By not being preachy and using their creative skills at its best, the team of Magic Jar - Mimansha Punamia, Shenoya Fernandes, Lisha D’souza, Mitali Puthli & Parth Vyas sent across strong message of preserving our environment. The transition from a small town to a city brought about a kaleidoscopic change in the perception on the quality of life and the dependency of individuals on the environment for a healthy and clean living. In the film equating fresh air to drugs gave a new definition to rarity.
The team; a dedicated group of film makers now consider themselves as agents of change and feel responsible towards the society after making the film. They believe films have the power to impact. The team now leverages their YES! i am the CHANGE social film at various other film festivals and contests with the objective to reach out to as many supporters possible.
Samir Karnik, an ex-banker and environmental consultant and his team unveiled a new perspective towards ‘Combating AIDS/HIV’ by making YES! i am the CHANGE social film on children born with HIV. The film profiles the work done by St. Catherine’s Home, a NGO in Mumbai, to provide care and shelter to homeless children/girls born HIV positive. They were in full admiration of the spirit and task undertaken by the Sisters to combat HIV.
Post the filmmaking challenge, the team made a 15 minute version of the film pro-bono which is used by the home for awareness generation and resource mobilisation. Samir and team have been ambassadors for the home and regularly volunteer there. The ripples of transformation were not limited to the participants but their friends and family have also got involved with the cause.
Being an FTII student, Pooraj Kapoor had already worked on multiple film projects and assisted his seniors on many short films. As he recollected that this being his first competition, he never knew while signing up that it will change things so much for him and his other team mates.
On August 15, 2014, at 6 am in the morning, Pooraj and his team were given the topic of elderly care and they zeroed in on an old age home as the subject of their short film. The team then started looking for subjects on the streets of Pune and there they found someone who went on to change their lives forever - Mr. Ramanlal Hiralal Firodia, a 67 year old incense seller who has not let polio affect him and today looks after himself and his old parents .
In the beginning, it was just like a documentary subject for them and nothing more than that. Roshan Yelathi, another team member warmly recollected that the very next morning, they reached his place and were really over whelmed to see that he was the only earning member of his family and looked after his parents who were 83 and 91 years old. Then then took his interview and spoke to his parents as well.
Post his experience with YES! i am the CHANGE, Pooraj Kapoor started working on a documentary on environmental sustainability. He was also featured on National Geographic from April, 2014 onwards as part of a photography contest. As a filmmaker, he feels that the project made him realize the responsibilities that film makers have towards society.
Writer, creative director turned freelance producer, Ravi Iyer signed up for YES! i am the CHANGE - 101 Hour Filmmaking Challenge and early morning received a topic ‘Animal Care’.
Having a dilemma what to shoot, Ravi’s friend’s recommendation was a starting point of a long lasting connection with this avid animal lover - Roxanne Davur. Ravi, along with his team, contacted Roxanne Davur, Founder of Probably Paradise, and a shelter for terminally ill animals in Karjat. Ravi shot Roxanne’s tireless efforts in the recuperation of over 135 animals under one roof and put them in a 3-minute social film for the world to see. Roxanne and her work was inspiring beyond belief. He felt sad and dejected because he could possibly cover only one such cause through this challenge. Ravi and his team were so moved while filming, that they held a fundraising dinner inviting their acquaintances’ to contribute towards this little ‘Probably Paradise’.
Leena Kejriwal, a YES! i am the CHANGE (YIAC) 2014 participant and YES Foundation Changemaker 2015 awardee has gone beyond merely making a YIAC film and engaged with individuals to sensitise them about anti human trafficking.
Her YIAC film narrates the story of an ex-sex worker and an NGO - Humari Muskan - where they work with the children of sex workers to prevent the next generation from entering the industry.
In January 2014, she launched a public art project titled MISSING at India Art Fair. The artwork consists of larger-than-life silhouettes of young girls placed against the urban skyline representing the millions of young girls who ‘disappear’ from their homes into the shadowy world of human trafficking. Although she initially had support from a private foundation to take the work across India, eventually the funders pulled out, leaving Leena to think of a new way to continue her campaign to bring about change through her art.
The MISSING campaign has evolved to be a public art movement against human trafficking from a mere art installation project.
Leena’s initiative has received widespread appreciation across India and globally (especially in UK and USA) and also covered in prestigious publications like The Guardian and Al Jazeera.
Leena was awarded the inaugural YES Foundation Changemaker Award.
Leena, with the grant support and guidance from YES Foundation has now launched a smartphone app - MISSING, game for a cause, as part of the inaugural YES Foundation Changemaker Initiative.
The MISSING App takes the player to an augmented reality animation which allows him/her to experience the human toll of trafficking. The end screen takes you to a list of current petitions, which one can sign, and help in making the laws stronger and a list of nearby NGOs, which one can contact and help. With it there are other links that help in creating more awareness and action pertaining to the issue. The app is one of its kinds in India and raises awareness and drives public action towards prevention of human trafficking.
MISSING Game App has won the Indie Game of the Year award by NASSCOM Gaming Forum Awards 2016.