“Children are our toughest critics,” says animators Ketan Pal and Megha Kulkarni, following the screening of their animated short films at the School Cinema International Film Festival (SCIFF).

The eighth edition of SCIFF which ran from November 14 to 30, saw entries from over 25 countries around the world and showcased more than 100 films selected for school children.

Festival director Syed Sultan Ahmed stressed the importance of films as a medium to teach life skills in the classroom.

The program has a ‘Watch, Learn, Make’ framework that provides a masterclass for children up to class 10, and includes masterclasses for students in acting, cinematography and production.

“Films such as Pushpa, KGF and Animal can exert a negative influence on a child’s behaviour,” says Ahmed. “For this reason, SCIFF takes months to filter through the entries, curating films that showcase moral values and different cultures, ensuring that children are introduced to films best suited for their cognitive development.” 

A sample of the fare showcased at SCIFF include two animated films, Sullinkayi by Megha Kulkarni and Ghughuti Ki Maala by Ketan Pal. Sullinkayi is humorous, refreshing, and extremely relatable in its message about dates, the dry fruit. It is the story of a young girl and her hatred for dates — they do not taste good, look like roaches and are palatable only when covered in chocolate or disguised in a barfi. Dates are definitely healthy, but what child cares about that? 

A section of the audience at SCIFF

The visuals are nostalgic with a certain intimacy of shared childhoods. “Making an animation movie is a long, hard process because every scene you see on screen is individually drawn,” says Megha, when talking about her film.

For Ketan, Ghughuti Ki Maala is a homage to his home and represents Uttarakhand with its rich cultural heritage, rooted in tradition. The short film depicts the story behind the festival of Ghughutiya, where people feed sweet ringlets of dough to crows. This tradition stems from the tale of Prince Nirbhaya Chand, his bejewelled necklace, and a crow that saved the day. 

Ketan says he was 25 when he first heard this story, and adds, “Although I grew up in Almorah, I did not know this story. The people around me barely had any knowledge of it; I found that embarrassing.”

Set in the mountains of Dehradun, the voiceovers are by children speaking in Kumaoni, a dying language of the region. Ghughuti Ki Maala was Ketan’s effort to bring this lapse to public attention. 

When asked about the challenges in the industry, both the animators spoke about it as being an unacknowledged art form. “When we walk into film studios for funding and support, the management often disregards our work, stating that animation isn’t interesting enough to bring profit,” says Ketan.

A sad reality, considering that it is one of the few art forms that can bring education, entertainment and culture together on one canvas.