Two films focussing on social issues in India screened at film festival in NYC

Two films, which focus on social issues in India, were screened at a leading film festival here that shone spotlight on pressing topics such as immigration and human trafficking.

The fifth annual edition of SR Socially Relevant Film Festival New York, which opened here last week, will screen 70 films from 35 countries on a broad range of social topics such as immigration, women and girls, human trafficking, climate change, aging, mental health, disability, social justice and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBTQ) rights, according to a statement from the festival issued here.

"The Mission of the SR Socially Relevant Film Festival is to shine the spotlight on filmmakers who tell compelling, socially relevant, human interest stories across a broad range of social issues. The festival was created as a response to the proliferation of violence and violent forms of storytelling in media and entertainment," the statement said.

Two movies with focus on India were screened during the festival. Keep Believing' tells the tale of a man Frans Baartmans who left his home in The Netherlands in 1979 to live in India amongst the Dalits in the slums of Nagwa, Varanasi. It showcases how Frans fought the powerful to ensure equality, acknowledgement and dignity for the Dalits.

The other film premiered at the festival is Beyond the Grid' by Vinit Parmar. It captures the lives of impoverished, remote island villagers in India's Varanasi region, where they have lived without electricity for years but are now the first developing village to switch to renewable energy.

The festival was founded by actor and artist Nora Armani.