Shyam Benegal is regarded as India's leading New Cinema film maker - he has won several awards in his distinguished filmmaking career but none as prestigious as Indian Cinema's highest honour, the DadasahebPhalke Award, for his immense contribution to Indian Cinema.
He is credited with the success that New India Cinema enjoyed in the 1970s and early 1980s when he produced the quartet, Ankur (1973), Nishant (1975), Manthan (1976) and Bhumika (1977), which were artistically superior yet commercially viable films.
Nephew of Guru Dutt, Founder of the Hyderabad Film Society and a former Ad Filmmaker, Benegal made a major impact with his first feature film itself, Ankur, which not only won several awards including the National Awards for Shabana for Best Actress and SadhuMehr for Best Actor, but also had a good showing at the Box Office.
Perhaps Bengal's best film was Bhumika that looks at an individual's search for identity and self-fulfillment. The film is broadly based on the life of well-known Marathi Stage and screen actress of the 1930s and 1940s, HansaWadkar who led a flamboyant and unconventional life to say the least. The film received rave reviews the world over. To quote film critic Derek Malcolm, "What Benegal has done is to paint a magnificent visual recreation of those extraordinary days and one that is also sensitive to the agonies and predicament of a talented woman whose need for security was only matched by her insistence on freedom."
Following the success of these four films, he was backed by film star ShashiKapoor for whom he made Junoon (1978) and Kalyug (1981).
The 1980s saw Benegal turn to TV where he successfully directed serials like Yatra (1986) for the Indian Railways, and one of the biggest projects ever undertaken on Indian Television, Bharat ekKhoj (1988), a serial based on Nehru's Discovery of India. Both projects are amongst the finest work done on Indian television.
Benegal returned to feature filmmaking after a gap of almost six years and has since been making features regularly.
Besides Feature Films, Benegal has also made several documentaries including Child of The Streets (1967), Nehru (1983), Satyajit Ray (1984) and Nature Symphony (1990).
WIT
"Why I Love To Travel" Judges
Our panel of judges comes with a variety of skills and backgrounds - from India's leading New Cinema film maker to one of Singapore's up-and-coming independent short film producers and a former television and radio executive now turned airline man to working videographers and producers who understand what it takes to produce work for the new media today.
Meet our judges.
And check out these tips on how to make a winning video.
Lillian Wang began her career as a staff writer for Television Corporation of Singapore (now Mediacorp). During her time there, she wrote for several hit series, including "Under One Roof", "Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd", "Three Rooms" and "Money".
Moving from television to film, she later graduated with an MFA in Film Directing and Production from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Theater, Film & Television. While at UCLA, she directed several short films that played in film festivals around the world. In 2004, she was named one of ten U.S. nation-wide finalists in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker Award competition for her short film "The Sound of Movies".
Back in Singapore, Lillian continues to write and direct episodic television series, documentaries and independent short films. She has also done work for corporate clients such as Nokia, HSBC and Citibank.
Her film work has received the support of the Singapore Film Commission; most recently, she was awarded a Short Film Grant for her independent documentary "Mass Dance", and a Script Development Grant for a feature film in development, "Four Four Two".
Moving from television to film, she later graduated with an MFA in Film Directing and Production from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Theater, Film & Television. While at UCLA, she directed several short films that played in film festivals around the world. In 2004, she was named one of ten U.S. nation-wide finalists in the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker Award competition for her short film "The Sound of Movies".
Back in Singapore, Lillian continues to write and direct episodic television series, documentaries and independent short films. She has also done work for corporate clients such as Nokia, HSBC and Citibank.
Her film work has received the support of the Singapore Film Commission; most recently, she was awarded a Short Film Grant for her independent documentary "Mass Dance", and a Script Development Grant for a feature film in development, "Four Four Two".
Azran, the Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia X, joined the airline industry from a television background. He was formerly a Senior Director of Business Development of Astro All Asia Networks plc, a leading Asian digital satellite television and radio broadcaster.
He led the start-up and operational launch of Astro's international investments and joint ventures across Southeast Asia, India and Greater China - having oversight management responsibility for a portfolio of over US$300 million invested in these businesses. He was also responsible for Astro's corporate and regulatory affairs functions, overseeing management of Astro's key stakeholders.
AirAsia X was set up in 2007, focusing on providing long-haul low-cost services. AirAsia X is an associate of AirAsia Berhad, the leading short-haul low-lost carrier in Southeast Asia.
He led the start-up and operational launch of Astro's international investments and joint ventures across Southeast Asia, India and Greater China - having oversight management responsibility for a portfolio of over US$300 million invested in these businesses. He was also responsible for Astro's corporate and regulatory affairs functions, overseeing management of Astro's key stakeholders.
AirAsia X was set up in 2007, focusing on providing long-haul low-cost services. AirAsia X is an associate of AirAsia Berhad, the leading short-haul low-lost carrier in Southeast Asia.
Christopher has more than 15 years of experience in the media industry, having worked in print, television, the web, and now film.
During his five years at the Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) - now Mediacorp TV - he produced a broad range of news and current affairs programmes such as Media Beat and Talking Point.
He served as Producer, and later Executive Producer of "In Conversation" (1997-98) - one of Asia's top interview programmes respected for its hard-hitting journalism. The half-hour programme had among its guests, movers and shakers in business, politics and entertainment such as Bill Gates, Nelson Mandela, and Chow YunFatt.
In 2000, he co-founded and ran Internet broadcasting company, AlternateTV, to harness the potential of webcasting for news, entertainment and corporate applications. Within two years, AlternateTV had become Singapore's leading webcaster and cornered the market in live financial news webcasting. The company also managed the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore's national broadband content portal Singapore One and produced and syndicated rich media content for local and regional markets.
Christopher recently formed Monsoon Pictures to develop, produce and market groundbreaking feature films and television programmes from Asia by providing creative and business direction, development support, and market expertise.
Monsoon Pictures' first feature Nadra, a 6 million Euro co-production with Holland's Fu Works and IDTV Film, is currently in pre-production and will be helmed by Ben Sombogaart, the director of Twin Sisters, nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film in 2004. Also in the works is an English/Arabic feature, From Beirut to Jerusalem, a US$ 3 million co-production with France and Jordan to be directed by award-winning Palestinian filmmaker, Annemarie Jacir.
During his five years at the Television Corporation of Singapore (TCS) - now Mediacorp TV - he produced a broad range of news and current affairs programmes such as Media Beat and Talking Point.
He served as Producer, and later Executive Producer of "In Conversation" (1997-98) - one of Asia's top interview programmes respected for its hard-hitting journalism. The half-hour programme had among its guests, movers and shakers in business, politics and entertainment such as Bill Gates, Nelson Mandela, and Chow YunFatt.
In 2000, he co-founded and ran Internet broadcasting company, AlternateTV, to harness the potential of webcasting for news, entertainment and corporate applications. Within two years, AlternateTV had become Singapore's leading webcaster and cornered the market in live financial news webcasting. The company also managed the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore's national broadband content portal Singapore One and produced and syndicated rich media content for local and regional markets.
Christopher recently formed Monsoon Pictures to develop, produce and market groundbreaking feature films and television programmes from Asia by providing creative and business direction, development support, and market expertise.
Monsoon Pictures' first feature Nadra, a 6 million Euro co-production with Holland's Fu Works and IDTV Film, is currently in pre-production and will be helmed by Ben Sombogaart, the director of Twin Sisters, nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film in 2004. Also in the works is an English/Arabic feature, From Beirut to Jerusalem, a US$ 3 million co-production with France and Jordan to be directed by award-winning Palestinian filmmaker, Annemarie Jacir.
Kevin Lee is the Creative Director at SPOON, an award-winning brand communications and design company in Singapore. His work has won awards at The One Show in New York and The Creative Circle Awards in Singapore, and he has served as a judge at several prestigious creative competitions in Singapore. Kevin is also a member of the Advisory Committee for Temasek Polytechnic's Design School (Singapore). Aside from creative direction and design in SPOON, Kevin also works on photography, commercials and videos, and short film projects.
