, and conditions for the submission.

Speaking about the relevance of this year's theme, Onir said modern-day slavery runs in streams throughout our present world and the severe exploitation of people comes in many forms. "And while our Constitution says that every single person has the Right to Equality, is that really the case in reality? This year’s theme gives filmmakers a chance to explore these sides of society which reflect the kind of humanity we have in present times. I am excited to see what the filmmakers come up with," the acclaimed filmmaker said.