Akanksha Damini Joshi

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Akanksha Damini Joshi
Akanksha Damini Joshi
Damini Joshi at the first Crafts Council of Weavers and Artisans Awards 2022
Born
1976-9-27 (age 50)
Hyderabad, India


Occupation
Filmmaker, cinematographer, photographer, meditation facilitator



Akanksha Damini Joshi is an Indian filmmaker, cinematographer, photographer and a meditation facilitator.[1][2][3] She is also the co-founder of Center for Embodied Knowledge (CEK), a nonprofit foundation established to safeguard, protect, and promote the non-textual civilizational heritage of India.[4]

Career

Joshi has made films on a range of topics: communal conflict, ecological crisis and spiritual philosophy. Her career began with documenting conflicts of Gujarat 2002 – Passengers: A Video Journey in Gujarat.[5][6] Then she took four years to make a film on ecological changes on the banks of Chilika Lake in Odisha (formerly known as Orissa) (Chilika Bank$: Stories from India's largest Coastal Lake).[7][8] She then made her film on climate change – Earth Witness: Reflections on the times and the timeless.[9] In 2014, Joshi made a film on Hindu philosophy – Hindu Nectar: Spiritual Wanderings in India,[10] inspired by Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's work, for the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Joshi's short film on the river Ganga – Ganga: Ek Prarthana, 2007 addresses the global issue of climate change through culture-specific symbolism.[11]

Filmography

Passengers (2003)

Template:Anchor Joshi co-directed this feature-length documentary during and after the 2002 Gujarat riots.[12] The film, completed in 2003, has been screened at the 9th Open Frame Festival.[13]

Five years later, Joshi came out with Profiles of Courage and Compassion, a book she co-authored with Indian activist, Harsh Mander titled, Towards Healing: Seeking Paths for Justice and Reconciliation in Gujarat.[14]

Chilika Bank$ (2008)

Template:Anchor Joshi's first independent directorial debut came in 2008 with Chilika Bank$, in which she covers over four decades of ecological crisis in Chilika, Asia's largest Brackish water lake.[15][16][17] The film produced by Public Service Broadcasting Trust won the Livelihood Award at the CMS Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival, New Delhi in 2009.[18] It was recipient of the First Prize at 6th Jeevika: Asia Livelihood Documentary Festival.[19][20]

For highlighting the issues surrounding Chilika, Joshi was awarded the Karamveer Puruskaar, National Award for Social Justice and Citizen Action by the confederation of NGOs, iCONGO, in partnership with United Nations.[21][22] Chilika Bank$ was screened in the Indian Panorama section of the 40th International Film Festival of India, Goa 2009 in the non-feature film category.[23][24] The film was an Official Selection at the Film South Asia, Kathmandu in 2009,[25] the Rodos EcoFilms International Festival,[26] Greece in 2010 and the 4th Samsung Women's International Film Festival, Chennai in 2011.[27]

Earth Witness (2011)

Template:Anchor Joshi's documentary on climate change, Earth Witness, reflects on climate change through the narratives of representative tribes of four different ecosystems in 2011.[28][29][30] The film has been featured in the book on the independent documentary movement in India, Filming Reality: The Independent Documentary Movement in India by Shoma A. Chatterji.[31][32][33][34][35] The book analyses notable documentaries made over the last four decades, including those by iconic film-makers such as Satyajit Ray, Mani Kaul and Anand Patwardhan.

The film won Best Film on Climate Change & Sustainable Technologies and the Best Cinematography awards at the Sixth CMS Vatavaran Environment and Wildlife Film Festival 2011.[36] It was officially nominated for the Wildscreen Panda Award 2012, Wildscreen Panda Film Festival, Bristol.[37] It was one of the three winners at the VIII Developmental Film Festival on Climate Change and Food Security, Dhan Foundation, Madurai.[38]

Hindu Nectar (2014)

Template:Anchor Joshi's film on spiritual seekers – Hindu Nectar is produced by the Ministry of External Affairs, India.[39] Joshi was awarded with the Best Director award at the International Film Festival of Prayag.[40] Hindu Nectar has been screened at the International Festival of Yog, Culture and Spirituality, Haridwar[41] and at the 14th Open Frame Film Festival.[42][43][44]

References

  1. ↑ Akanksha Joshi. IMDb. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  2. ↑ ये मैं हूं:बचपन देश के अलग-अलग हिस्सों में घूमते हुए बीता, अब फिल्ममेकर, सिनेमैटोग्राफर, कहानीकार, ध्यान-सूत्रधार के किरदार निभा रही हूं. Dainik Bhaskar.
  3. ↑ Filmmaker Akanksha Joshi Explores the Internal and External World of Indian Consciousness. Indica Softpower. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Filmmaker Akanksha Joshi Explores the Internal and External World of Indian Consciousness. Indica.
  5. ↑ World View. The Indian Express. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  6. ↑ Witness to a changing world. indiatogether(19 April 2012). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  7. ↑ Lament of a lake. Uday India. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Independence Day 2020: 28 films for 28 states. Mint(15 August 2020). Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  9. ↑ Earth Witness: Reflections on the times and the timelessness. Vikalp Bengaluru. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  10. ↑ Hindu Nectar by Akanksha Joshi. PSBT. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  11. ↑ For a clean, green world. AhmedabadMirror. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  12. ↑ Dumbed Down? Who?. OutlookIndian. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  13. ↑ PSBT presents Annual International Film Festival / 11th to 17th September 09. Ardee City Resident's Welfare Association. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  14. ↑ Towards Healing: Seeking Paths for Justice and Reconciliation in Gujarat. WISCOMP. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  15. ↑ Chilika's Untold Stories. mid-day.com(17 February 2011). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  16. ↑ Looking back at the Chilika that was. DownToEarth. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  17. ↑ Programme: Films on Wildlife and Environment. India International Centre. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  18. ↑ Earth Witness: Reflections on the Times and the Timeless by Akanksha Joshi. PSBT. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  19. ↑ Jeevika. jeevika.org. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  20. ↑ 'Chilika Bank' awarded at South Asian film fest. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  21. ↑ Kajol, Pritish Nandy honoured for social work. Zee News(27 November 2008). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  22. ↑ India's the Most Prestigious Civilian Award for Social Work – Karmaveer Puraskaar 2008 presented. Strengths Strategies Strengths Approach. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  23. ↑ List of films for IFFI's Indian Panorama announced. Deccan Herald(4 November 2009). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  24. ↑ Konkani film – 'Paltadacho Munis' to open Indian Panorama of IFFI 2009. Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  25. ↑ Chilika Bank$. Film South Asia. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  26. ↑ Rodos EcoFilms. ecofilms. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  27. ↑ Samsung celebrates 4th International Women Film-Fest in Chennai. VARINDIA. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  28. ↑ Sense, Sensibility And The Environment. mid-day.com(3 June 2012). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  29. ↑ A reflection on time & timeless. The Asian Age. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  30. ↑ PSBT story: 630 films, 230 awards, 400 filmmakers. Civil Society Online.
  31. ↑ Filming Reality. Rakuten kobo.
  32. ↑ Filming Reality. Sage Publishing(19 January 2020). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  33. ↑ An Incredible journey of the Independent documentary film Movement in India. Sage Publishing(5 May 2016). Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  34. ↑ An Incredible journey of the Independent documentary film Movement in India. goodreads. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  35. ↑ Documenting India. Frontline. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  36. ↑ Delhi, Kerala Film Makers Bag Awards. OutlookIndian. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  37. ↑ Panda Awards database. Wildscreen. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  38. ↑ 8th Development Film Festival Climate Change and Food Security. Dhan Foundation. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  39. ↑ Hindu Nectar: Spiritual Wanderings in India. Osho News. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  40. ↑ Allahabad, ready to host 1st International Film Festival of Prayag 2015. Dumkhum. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  41. ↑ International Festival of Yog, Culture, Spirituality. Presenters – 5th Annual International Festival on Yog, Culture and Spirituality. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  42. ↑ Open Frame Film Festival. whats hot. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  43. ↑ You Are Not the Only One: India stares at a loneliness epidemic. The Indian Express(29 April 2018). Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  44. ↑ The Tribune, Chandigarh, India – Main News(17 October 2003). Retrieved 12 October 2020.

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