ITV

Tag: AIDS

  • Percept Pictures releases first short film on YouTube

    Percept Pictures releases first short film on YouTube

    MUMBAI: In a bid to capitalise on the booming digital space, Percept Pictures has released its first short film titled (aids + b) ? on YouTube.

    Moreover, with a vision to empower the youth to tell their stories, Percept is looking to launch at least 25 new directors in the next five years regardless of the medium.

    The digital content created by Percept Pictures will be divided into three categories: 1) India, 2) Travel and 3) Socially Relevant content.

    The company will be experimenting with various formats like music videos, web-series, short films etc. Plans are also to create full length films for the digital space. Additionally, Percept is also planning to give young and aspiring filmmakers a chance to explore and create their own content.

    (aids+b)2 is a black comedy, which has been directed by Venky AV. The film has been promoted through social media networks. The film is about a 10 year old school boy whose life turns upside down on learning about the existence of a disease called AIDS. The primary intention of the film is to encourage open and right conversation on AIDS and not treat it as taboo. Though the idea is a serious one- to bust the myths around AIDS, the film is not. It is a light-hearted film while addressing a very grave issue and maintaining complete cinematic aesthetics.

    Percept Pictures chief operating officer Danny Mamik said, “The most important vision at Percept Pictures is to give the youth a platform to express themselves. Any young aspirational story teller whether from Mumbai or anywhere in this country should feel compelled to come to us to say their story and we will do our very best to give that story every opportunity to be heard and seen. We are very excited with this new pathway and hope that this charts a whole new territory in film making.”

  • Percept Pictures releases first short film on YouTube

    Percept Pictures releases first short film on YouTube

    MUMBAI: In a bid to capitalise on the booming digital space, Percept Pictures has released its first short film titled (aids + b) ? on YouTube.

    Moreover, with a vision to empower the youth to tell their stories, Percept is looking to launch at least 25 new directors in the next five years regardless of the medium.

    The digital content created by Percept Pictures will be divided into three categories: 1) India, 2) Travel and 3) Socially Relevant content.

    The company will be experimenting with various formats like music videos, web-series, short films etc. Plans are also to create full length films for the digital space. Additionally, Percept is also planning to give young and aspiring filmmakers a chance to explore and create their own content.

    (aids+b)2 is a black comedy, which has been directed by Venky AV. The film has been promoted through social media networks. The film is about a 10 year old school boy whose life turns upside down on learning about the existence of a disease called AIDS. The primary intention of the film is to encourage open and right conversation on AIDS and not treat it as taboo. Though the idea is a serious one- to bust the myths around AIDS, the film is not. It is a light-hearted film while addressing a very grave issue and maintaining complete cinematic aesthetics.

    Percept Pictures chief operating officer Danny Mamik said, “The most important vision at Percept Pictures is to give the youth a platform to express themselves. Any young aspirational story teller whether from Mumbai or anywhere in this country should feel compelled to come to us to say their story and we will do our very best to give that story every opportunity to be heard and seen. We are very excited with this new pathway and hope that this charts a whole new territory in film making.”

  • Remembering TV shows that speak about AIDS

    Remembering TV shows that speak about AIDS

    MUMBAI: Thirty years ago, the nation was in a crisis mode, agonising over the AIDS (Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome) virus. There are an estimated 10 lakh people currently living in India with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) (PLHIV). World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988.

    World AIDS Day is held on the 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. The red ribbon is the global symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS.

    As yet another World AIDS Day is observed, the nation can afford to look back with some satisfaction at its AIDS control programme. The timely and focussed programme has proved that all those doomsday predictions were wrong with India having managed to register a 57 per cent decrease in new infections in the past decade.

    The government is taking all the possible measures to control the diffusion of the HIV virus. We at Indiantelevision.com have pinned down a few television shows and films, which have displayed characters or a concept or a message on this deadly virus.

    Here’s the list:

      • Real World

    Real World is a reality television program on MTV. It was first broadcast in 1992 and has successfully penetrated in the entertainment world with 30 seasons. In its early years, the series was hailed for depicting issues of contemporary young adulthood relevant to its core audience like AIDS, sex, prejudice, abortion, illness, death, politics and substance abuse. The series later on garnered a reputation as a showcase for immaturity and irresponsible behaviour of the declining morals of contemporary youth.

       · The Normal Heart 

    The Normal Heart is a 2014 American drama television film directed by Ryan Murphy and is written by Larry Kramer. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, Jonathan Groff and Julia Roberts. The film depicts the rise of HIV AIDS crisis in New York City between 1981 and 1984. It takes an unflinching look at the nation’s sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fights to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial.

       · Degrassi High 

    This is the third television show in the Degrassi series of teen dramas about the lives of a group of teenagers living in Toronto. It ran from 1989 to 1991. Much like the entire series, this show also dealt with controversial issues ranging from AIDS, abortion, abuse, alcoholism, cheating, sex, death and suicide, dating, depression, bullying, transgender identity, gay rights, homophobia, racism, the environment, drugs and eating disorders.

       · A Different World

    A Different World is an American television sitcom, which aired for six seasons starting from 1987 to 1993. One of the show’s episodes that aired in 1990 addressed the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The original premise was to have a white student there and have Lena Horne as an acting teacher, but in production, the premise changed from being a story about a white girl in a black college to a black girl in a black college with a white friend.

  • BBC World examines the state of Aids in India

    BBC World examines the state of Aids in India

    MUMBAI: News channel BBC World has announced that its initiative Who’s Afraid of HIV? returns for a new four-part series exploring the global social revolution driven by HIV, where life and society are being re-shaped by a disease. Breadwinners die, girls are forced into prostitution, and infidelity is on the increase. In this series, we revisit some of the locations featured in the series last year, to find out how some of the children affected by this deadly disease have managed to survive.

    On 14 December 2006 at 4 pm the channel looks at India. In traditional conservative India victims of the HIV virus are frequently referred to as “those with bad blood” or ‘those with low morals”. Stigma and discrimination are so commonplace that with the threat of wives being divorced, employees fired, children abandoned and refused entry to schools, few are willing to reveal their HIV status to even those closest to them.

    A year on the show returns to Nammakkal, Tamil Nadu, Southern India in search of 11 year old Vinod and his family. Has his and his mother Poonkundi’s HIV status become public as they feared, has the vital financial support from Poonkundi’s brother been withdrawn as a result? If so what does this mean for them in their small rural community. And are the anti viral drugs that Vinod and Poonkundi have become dependant on still available?

    On 21 December Russia takes centrestage. Following the fall of the communist states in eastern Europe and the subsequent economic depression and unemployment, HIV has spread at alarming rates over the last 10 years. Fuelled by a huge intravenous drug use problem much of Russia in the late 1990s had very high HIV infection rates.

    The Russian Baltic territory of Kaliningrad, nestling between Poland and Lithuania, may now have drug use being brought under control but for the orphans of this epidemic, like 3 year old Svieta, the future is still very uncertain. The damage most likely caused by Svetia’s mother’s continued drug abuse during her pregnancy could be clearly seen when we first met her, one year on has she begun to talk or are the affects of this combined with the virus continuing to stunt her development. For her elderly adoptive parents the strain of raising a 4 year old child is taking its toll.

    On 28 December the channel visits Malawi. The small town of Monkey Bay on the banks of Lake Malawi, like so many other small towns and villages throughout southern Africa, is being destroyed by HIV/Aids. The channel returns to Monkey bay where Joyce Lwanda jumps from class to class struggling to teach an entire primary school on her own. For the children taught by Joyce, head teacher at Kankhande primary School, HIV is both a threat to their lives, and for those lucky enough to avoid the worse affects of the disease it may just take away their best chance at Education. Joyce one of the few teachers that seems to bother to appear at school regularly is HIV positive.

  • Zee News producer Rajeet Sinha wins EU award for report on AIDS

    Zee News producer Rajeet Sinha wins EU award for report on AIDS

    MUMBAI: Zee News producer Rajeet Ranjan Sinha has won the ‘Reporting HIV/ AIDS – EU- India Media Awards 2006’ in the television Category.

    The story was covered in the Program Jaago India wich aired on 8 November.

    The EU-India-Media-Awards have been instituted under the EU-India Media Initiative on HIV/AIDS, a project implemented by The Thomson Foundation with the financial assistance of the European Union.

    Six journalists have been felicitated under the scheme by the Commonwealth Broadcast Association. Two awardees each from television, radio and print respectively were selected, thereby rewarding the representatives of the most widespread communication chains. The awardees will get the opportunity to travel to the UK for a study tour in December 2006 in the field of HIV/AIDS and thus, through personal interactions and convergence of knowledge, further their professional awareness about HIV/AIDS.

    Zee News will re-telecast the award winning episode of Jaago India on World AIDS Day (1 December) at 07:30 pm.

  • Rolls Royce and MTV to fight HIV and Aids

    Rolls Royce and MTV to fight HIV and Aids

    MUMBAI: Rolls-Royce has teamed up with the international music channel MTV to raise $25,000 for the Staying Alive Foundation, a global organisation dedicated to preventing the spread of HIV and Aids.

    At last year’s MTV European Music Awards in Lisbon, Rolls-Royce provided a new Phantom and invited artists to autograph the back seat. By the end of the event, more than 20 celebrities had signed, including Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay (Chris Martin pictured below), Nelly Furtado, Craig David, Bob Geldof, Shakira, Formula 1 driver Jenson Button, Foo Fighters and Borat, to name a few.

    Subsequently, the seat was removed from the car and turned into a sofa by up-and-coming furniture designer Nick Gutfreund. The seat was then bought by Hard Rock for $25,000 with Rolls-Royce donating the money to MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation.

    “We are delighted to have been involved with MTV and Hard Rock on such an innovative project,” said Rolls-Royce chairman Ian Robertson. “And one that has raised a considerable sum of money to assist Staying Alive in their continued efforts to prevent the spread of HIV and Aids.”

    MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation (www.staying-alive.org) promotes and supports young people everywhere who are protecting themselves and their communities against the multiple threats posed by the spread of HIV and Aids. The Foundation does this by presenting the Staying Alive Award annually, to young individuals and youth groups who are focused on stopping the spread of HIV and who have demonstrated the potential to become future leaders.

  • BBC World Service Trust releases music album on AIDS awareness

    BBC World Service Trust releases music album on AIDS awareness

    MUMBAI: BBC World Service Trust, National AIDS Control Organisation (Naco) and national network Doordarshan have joined hands to spread awareness about AIDS through a music album Haath Se Haath Milaa (HSHM) or let’s join hands.

    The music video and album, released yesterday, is also being supported by multiplex major PVR Cinemas, which will screen it in all its 68 screens across India.

    Though the association of PVR Cinemas with BBC World Service Trust is only for three months, the multiplex company CEO (digital) Sunil Patil is optimistic to maintain the relationship for a longer period of time.
    According to the director of the video Anu Malhotra, “All the stars have generously contributed to the cause by filming for this video completely pro bono.”

    The album, produced by Music Today and consisting of eight soundtracks, will be available in music stores and sold commercially across the country.

    In an official statement, all profits from sales will be donated to non-governmental organization Salaam Baalak Trust and Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT).

    BBC World Service Trust director general Andrew Whitehead said, “The selections of songs were done from the Music Today catalogue.”

    The launch ceremony was graced by Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty who said that the video would appeal to all and help combating AIDS and the stigma attached to it.

    BBC World Service Trust supports a reality television series on DD, titled Jasoos Vijay where the central theme revolves around spreading awareness about AIDS.

    The third series of Jasoos Vijay will finish its run by end September and HSHM will end by February 2007.