BITCHITRA COLLECTIVE: INDIAN WOMEN IN DOCUMENTARY
Bitchitra Collective is a secular and inclusive network of Indian & diasporic women & non-binary filmmakers
dedicated to the values of equity, justice and diversity.
OUR VISION
Enabling authentic storytelling and creating an equitable film and media landscape for women & non-binary filmmakers from India and the Indian diaspora by providing access to resources, and inclusive opportunities for growth, collaboration, learning and networking.
WHO WE ARE
We are Bitchitra Collective: Indian Women in Documentary, a growing organization of 300+ filmmakers of Indian origin that acts as a peer knowledge network and support group to elevate artists’ work and alleviate artists’ struggles. Our members are based in the United States and India, and identify across a range of roles such as directors, producers, editors, impact producers, former funders, film programmers and critics, film professors, radio and podcast storytellers, illustrators and cinematographers. We support women and non-binary artists whose work explores topics relevant to our current global and local circumstances, and which contributes to our own growth, as a collective group and as individual artists. We connect our members within and across continents through sister grassroots networks, and add value through industry knowledge, shared lived experiences, and connections and opportunities for funding and distribution.
IN THE NEWS
IDA : Bitchitra Collective Announces Inaugural Sriyanka Ray Grant Winner & 2024 Fellows
Variety: Bicthitra Collective Unveiled Their 2024 Grants
Moneycontrol India: How This India-US Womxn Collective Uses Fiscal Sponsorship To Save The Documentary Film
Times Of India: Tales Of Grit Shine On & Off Screen
RealScreen: Color Congress awards two-year grants to 17 POC-led doc organizations
MEMBERS ONLY SURVEY
Our 2023 members only survey is designed to better understand who we are collectively, and where we need to go next. This is a way for us to also articulate the resources needed for our field. If you are a Bitchitra Collective member, this is your chance to voice your needs and contribute to the collective. There is also a prize for a lucky winner (lottery style) who takes the survey. Take the survey.
COLLABORATE WITH BITCHITRA
Is there an idea, a program, partnership, workshop, a mixer or an event you’re burning to propose to the Collective? Please submit your idea here.
If your idea is selected, you will be supported by members of the collective as you spearhead or co-lead the initiative. This can also be a chance to give back to the Collective, or get involved as a collaborator if you aren’t a member! Gain professional and personal growth by forming friendships and building a network within the documentary industry. In case of questions, reach out to info@bitchitracollective.org
STATEMENT ON PALESTINE
Bitchitra Collective calls for an immediate and complete ceasefire in Palestine and stands in solidarity with Palestinians.
We profoundly mourn all of the thousands of lives lost in these since October 7, as well as throughout the history of the region. We condemn the systematic occupation that has inflicted immeasurable suffering on the Palestinian people including journalists, civilians, elderly people, women and innocent children. We assert that settler colonialism must be dismantled to bring an end to this cycle of violence.
We stand in solidarity with our Jewish friends, and with communities around the world who are calling for a complete ceasefire, too many of whom are being silenced and penalized for speaking up. We condemn Islamophobia and antisemitism. We express relief at the release of hostages, while calling for the release of all of them, and for a lasting truce and enduring peace.
Amidst the heartbreaking displacement and dispossession, Palestinian artists and journalists, our creative kin, bear witness to the profound impact of ethnic cleansing on cultural expression. Their stories echo the resilience of a people living under occupation. We are storytellers committed to amplifying underrepresented voices, and as people of Indian origin, we are acutely familiar with the generational trauma caused by colonialism and oppression. At a time of rising violence and hate around the world it is our collective responsibility to educate ourselves, support the people of Palestine, and listen to and uplift their voices.
We urge the U.S. administration to stop the military aid fueling this genocide. We ask the Indian administration to renew its support of Palestine. We call upon the world to stand up for the rights and dignity of Palestinian people, and recognize our shared humanity.
Suggested resources:
Bitchitra Collective is a proud co-presenter of “Palestinian Voices,” an initiative by the Arab Film Institute to screen Palestinian films, free of cost. Watch the films here: arabfilm.us/palestine
Instagram accounts you may follow:
@bdsnationalcommittee @palfilminstitute @filmlabpalestine @index.palestine @arabfilmmedia @jewishvoiceforpeace @letstalkpalestine @translating_gaza @books_palestine @visualizing_palestine @palestine.academy
Logo Design: Lylah D’Souza