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A distribution initiative for independent films
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| Film List | Price Lists: Indian | International | Download Price Lists: Indian | International | Order Copies | UC Blog |
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| Under construction is a new initiative with old roots. The roots go back a couple of decades to the late '80s. At the time, we had completed a film on the rights of the people who live in and around forests and wanted to screen it widely to extend the debate on rights of people to natural resources. The film - Because of Our Rights - was eventually screened and disseminated around the country and many parts of the world through a sustained attempt at distribution and dissemination. It helped to extend and expand the scope of the debate and also to consolidate different positions within it. Subsequently, we produced and distributed many films on a range of issues. But it would be incorrect to say that Under Construction is rooted purely in our efforts to distribute. Through the decades of the '70s and '80s, a number of independent filmmakers were involved in the distribution of their own films. And somewhere these roots have merged and mingled. It is difficult to tell them apart because distribution is the common problem of all independent filmmakers. Today, many more filmmakers are working with distribution, whether individually or in groups. Collectives and organisations are seriously looking into archiving, disseminating and screening films. Under Construction also shares roots with Alternate Media Times, a journal on media and politics that focussed primarily on independent films and filmmakers. Published quarterly from 1997 to 2001, it acted as a link between films, filmmakers, film-viewers, and a diverse range of organisations: from grassroots NGOs to universities to cultural groups. Nevertheless, Under Construction is a new activity. It is conceived as a non-broadcast, non-commercial distribution initiative for educational films. With this we are stepping into an arena that we are not completely familiar with, that of distributing films made by other filmmakers on a sustained basis. The logistics of distributions are compelling and complex. There are issues of copyrights and intellectual property; of a series of legal issues; of our discomfort with an activity that has primarily to do with commerce; and finally, of the complexity of the myriad of languages that people use and live with while most films tend to have one or two language versions only. And yet we have taken this step because there is an urgent need to see and show these films - for more people to engage with the stories that these films tell, to facilitate a culture of 'active' viewing. Our current list consists of almost 90 films from all over the world, covering a range of themes and ideas that is truly very wide. From US foreign policy, to Mariammal, the Dalit woman who spends her days cleaning shit from the streets of Madurai; from an exploration of the artist's workshop where the line between the filmmaker and the artist is blurred, to a journey through Gujarat in 2002 where this precise delineation is very sharp indeed. Our list comprises many such extraordinary films, and we will continue to add to this collection. Many people asked us why this name? Why Under Construction? It's simply because this initiative will always be under construction. We will continue to grow and spread, but with your help. |
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UC goes non-exclusive We are delighted to announce that the contract that Under Construction draws up with filmmakers for distribution is now non-exclusive. Technically, this means even if filmmakers sign a contract with us, they are free to have similar arrangements with other distributors in the same territories. Since we have so far been working with exclusive contracts, our existing filmmakers are welcome to decide if they would like to continue with our earlier 'exclusive' arrangement or would rather opt for non-exclusivity. In case existing filmmakers choose a 'non-exclusive' option we don't need to draw up a new contract. However, a one line email with instruction is necessary and sufficient. We welcome filmmakers to join us with their films. Write to us for more information
UC ties up with Scholars Without Borders In an attempt to reach its films to a wider range of viewers, Under Construction has tied up with Scholars Without Borders, an online bookstore that aims to promote Indian books on the global arena. All UC films with international distribution rights are available on the Scholars site, which also provides online payment facilities through credit card or Paypal. Prices at the Scholars site includes tax / postage, as applicable. Click on the following link and look under 'Documentaries' and further under 'Under Construction films': |
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| Film List | Price Lists: Indian | International | Download Price Lists: Indian | International | Order Copies | UC Blog |
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