Phum Shang by Haobam Paban Kumar

0:52:00 | English, Manipuri | Manipur, India

This film talks about Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in North East India characterized by its unique floating biomass ‘phumdi’, the primary source of livelihood for the fishermen who live there. The film covers not only the rich and abundant bio-diversity of the Loktak area but also delves into serious issues as fallout of development induced poverty.

Charred Brick by Sein Lyan Tun

0:15:00 | Burmese | Myanmar

This is a film about a young boy from as small village who works odd jobs for living and looking after his family. He sometime goes to the evening NFPE (Non Formal Primary Education) school. He wants to study like a day school student but is always struggling with work and taking care of family. He has a dream, but what will be his future?

Coming and Going by Tiainlin Xu

1:29:00 | Chinese | China

Two orphaned teenage brothers leave their remote mountain village behind to seek their fortune in two separate major cities. Meanwhile, their young neighbors anxiously await the return of their father, a migrant worker who left the village a year ago. This is the story of four boys from the Chinese countryside, their hopes and dreams, and the challenges they face.

Raasta by Nithil Dennis

0:17:35 | Marwari, Hindi | New Delhi, India

This film traces a young Kathputli artist Rohit Bhat who lives in kathputli colony in West Delhi. This colony houses 3000 artists and is a slum in constant threat of being evicted by authorities as the land is sold to Raheja builders – a real estate giant. Rohittalks about his life, art and his fear of loosing the art form as his livelihood.

When the boat comes in by Khin Maung Kyaw

0:29:51 | Burmese | Myanmar

Aung Kyaw Naing and Ma Cho Lay are members of a fishing community struggling to make a living along a stretch of coastline near Thanbyuzayat in Mon State, Myanmar. Soon they will be faced with a curtailed fishing season as a result of new government legislation.

The Rest of My Life is For Sale by Liu Shuo & Fei Youming

0:52:00 | Chinese | Singapore

This film presents the story of Chen Xiao, an enterprising young Chinese woman. She earns a living by selling her life, $1 for 8 minutes, $3 for an hour, and $15 for a day. Chen only responds to decent and uplifting requests. The demand for her services is growing, but can she sustain it?

Dancing Shoes by Rishebh Batnagar & Jogavindra S Khera

0:26:00 | Hindi, English | Mumbai, India

There is a completely different side to the tale of this slum. Dharavi is home to numerous success stories. “Dancing Shoes” follows the inspiring journey of 34-year-old shoemaker, Jameel Shah. The son of a poor Bihari farmer, this young man never gave up on his Bollywood dreams. Today, from a tiny 10×10 foot room in Dharavi, Jameel constructs world-class dance shoes for celebrities, including: Katrina Kaif, Kajol, Priyanka Chopra, Abhishek Bachchan, Farah Khan, HrithikRoshan, Ranbir Kapoor and international superstar Kylie Minogue.

India awakes by James Tusty & Maureen Castle Tusty

0:19:00 | English, Hindi | India

India is coming alive and flourishing economically. In fact, Citigroup estimates that by 2050, it will have the world’s largest economy, larger than China and the United States. For many centuries, only the politically connected and elite prospered in India, while the rest of the population lived in poverty. However, since 1991, 250 million people have been lifted out of poverty and are finding new ways to flex their personal and economic power.

Banwari Lal Sharma, the president of a new street vendors association, is helping vendors in his area feel more empowered and able to stand up for their legal rights, after years of having to pay bribes to corrupt local officials.

Rama Bhai, a Sagai village leader and farmer, comes from a group called the ‘forest people,’ who were once viewed as trespassers on the land where they have lived for generations. Through an unusual use of GPS systems and Google Earth they have now obtained deeds to their land.

And Mannem Madhusudana Rao, who was born to one of the lowest rungs of India’s caste system, the “dalit,” was able to break free from the chains that have bound his societal position to a life of poverty. Through hard work and perseverance, Rao formed a major construction firm and has a much higher quality of life for himself and his extended family, along with a new status of “millionaire.”

“India Awakes” reveals the enormous power of unlocking human potential and ambition, and how doing so could establish this country as a preeminent world leader.

Sonpur Mela by Sudhesh Unniraman

00:52:00 | Hindi | Pushkar, India

As the country’s landscape gets filled up with malls and hypermarkets, what is happening to the large melas and haats that used to thrive in rural India and smaller towns? Some of them, like Pushkar, have managed to transform themselves into a hyper tourist experience, transforming their core nature. Others, like Sonpur, remain unknown to most Indians outside Bihar. Yet, these are growing in size, engaging a larger number of visitors each year. Sonpur offers a variety of experiences. This is where faith, commerce and entertainment meet.

China: For My Blue Brothers by Ying Cui

0:25:00 | Chinese | China

He Zhongzhou is a former Chinese journalist who quit his job to support young poor migrant workers (‘blue workers’), as he himself once was. But will he be able to raise funds to keep his ‘Blue Workers’ Cooperative’ going, as it challenges corporations and the Chinese state?

Don’t Waste People by Julia Waterhouse

0:42:00 | English, Hindi | New Delhi, India

The film captures the voices of a few of the hundreds of thousands of people who work as waste pickers in Delhi, India, as they advocate for recognition in the face of increasing privatization of waste management. These voices have long been silenced and still often go unheard, but we have the power to change that simply by listening.

Dr Sarmast’s Music School

00:96:00 | Dari | Australia

After the Taliban was toppled from power, Afghanistan’s musical culture was left in ruins. The film captures a renowned musicologist Dr Ahmad Sarmast as he establishes the first National Institute of Music, and helps some of the country’s most deprived children transform their lives with music.

Inside of Me by Sophon Shimjinda

0:21:00 | Thai, English | Pattaya, Thailand

Cherry is a disabled male to female transgender working to support herself in Pattaya, Thailand. Financially, she can live her life just fine, yet she desires love. In spite of everything, what Cherry longs for the most is the love from her mother and father.

Zar, Zameen aur Zaan by Janvi Karwal

00:21:00 | Hindi | Kutch, India

Clouds form in the sky as Shakur, an old tailor sits down to work. He hopes that rain will come soon. Saleem has wandered off into the Grasslands looking for pasture for his cattle. Nature has been both harsh and giving to this nomadic, cattle herding community of Kutch. They recollect everything that they have lost over the years, Patiently waiting for the monsoon. Rain would mean lush green grazing land for their cattle. It would mean the revival of the barren desert land. But most of all, It’s a reminder that nothing, not even adversity, can last forever. Change is right around the corner…..

Cast in India by Natasha Raheja

0:26:00 | India, United States of America

Iconic and ubiquitous, thousands of manhole covers dot the streets of New York City. Enlivening the everyday objects around us, this short film is a glimpse of the working lives of the men behind the manhole covers in New York City.

A Bohemian Musician by Rochak Sahu

0:12:30 | Hindi, English | Pune, India

Keshav Lal has worked with legendary composers such as Laxmikant Pyarelal and filmmakers like V. Shantaram. Fate bought him to streets of Pune where he lived with his wife and together they played music to sustain their livelihood. The story is about the power of hope and optimism – some of the biggest assets of human life. It also portrays the strong bond between a husband and wife, which remains unscathed even in the most adverse situations.

Street Tales by Jose Dennis C. Teodosio

0:21:00 | Burmese | Myanmar

10 hours. 10 voices. 10 stories. People from the streets of Yangon share not only how they struggle each day, but more so, how they keep hope in their hearts. By hearing their tales, we prove that they are more than just numbers in statistics. Inevitably, they reveal how ordinary people thrive (and survive) in a democracy.

Caste on the Menu Card by Ananyaa Gaur, Anurup Khillare, Atul Anand, Reetika Revathy Subramanian & Vaseem Chaudh

0:21:00 | Hindi, English | Mumbai, India

The film delves into the idea of food as a site of exclusion by focusing on beef-eating practices in Mumbai. It attempts to portray the prevalence of caste differentiations as seen in the food choices of people in the city, and touches upon concerns related to livelihood, social inclusion and human rights. By tracing the mythological and historical roots of the meat-eating culture in our country, the film discusses the hierarchy maintained by Brahminical preferences and its intended subversions. This is seen in the stand taken on dealing with the political economy of the leather and meat industries. The film follows the ruptured background of universities’ caste politics over the demand of inclusion of beef in institutions. It observes that many restaurants in Mumbai offer beef delicacies, but off the menu. Thus, the film title reads ‘Caste on the Menu Card’.

Delhi Fear and Freedom by Raja Shabir Khan

0:52:00 | Hindi, English | New Delhi, India

India has seen lot of developments in the recent years. Women are working in almost all fields that were once thought of as men’s bastion. But there is much more to it than meets the eye. The film looks at Delhi through the eyes of three women from different social backgrounds. The recent rape incident in Delhi has raised lot of questions about safety of women. The mistreatment and abuse of women is a particular problem in Delhi and northern India. Nivedita, the seemingly strong and powerful lady cop sometimes also feels vulnerable.

Afghanistan’s Hidden Gems by Eric De Lavarene & Veronique Mauduy

00:25:00 | Arabic, English | Afghanistan

Afghanistan has the potential to become one of the mining centres in the world. Among most intriguing examples of this huge unexploited wealth is the emerald industry. In a territory that sees heavy Taliban activity, unlicensed miners work 18 hours a day with archaic tools, facing the danger of collapsing tunnels, rockfalls and blasting accidents.

Sagar Manav by Tanumoy Bose

0:21:00 | Hindi, Urdu | India

A lighthouse attendant, Chaman Bhai Charlie, lives on an island in the Arabian Sea, making his livelihood. As he spends time there all by himself, the days seem to never pass and nights are lonely and cold.

No Land’s Song by Ayat Najafi

1:31:00 | Persian | Iran

A composer struggles to host a concert featuring female singers, as public performances by women are banned in Iran. The film gives insight into modern Iranian voices and views, and explores with tact and sensitivity Iran’s musical heritage and the issues of censorship and prohibition.

Tyres by Kyaw Myo Lwin

0:30:00 | Burmese | Myanmar

A tyre recycling workshop in South Okkalapa in Myanmar’s former capital of Yangon is a site of multiple uses and multiple deaths, for this is the place where defunct tyres are transformed from their original shape and use, and are reborn into new and completely different lives. Filmed almost entirely in black-and-white, this observational documentary gently explores a community of tyre cutters and recyclers, young and old, male and female, as they create with their super-sharp blades, careful eyes and skilful strokes, buckets, brushes and slippers from discarded rubber tyres.

Ida’s Choice by Justin Ong

0:25:00 | Malay | Kuala Lampur

In Malaysia’s race towards development, some facets of society have been left behind. Ida is a 17-year-old woman trying to survive in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur’s red light district. The film’s narrative is driven by Ida’s quest to change her ways and how she deals with the obstacles that she faces.

Auto Driver by by Meena Longjam

0:31:30 | Manipuri | Imphal, India

Laibi is a lady auto driver based in conflict torn Imphal city. In order to support an ailing husband and education of her two sons, she took up this profession defying the traditional society. Starting off as a daily wage labor in a brick farm where she earned only 60 rupees for loading 1500 bricks, she now has to face the discrimination of passengers who shun lady auto drivers.

Les Derniers Hommes Éléphants (Last of the Elephant Men) by Daniel Ferguson & Arnaud Bouquet

1:26:00| Khmer| Cambodia

Filmed over several years in stunning and remote locations across Cambodia, Last of the Elephant Men is an elegy for the domestic elephant in Asia and a plea to protect the remaining wild population. The story follows three Bunong from different generations – each showcasing fascinating and moving aspects of the bond between people and elephants. Ultimately the themes of these stories apply to many traditional cultures – a microcosm for the link between biological and cultural diversity and the pressures they both face worldwide.