Pawan Kumar inaugurates YES FOUNDATION’s YES! i am the CHANGE Social Film Festival

Award-winning film director and actor, Pawan Kumar inaugurated the event which was hosted in partnership with Welingkar Institute of Management & Research (We School) at We School, Electronic City, Bengaluru.

Thirty short social films were screened on topics ranging from women empowerment and safety, environmental sustainability, education and child rights, livelihood and elderly care.

These films were part of the 1750+ film entries received pan-India for the YES! i am the CHANGE 101-Hour Indian Social Filmmaking Challenge held between August 15-19, 2014. More than 50,000 youth from all states of India, including 2,545 youth from Karnataka, participated in the Challenge.

Commenting on the launch of the YES! i am the CHANGE Social Film Festival, Rana Kapoor, Chief Mentor, YES FOUNDATION said, “YES! i am the CHANGE has emerged as India’s largest social film movement, whose genius lies in a total experiential and deep involvement of the youth. The movement uses the amplifying nature of media to connect the untapped power of youth to ‘voices less heard’ thereby strengthening the voice of civil society.”

The Social Film Festival also included an interactive speaker session with maverick filmmaker, Pawan Kumar who shared his experience of harnessing technology and social media to make films and ensure their distribution.

“Films are a powerful medium to highlight social issues, connect with people and inspire them to take action. Technology has further opened up new avenues to reach a larger audience and create impact. YES! i am the CHANGE is a unique platform which uses the medium of filmmaking to educate the youth on social causes, catalyzing their inner transformation and engagement with positive social action” said Pawan Kumar.

Anil Rao, Dean & Director, Prin L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, which partnered with YES FOUNDATION to host the Social Film Festival, highlighted the impact of media in driving social transformation and said, “At WeSchool, we believe that management education must be holistic and innovation-driven with a strong focus on nurturing capable and socially conscious individuals. YES! i am the CHANGE provides the youth a national platform to harness the tremendous power of media and catalyse the country’s social transformation. We are delighted to partner with YES FOUNDATION and host the YES! i am the CHANGE Social Film Festival.”