Dhvani Desai
{{short description|Indian animation filmmaker,curator and poet|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dhvani Desai
| image = Dhvanidesai.jpg
| alt = Dhvani Desai
| caption =
| birth_place = Mumbai
| alma mater = Elphinstone College
SVKM's NMIMS
Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies
Xavier Institute of Communication
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
| known_for = Animation
|
}}
Dhvani Desai is an Indian animation filmmaker, curator and poet. She is best known for her artistic animated films {{lang|hi|Manpasand}} (the Perfect Match) and {{Lang|hi|Chakravyuh}} (The Vicious Circle).
Early life
Desai was born in an illustrious family of writers, poets & filmmakers in Mumbai. Her father, Dr Sudhir Desai, is a poet, thinker, and scholar. Her mother, Tarini Desai, is a modern short story writer in Gujarati. Her elder sister, Sanskritirani Desai, is also a Gujarati poet and brother Sanskar a senior Documentary Filmmaker.
Career
Desai holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics from Elphinstone College, Mumbai, and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from the SVKM's NMIMS, Mumbai. Later she earned a post-graduate diploma in Computer Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies.
Desai entered the field of animation in 1991. She worked as a trainee at a computer animation studio, where she learned 2D animation. After this, she joined Xavier's Institute of Communication in Mumbai for formal training in 3D animation, before working in two animation studios. Desai then joined the Computer Graphiti (at the time, a pioneer studio in the field of Indian animation) where she worked on numerous ads under guidance of Padmashri Ram Mohan combining 2D animation with live action & 3D, before establishing her own animation studio, Metamorphosis, in Mumbai, which has produced animations and special effects for advertising films.
The Mahatma Gandhi Foundation produced and Desai co-directed with her elder brother, Sanskar, a short animation film, The Mahatma, and other five films which depicted the principles of Gandhiji. The films were selected at the Tehran International Animation Festival in 2001 and at the Mumbai International Film Festival.
The Children's Film Society of India produced and Desai directed an 11-minute long animated film, {{Lang|hi|Manpasand}} (The Perfect Match). It was officially selected in various festivals in Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, Canada, Taiwan and Kenya and won several international Awards. The Panchatantra-based tale used the Vaishnavite Sanjhi art style, a form of stencil art, and took over two years to make, with 42 artists working on it.
{{lang|hi|Manpasand}} was nominated at the International Animation Film Festival in Hollywood and selected at several other international film festivals. The film was screened at Hyderabad's The Golden Elephant (the 15th International Children's Film Festival) in November 2007 and was the inaugural film at the Asian Women's Film Festival in New Delhi in 2008.
Desai has also worked on cartoon and animated titles produced by the National Film Development Corporation of India.
{{Lang|hi|Chakravyuh}} (The Vicious Circle), her film first time on a legal act promoting awareness around India's Right to Information Act (RTI), was produced by the Films Division and released on the 8th Anniversary of the RTI Act in an event organised by the Public Concern for Governance Trust (PCGT), the Indian Merchants' Chamber's (IMC) Anti Corruption Cell, and Bombay Chartered Accountants Society. This film has won several awards and nomination worldwide.{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/movies/hindi/indian-animation-film-on-rti-in-sweden-s-insane-animation-film-fest-150825|title=Indian animation film on RTI In Sweden?s I.N.S.A.N.E Animation Film Fest (sic)|date=25 Aug 2015|website=Indian Television|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205015934/http://www.indiantelevision.com/movies/hindi/indian-animation-film-on-rti-in-sweden-s-insane-animation-film-fest-150825|archive-date=5 February 2016|url-status=live|access-date=29 Sep 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.imcnet.org/cms/public/content/publications/NOV-DEC_UPLOAD2013.pdf|title=IMC Journal Volume 107/Issue 3 November-December 2013|website=Imcnet.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929220242/http://www.imcnet.org/cms/public/content/publications/NOV-DEC_UPLOAD2013.pdf|archive-date=29 September 2018|url-status=live|access-date=29 Sep 2018}}
Desai has been associated as festival curator for many international film festivals for animation programmes within India and abroad.
Awards
- Gold Remi Award, 41st World Fest Houston, U.S.A. 2008 (for Manpasand — The Perfect Match)
- Bronze World Medal 2008 New York Film Festival
- Silver Award (Best Short Fiction of a Director), Indian Documentary Producer's Association, 2007
- Prix Danube Festival award, Slovakia 2008 {{Cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-animation-films-steal-mumbai-international-film-festival-show-this-year-1959503|title=Animation films steal Mumbai International Film Festival show this year|date=5 Feb 2014|website=DNA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315091959/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-animation-films-steal-mumbai-international-film-festival-show-this-year-1959503|archive-date=15 March 2018|url-status=live|access-date=29 Sep 2018}}
- Award for Best Practices in RTI, DOPT{{clarify|date=December 2018}}, Government of India and Yashada, 2014 {{Cite news|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2014/03/indian-animation-weekly-update-3-124297/|title=Indian Animation – Weekly Update (#3)|last=Patten|first=Fred|date=30 March 2014|work=IndieWire|access-date=29 Sep 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180929224213/https://www.indiewire.com/2014/03/indian-animation-weekly-update-3-124297/|archive-date=29 September 2018|url-status=live}}
- Award from Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Govt of India, 2015
- Most Popular Film Award, Mumbai International Film Festival, 2014{{Cite web|url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-mumbai-international-film-festival-2014-doffs-hat-to-human-spirit-with-awards-at-closure-1960639|title=Mumbai International Film Festival 2014 doffs hat to human spirit with awards at closure|last=Pawar|first=Yogesh|date=10 Feb 2014|website=DNA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140425233455/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-mumbai-international-film-festival-2014-doffs-hat-to-human-spirit-with-awards-at-closure-1960639|archive-date=25 April 2014|url-status=live|access-date=20 Sep 2014}}
Honours and achievements
- Jury at 66th National Film Awards 2019 in the Non-Feature Category {{cite news |title=66th National Film Awards for 2018 announced |url=https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=192564 |access-date=14 March 2022 |work=Jury |publisher=pib.gov.in/ |date=9 August 2019}}
- Jury at Bangalore International Film Festival 2020 BIFFES {{cite web |title=BIFFES JURY 2020 |url=https://www.biffes.org/pdf/catalogue/12th-BIFFES-Films-Catalogue.pdf |website=biffes.org |access-date=14 March 2022 |archive-date=18 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218170345/https://biffes.org/pdf/catalogue/12th-BIFFES-Films-Catalogue.pdf |url-status=dead }}
- Jury at Pune International Film Festival PIFF 2016 in the Animation Category {{cite web |title=PIFF JURY 2016 |url=https://www.piffindia.com/jury-2016.php |website=piffindia.com |publisher=piffindia |access-date=14 March 2022}}
- Grand Jury at New York Festivals 2014 {{cite news |title=Eight Indians on NYF International Television & Film Awards 2014 Grand Jury |url=https://bestmediainfo.com/2013/10/eight-indians-on-nyf-international-television-film-awards-2014-grand-jury/ |access-date=14 March 2022 |publisher=bestmediainfo.com |date=25 October 2013}}
- Jury at Third Eye Asian Film Festival 2015
- Jury at International Film Festival of India IFFI 2022 {{cite news |title=Behold, presenting to you the winners of the second edition of ‘75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1875665 |access-date=9 April 2024 |agency=Press Information Bureau |date=13 Nov 2022}}
She has served as Jury in several international film festivals in India and abroad.
References
{{reflist|refs=
|url=http://www.hindu.com/mag/2008/03/16/stories/2008031650240700.htm
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|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/11/18/stories/2007111858680200.htm
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|date=25 April 2008
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|access-date=20 January 2010}}
|url=http://www.idpaindia.org/awards/awards_2007.html
|title=IDPA Awards for Excellence 2007
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|access-date=18 January 2010
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|url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/aac/y2k8/aac292.php
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|access-date=20 January 2010}}
|url=http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/res/pdf/2008WinnersBookletFV.pdf
|title=New York Festivals 2008 Film & Video Awards Winners Booklet
|year=2008
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|access-date=20 January 2010
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}}
Further reading
- {{cite journal|last=Kunchev|first=Pencho|author2=Nikolova, Tsvetomira|year=2008|title=The Indian animation - Conversation with the director Dhvani Desai|journal=Kino Magazine|location=Bulgaria|issue=3|url=http://www.filmmakersbg.org/kino-issue3-2008-eng.htm|access-date=20 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209034305/http://www.filmmakersbg.org/kino-issue3-2008-eng.htm|archive-date=9 February 2010|url-status=dead}}
- {{cite journal |last1=Lent |first1=John A |title=Animation in South Asia |journal=Studies in South Asian Film & Media |date=1 May 2009 |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=101–117 |doi=10.1386/safm.1.1.101_1}}
External links
- {{cite web|url=http://www.cfsindia.org/animation/101.htm|title=Manpasand (Perfect Match): Synopsis|publisher=Children's Film Society, India|access-date=20 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100218184650/http://www.cfsindia.org/animation/101.htm|archive-date=18 February 2010|url-status=dead}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Desai, Dhvani}}
Category:21st-century Indian people
Category:21st-century Indian women artists
Category:Film directors from Mumbai
Category:Indian women film directors
Category:Indian animated film directors
Category:Indian women animators
Category:Women artists from Maharashtra