MACTA

Kerala - Kochi
MACTA to start film institute

Staff Reporter

New office-bearers take charge

Kochi: Vinayan and K.G. George, film directors, assumed office as chairman and general secretary, respectively, of the Malayalam Cine Technicians' Association (MACTA) here on Saturday.

They took charge at the general body meeting of MACTA.

Mr. Vinayan said the association was planning to start a film institute. The Government had promised to give 4 hectares of land for the project, identified near NAD on the Aluva-Pukkattupadi route. Minister for Revenue K.P. Rajendran had promised to complete the process of handing over of the land soon. MACTA was planning a housing scheme for medium-level film technicians, such as costumers. An apartment complex with small flats would be constructed for them.

A scheme for production of a mega-serial was in the offing for helping old-time technicians left high and dry by technological revolutions sweeping the cinema field. The scheme would also help to raise funds for MACTA.

Mr. Vinayan is also the general secretary of MACTA Federation, a trade union, the chairman of which is Hariharan.

Kamal and Thampi Kannanthanam were elected president and general secretary, respectively, of the Director's Union of MACTA at the general body meeting of the union here on Friday.

The other office-bearers are Mohan and Harikumar, vice-presidents; Viji Thambi and Blessy, joint secretaries
(The Hindu, Sunday, September 3, 2006)

Chowara Project

Kerala - Kochi
Chowara project to be commissioned tomorrow

Staff Reporter

To augment water supply by 68 million litres a day in North Paravur municipal area
Project cost Rs. 56.14 crore
Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran to inaugurate project

Kochi: The Paravur Water Supply Augmentation Scheme (Chowara project) will be commissioned on Monday.

The Kerala Water Authority project will augment water supply by 68 million litres a day (mld) for a population of three lakh in North Paravur municipal area and in the limits of eight surrounding panchayats.

Kerala State Construction Corporation Ltd., which was in charge of the work, said the project could be described as the first large-scale water supply scheme in the State to be completed in a time-bound manner. It took two years.

The major works included those on a 26-metre-deep well of 12-metre diameter on the banks of the Periyar at Chowara; a chemical house with an area of 5,000 square feet for filtering water; a 15,000 square feet filter house; a 21-km-long clear-water pumping line; and a 28.9-lakh-litre sump at Paravur.

The project cost Rs. 56.14 crore.

As much as Rs. 36 crore was spent on pipelines, Rs. 15 crore on civil works and Rs. 5 crore on electromechanical jobs.

Two hectares of land acquired on the banks of the Periyar for the filter plant was handed over in March 2004. Supply of potable water started on April 7, 2006.

Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran will launch the project.

Minister for Fisheries S. Sarma will inaugurate allocation of domestic connections.

Lonappan Nambadan and Sebastian Paul, MPs; M.K. Purushothaman, MLA; district panchayat president P.S. Shyla; District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish; and Paravur municipal chairman N.A. Ali are among those who will speak on the occasion.
(The Hindu, Sunday, September 3, 2006)

Kerala - Kochi
FCI godown at Angamaly sealed

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown at Angamaly was sealed on Wednesday night under the orders of District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish following allegations that food grains from the godown were being illegally transported to private mills at Kalady. The Collector told the Regional Transport Officer to verify the details of the vehicles that were allegedly used to transport the food grains from the godown.
(The Hindu, Thursday, August 24, 2006)

Exhibition of Sunjil and Shijo

Kerala - Kochi
Of different concerns

Solo exhibitions of the works of Shijo Jacob and Sunil A.P began at the two galleries of the Durbar Hall Art Centre here on Tuesday.

Shijo's show 'Beyond the Contours' and Sunil's exhibition 'Shadow of the Hero' comprise works from the early part of their career.

Sunil has exhibited works dating back to 1997, when he was working at the Kanoria Centre for Arts in Ahmedabad. Shijo has exhibited works from 1999.

Sunil has exhibited around 30 works. There are 20 sculptures, done mainly in wood and terracota. The remaining are paintings in acrylic. The paintings are mostly from his days at the Kanoria Centre.

In his works, Sunil tries to deal with history. They attempt to capture the 'hero' figures who were always demonised.

Shijo's works are concerned with the personal. Body is the preliminary concern. Different stages of his life are depicted. His student days in Thiruvananthapuram and New Delhi and his stint at the Kanoria Centre are also reflected.

He has exhibited 16 works, all of them paintings. Most consist of multiple frames.

Sunil has done his BFA (Sculpture) from Government College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, and MFA (Sculpture) from Santiniketan. Shijo has done his BFA (Painting) from Jamia Milia Central University in New Delhi. He has worked at the Garhi Studio of Lalitkala Akademi, New Delhi, and the Kanoria Centre. He won the Kerala Lalithakala Akademi State Award in 2005.

They are now lecturers at Government Raja Ravi Varma College of Fine Arts, Mavelikara.

This is the first solo exhibition of Sunil. Shijo has conducted two solo shows in New Delhi.

The shows will be on till August 28.
Renu Ramanath
(The Hindu, Thursday, Augsut 24, 2006)

Video Films at Tripunithura

Kerala - Kochi

Video film festival at Thripunithura from today

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The third phase of the Monsoon Cine Fest - 2006, organised by the Elias Foundation, the Public Relations Department and the Janakeeya Samithi, Thripunithura, will be inaugurated by the filmmaker Jayaraj on Tuesday at the Government Sanskrit College Auditorium, Thripunithura.

The festival is being organised as part of the Athaghosham in the town. The third phase is a video film festival, which will continue till August 26. The opening film is From Mao To Mozart, directed by Murray Lerner. A short film competition will also be conducted.

The fourth phase of the fest from August 27 will include a film workshop, with classes led by the experts from the film and television world. Acting, script writing, editing and film appreciation will be taught.

The video film festival will include short films, campus films, ad films, documentaries, short films of Doordarsan and films from the Public Relations Department.

An international film festival from September 4 to 10 will include films which have won awards at major film festivals all over the world. Functions will be held to commemorate the veterans of Malayalam cinema, including Bharathan, Padmarajan, Aravindan, M.S. Thripunithura and Oduvil Unnikrishnan.

(The Hindu, Tuesday, August 22, 2006)

Attakkalari

Kerala - Kochi
Dancing with the times

Striking a path different from classical dances, contemporary performers of India are trying to evolve a new body language reflecting the realities and issues of the present times.

The Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts, Bangalore, is recruiting dancers and trainee dancers who are interested in developing a career in contemporary dance. It has been functioning as an umbrella organisation facilitating and producing international art events for artistes and audience from its inception in 1992. The organisation, with London-based Malayali dancer Jayachandran Palazhi as artistic director, has a repertory company which tours widely in India and abroad.

Artistes selected by Attakkalari will receive training at the Bangalore centre.

They will get opportunities to perform in major national and international festivals, and to train in a professional diploma course in Movements Arts and Mixed Media. The trained dancers can become members of Attakkalari's education outreach team to teach dance in schools, corporate houses and other community centres.
Trained dancers will also be considered for independent projects, national and international residencies, workshops and for participation in festivals.

The dancers will be selected at an audition to be held at the Chavara Cultural Centre, Kochi on August 26.

Interested candidates, aged between 16 and 30 years, should reach the venue at least 15 minutes before the starting time, 9.30 a.m.

They should submit a recent biodata and wear practice clothing, such as tracksuit and T-shirt.

More details will be available from the Chavara Cultural Centre, Monastery Road, near the South Railway Station, Kochi, or Attakkalari, 39/3525, Kausthubham, Manikkath Road, Ravipuram, Kochi. Phone: 0484 - 2356449 / 94472 21899.
Renu Ramanath
(The Hindu, Tuesday, August 22, 2006)

Kerala - Kochi
Seminar on Synod of Diamper

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The Kerala Historical Research Society will organise a two-day national seminar on 'Rethinking Diamper: Religion, Canon, Polity and Society' here on September 16 and 17.

To be held at the Chavara Cultural Centre, the seminar will highlight the epoch-making event of the Synod of Diamper and its impact on the subsequent history of society and religion in Kerala.

The historic Synod of Diamper took place at Udayamperoor, some 15 km from the city, in 1599.

Experts to participate
M.G.S. Narayanan, former chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research, New Delhi; K.S. Mathew, former head of the Department of the Church of the East; Sergio Mascarenhas de Alemeida, a delegate of the Portuguese; Pius Malekanthathil, reader, Sree Sankara University of Sanskrit, Kalady; N.M. Namboothiri and P.T. Narayanan (S.D. College, Alappuzha) would participate in the seminar. For more details contact the general secretary, Kerala Historical Research Society, Kuriachira, Thrisssur. Phone - 94462 30367.
(The Hindu, Monday, August 21, 2006)

Infopark land

Kerala - Kochi
Infopark: land acquisition at Kakkanad next month

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish said the Government would acquire land for the expansion of the Infopark at Kakkanad next month after distributing compensation to the owners.

The acquisition proceedings would continue after depositing the compensation amount in court, Mr. Hanish said. It was estimated that Rs.48 crore will be required for taking over 100 acres of land. On the cutting of a road at Kunnippadam was cut, the Collector said that it was being examined whether any legal action should be taken. The assistant director of panchayats hads submitted a report. The Chief Technical Examiner would be directed to inspect the site, the Collector said.
(The Hindu, August 20, 2006)

MACTA office bearers

Kerala - Kochi
MACTA office-bearers

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: The panel led by Vinayan as chairman and K.G. George as general secretary was elected unanimously as the office-bearers of the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) for 2006-2008.

The other office-bearers are Sreemoolanagaram Mohan (treasurer), Shaji Kailas, Kaloor Dennis (vice-chairmen), Rajasenan, Ranjith, Anto Joseph (secretaries), V.M. Vinu, T.S. Suresh Babu, M. Jayachandran, Anandakuttan, Raghunath Paleri, Suresh Unnithan, Venu B. Nair, O.S. Girish, Sreekumar Arookkutty, Pattanam Sha, Sasi Perumanoor and G.R. Das (executive committee members).

Mr. Vinayan is also the general secretary of the MACTA Federation, the apex body of various trade unions under MACTA.

The controversies surrounding the elections following the rejection of a panel led by Rajan P. Dev in June has been resolved. Senior journalist K.M. Roy was the returning officer.

The new office-bearers will take over during a general body meeting on September 2.
(The Hindu, Sunday, August 20, 2006)

N N Rimzon

Kerala

The power of art to influence and transform lives

N.N.Rimzon, one of India's leading sculptors, believes in the potential of art to transform.

Rimzon, who was born in the sleepy village of Kakkoor in Ernakulam district, says he realised the enormous possibilities of art when he joined the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram, in 1976. He was in the first batch of the college. "It was like entering a new world," he recalls.

"Till then, I had only seen calendar pictures, read something about Ravi Varma and Picasso and heard about Van Gogh. The realisation that art is a big, vast, world, dawned there.

"All my class mates were dedicated. We were not bothered about 'future' after studies. We wanted to be artists; that was the sole purpose of life. There was a charged atmosphere, idealism in the air." Mr. Rimzon remembers the sense of collective effort that prevailed among them. It helped them continue in the field of art. "The sense of collectivity gave us the courage to leave home and family behind."

There was a yearning for freedom, for creative experiments in that post-Emergency period. He reminiscences that they were not bothered about 'earning' at that time. After graduation, Rimzon left for Baroda to do his postgraduation at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University. Later, he got an Inlaks scholarship, to London. "When I got the Inlaks, the biggest relief was that I could continue working for two more years, without bothering about anything."

In 1989, Rimzon returned to New Delhi where he held solo shows in 1991 and 1993.

So, why did he choose 'Sculpture,' at art school? Rimzon says from the very beginning, he had a way with three-dimensional form. However, the decisive suggestion to choose sculpture came from Kanayi Kunhiraman, sculptor, who was teaching at the Government College of Fine Arts.

Rimzon says it took 10 years for his work to reach a stable position. "While in Thiruvananthapuram, I had good skill. But, I realised that skill alone was not enough. Developing a language was important. I could not do anything concrete during the Thiruvananthapuram days. It was at Baroda that my works grew mature." His pathbreaking work, 'Man in the Chalk Circle,' was made at Baroda. He was 27 then.

In 1986, when installation was just beginning to be accepted in India, he exhibited a work of installation at the Sixth Triennale International in New Delhi.

He has participated in many exhibitions in and outside India, including New York, Amsterdam and Brisbane among others.

His major shows include the Venice Biennale, 1993, the Second Asia Pacific Triennale of Contemporary Art, Queensland Art Gallery, 1996, Stadelijk Museum, Amsterdam and 'Edge of Desire: Recent Art in India,' Queen's Art Museum, New York, 2005.
Renu Ramanath

(The Hindu, Sunday, August 20, 2006)

Paperless Collectorate

Kerala - Kochi
Collectorate to go paperless

Staff Reporter

Software to monitor complaints installed

Easy access for the public to information Training for employees to use software

KOCHI: The Collectorate will use a special software designed by the National Informatics Centre to track the action taken on complaints filed by the public.

The software will help the public access information through the Internet, telephone and touch screen.

The move is part of the attempts made by the authorities to turn the Collectorate into a paperless office.

Employees will be given extensive training on how to use the new software. In the first phase, experts from the National Informatics Centre will train 400 employees.

District Collector A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish said that the new software would speed up the functioning of the Collectorate. It would also help in reducing the workload of employees.

The Collectorate had been divided into 21 sections in this new software. The working nature of each section had been taken into consideration while designing the facility.

An official press release said that the complaints received from the public would be entered into the computer. The Collector could track the position of each complaint by using the special software.

He could enter his opinion before sending it back to the officers concerned.

Deputy Collector, section superintendents and clerks could register the steps taken on each complaint by keying in the information into the computer.

The computers used at the Collectorate would be networked to access various files and complaints. For implementation of the new project, the authorities would use 133 computers.

During the first phase of training, employees would be familiarised with the use of computers. The District Collector said that taluks would also be networked with the Collectorate using the software.
(The Hindu, Saturday, August 19, 2006)