Film South Asia 05 is being held from 29 September to 4 October 2005 in Kathmandu. This is the fifth edition of the biennial festival of South Asian non-fiction film, which brings together the best documentaries of the previous two years. About 40 films are being screened at FSA ’05, after which a selection presentations will tour the world as part of Travelling Film South Asia.

The only regular festival dedicated to the craft of non-fiction film, Film South Asia has become a platform for regional filmmakers seeking to exhibit new works to a critical audience of peers and lay people. Since 1997, the festival has succeeded in promoting a sense of community among independent filmmakers from all over. It has also helped develop an audience and market for non-fiction film within and outside Southasia.

The relaxed atmosphere which has become the signature of FSA brings together filmmakers, journalists, scholars and film buffs into a comfortable interface, helping generate cross-regional friendships and projects. A sense of discovery accompanies every FSA festival as well as the subsequent touring festival.

We are happy that once again to be providing the venue for the most creative and dedicated non-fiction filmmakers of Southasia, a region hosting a fifth of humanity and a good portion of its diversity. Southasia is the documentarist’s paradise, and every time we find more variety and depths in the films presented. In the last week of September 2005, the celebration will continue.

Films in Competition
Films South Asia is a competitive festival. Films made after 1 January 2003 are eligible for competition in FSA ’05. The Ram Bahadur Trophy for Best Film will be awarded to the documentary chosen by a three-member Southasian jury on the basis of overall excellence. The documentary chosen second best will also be awarded.

The Best Debut Filmmaker Award will go to the first-time documentarist the jury chooses to recognise. This is an honour being introduced for the first time at FSA ’05. Cash prizes accompany the awards: USD 2000 for Best Film, and USD 1500 for Second Best Film and USD 1000 for Best Debut Filmmaker.

Reflecting the upward trend in documentary production, every Film South Asia festival has received more production than the last. The first Film South Asia in 1996 received 135 films. This year, we expect to receive more than 250 films for selection.

Barrel of the Gun
Two days of FSA’05 will showcase historically significant documentary and feature films from all over the world that address the subject of armed power used against the people. The “Barrel of the Gun” selection will address issues of violence from all over, with an eye on the situation in Southasia.

Symposium on Film Markets
A special symposium will be organized as part of FSA ’05, addressing the status of the international market for Southasian documentaries and how to access that market. International experts will make presentations, among other things, on the evolving market for audio-visual media internationally, the place of Southasian subjects within it, and the best means to sell and to exhibit.

Travelling Film South Asia
A selection of up to 15 outstanding films from FSA ’05 will make up the Travelling Film South Asia which will tour all over Southasia and the world. Each of the past editions of TFSA has been to above 40 venues, where they have been received enthusiastically by dramatically diverse audiences. Within Southasia, the travelling festival helps build awareness and empathy among audiences across frontiers. We expect the forthcoming TFSA ’06 to go to more venues than ever, building on the increasing interest in our region as well as on the increasing quality of documentaries being produced here.

Clearinghouse of South Asian Non-Fiction Film
The Film South Asia Secretariat hosts the Clearinghouse for South Asian Non-Fiction Film, which markets documentaries from the region for non-commercial and non-broadcast purposes. An increasing number of documentaries are being sold by the Clearinghouse since it was launched at FSA ’03. The customers include research organisations, advocacy groups, government institutions, educational institutions, and others. The Clearinghouse works on the basis of non-exclusive agreements with filmmakers, and thus far has limited itself to films entered for Film South Asia.