About
Indigenous communities from India and beyond, particularly for members of Denotified Tribes—groups once labeled as ‘criminal by birth’ under the colonial Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, who continue to struggle with the stigma of criminality. The focus is on films by first-time filmmakers from our communities, especially those using community-led methodologies, alongside works by more established filmmakers. The festival addresses the invisibility of, and the harmful stereotypes about these groups in mainstream films, which reinforce the stigma of criminalization.
The festival is a space for Indigenous voices and artistic expression on our own terms. Through screenings, workshops, and conversations with filmmakers and community members, it commits to opening up dialogue and reflection on pressing social and cultural issues.
Background
Over the last four years, Nomad Movies and Budhan Theatre have developed an ambitious training programme for young leaders from marginalised communities, fostering a practice of research-based filmmaking that merges the artistic traditions of these communities with arts-based research methods. Together, they have created a living archive of indigenous praxis that bridges the worlds of fiction and non-fiction. The festival is part of the legacy of the Nomad Film Festival, which was first launched in 2016 with the mission of foregrounding the issues faced by Denotified (DNT), Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic tribes.