Eastern Province students shine at the film competition Arming the next generation with RTI

“When we came over for the screening, we expected to win. Nevertheless, we are very happy about it. In our first attempt, being recognised in third place on a nationwide level. School children, staff and parents all consider it as an achievement” Alojithan Ramanathan Batticaloa, AN-Noor National School

“Till we came to Colombo we didn’t have many expectations. After coming and watching the other short films, we hoped we might get third place, but we settled with fourth,” M.I.M. Zumry Mutur An-Nahar, Girls Maha Vidyalaya

to be ranked in the top 6, was a great deal for me since we were among big schools,” Nithja Parameswaran, Sri Koneshwara Hindu College

Three eastern province schools showed off their talent, when they convincingly beat well over two dozen schools, including some big names, earning places in the final-6, in an all-island short-film competition on Right to Information (RTI) awareness. 
In a competition worked off jointly by the – RTI commission, Ministry of Mass Media and Ministry of Education – the competition ended only recently, culminating at the National Film Corporation, which hosted the awards ceremony.
A contest that initially gathered 28 schools from the whole country, was then shortlisted to 20, and ultimately the tussle for the title was between the final six. 
From the last half-a-dozen, notably a Batticaloa national school managed to bag the third place. The other top two places were won by – Viharamahadevi Balika Vidyalaya Kiribathgoda and President’s College Embilipitiya. 

Valaichchenai, Batticaloa AN-Noor National School, Third place, Merit award 

The Batticaloa boys did brilliantly to be awarded third place for their production which is based on pensioner’s issues. 
Titled Naraimadal, it’s about an elderly man confined to his house, troubled by the fact that a certain request for information about his pension was denied. The short film finishes as he eventually gets his pension through the RTI Act, after filing an RTI request.   
Their teacher-in-charge, Alojithan Ramanathan called it a delightful thing to have taken place.
“Came as completely unexpected news. Initially, when we got the invitation letter, everyone left it alone. When it was about to be dropped only, this was passed on to our hands. All the boys in the cast are scouts. It was just one of the staff members that wrote the script for this”, he said.     
Albeit, they knew they would be listed in the top 10, to get ranked third, they found it by surprise. 
“When we came over for the screening, we expected to win. Nevertheless, we are very happy about it. In our first attempt, being recognised in third place on a nationwide level. School children, staff and parents all consider it as an achievement”, he added. 
He reiterated, that once pruned down to the top 10, they predicted they would get inside the first 3, predicting even to win it. 
Reflecting on that results-announced moment, “I was quite happy, more than me, my students were elated in joy, they all ran and hugged us in a huddle. Instantly, I shared the news with our principal and the school. Sir (principal) had been repeatedly enquiring since that morning. Therefore, once the results were released, it was only happiness”. 
School team: Mohamed Husain Nihas Ahamed, Ansar Ayash Ahamed, Niyasdheen Ashath, Mohamed Baseer Althaf Baseer, Ajmeer Ahamed Arsad, Mohammed Jawfar Manar, Mohamed Ramees Mushap Ahamed and teacher in charge Alojithan Ramanathan

Mutur An-Nahar Girls Maha Vidyalaya, Fourth place, Merit award

The Mutur girls’ realistic and timely short film on passport pandemonium that placed them in fourth place was titled ‘Passport’. 
The film revolves around one of the actors’ parents repeatedly trying to renew their child’s passport, for an overseas study venture. After applying and waiting for three months, they file for an RTI request. In the immediate week itself, they reap the rewards of getting a renewed passport. 
The film, highlighting the power of RTI was directed, produced and acted entirely by A/L girls. 
One of their teachers-in-charge, M.I.M. Zumry commenting on this said, “We’re very happy about it”, adding, “Till we came to Colombo we didn’t have many expectations. After coming and watching the other short films, we hoped we might get third place, but we settled with fourth”. 
Zumry and co. anyway had a hunch they’d be placed third, “We were anyway confident we will be placed third”. 
School team: G. Thanushika, T. Santhiya, R.Z Zulfy, P. Yanoosika, R. Nawla, Y. Dilushanthini, J. Zainab, H. Shafa, M.J. Faroohath and Teachers-in-charge: M.I.M. Zumry and S. Sanooja

Trincomalee Sri Koneshwara Hindu College, Sixth place, Merit award

Revolving around the concept of a character’s mother dying in the hospital, the hospital hierarchy, including the Doctor himself, denies issuing any explanation. Upon when, they resort to filing an RTI request, however, that too, doesn’t give any answer since the hospital director destroys the application form.
After a fortnight of reply, the aggrieved party sought higher authorities and that finally opened the door to many answers. The ten-minute awareness film was titled Urimai, or rights, highlighting citizen’s access to their rights. 
“Actually speaking, this is out-and-out our student’s production. They told me only a bit about the theme, the rest though, was entirely by the students themselves. All the schools are popular names. After we were down to the last 10, we were told the final rankings. When they eventually released the results and announced that we were in the top 6, that was a real surprise and I was on cloud nine. Again, to be ranked in the top 6, was a great deal for me since we were among big schools”, their teacher-in-charge, Nithja Parameswaran, explained of her elation.
Speaking of the ground-level situation, she said only now RTI is beginning to grow at the school level. Outside school, there is enough awareness, but then again in the school circuit, this is now only beginning to take off. 
“So when they have come this far, using technology, their knowledge in short film, we’re taken aback”.    
“After screening this to all (school audience), we liked the theme. Since this was a nationwide affair with many schools in the fray, we didn’t have big expectations. Again, due to the weight of the schools we didn’t know we would be in the final 6. In the end, it was all euphoria and ecstasy”, added Parameswaran, whose principal S. Ganeshalingam, is also proud of these results.
They had got a letter reading out that they were in the top 10 and inviting them to the ceremony, but the final rankings were not revealed. They remained clueless till noon when the organisers were screening the best six, screening each of those one by one. Only around 5 pm during the awarding ceremony, they were struck by a bolt from the blues when the much-awaited results were finally released. 
“We were simply over the moon, that too ranked on an island-wide scale”, Parameshwaran said, reflecting on that moment. 
They followed it up as icing on the cake this time after yesteryear’s short film titled – Sadhi or Conspiracy, also received an award and a cash prize.  
School team: Yogeswaran Sanjay, Jesuthasan Dilrukshan, Muhundhan Abishayan , M.A.Mohamed Aseef,  Umashankar Arrayh, Rangkanatham pukaliniyan, Ghinthota Hewa Witharanage, Ishanka Laksith, Gowri Muhunthan Thesikan, Yogeswaran Hoheesh, M.A.Mohamed Aseef & M.Abisayan, Dester Sarukshan (Cinematography), M.A.Mohamed Aseef (Editing) and teacher-in-charge Mrs. N. Parameswaran