Raj Amit Kumar
{{short description|American film director}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
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Raj Amit Kumar is a filmmaker and writer known for his socio-political drama Unfreedom which is banned in India as it dealt with religious fundamentalism and violence against homosexuals.{{cite web|url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/american-indian-director-amit-blemished-light-072053554.html |title=American Indian director Amit to make BLEMISHED LIGHT – Yahoo! News India |publisher=In.news.yahoo.com |date=6 July 2011 |accessdate=24 October 2012}} The film was released in the U.S. in 2015, and won a UFVA Faculty Screenwriting Award in 2009, and several other International Awards. The film was later acquired by and released on NETFLIX despite its continued ban by Censor Board of India.{{Cite web|url=https://www.netflix.com/title/80041337|title=Unfreedom On Netflix|website=Netflix }} His Second film Brown{{Cite web|title=BROWN Movie|url=https://www.brownthemovie.com/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=www.brownthemovie.com}} is in post-production, and he is currently shooting an Untitled Web Series.
Filmmaker and writer
Unfreedom, a socio-political drama, is his first feature film. Set in New York and New Delhi, the film deals with issues of identity and violence.{{cite web|url=http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/tabloid/life-of-pi-s-hussain-is-thankful-1.1121184|title=Life of Pi's Hussain is thankful|date=19 December 2012|website=gulfnews.com |accessdate=20 January 2013}} The film stars Victor Banerjee{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/victor-signs-indianamerican-directors-film/165508-8-66.html|title=Victor signs Indian-American director's film – Movies News – Bollywood – ibnlive|date=6 July 2011|website=Ibnlive.in.com|accessdate=24 October 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120118064006/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/victor-signs-indianamerican-directors-film/165508-8-66.html|archivedate=2012-01-18}} and Adil Hussain.
In a recent interview, Victor Banerjee commended Raj Amit Kumar for his approach to sex and violence in this film, which were an essential part of the story and screenplay, even though he has usually condemned the vulgarity with which these are approached in mainstream cinema.{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2013/04/05/is-it-time-to-get-serious-with-bollywood-films/|title=Is it time to get serious with Bollywood films?|date=5 April 2013|accessdate=18 April 2013}}
National Film Awards winner Hari Nair is the cinematographer of the film.{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/news-interviews/Hit-by-the-Shutter-bug/articleshow/10399422.cms|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411035227/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-18/news-interviews/30296684_1_malayalam-film-industry-short-film-offbeat-films|url-status=live|archive-date=11 April 2013|title=Hit by the shutter bug|date=18 October 2011|work=The Times of India|access-date=21 June 2012}} Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty has done the sound design and the original music score is by Filmfare Awards winner Wayne Sharpe and Jesse Kotansky.
The script for the film won the first prize in the 2009 Faculty Screenwriting Competition at University Film and Video Association.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/siuc-mcma/recent-radio-tv-student-news/289203445332|title=Recent Graduate Student News – SIUC MCMA|date=29 September 2009|publisher=www.facebook.com|accessdate=9 February 2013}}
Kumar is shooting his next film, titled Brown in Butte, Montana,{{cite web|last1=Pentilla|first1=Annie|title=Director seeks to film feature-length movie in Butte|url=http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/director-seeks-to-film-feature-length-movie-in-butte/article_b79dfdd9-3013-5d42-b3b0-c4a61cd8b466.html|website=missoulian.com|date=January 13, 2017 |accessdate=10 November 2017|language=en}}
Media academic and speaker
Kumar graduated with a Masters of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies from College of Staten Island (CUNY) in 2006,{{cite web |url=http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/mediaculture/alumni.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709085522/http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/mediaculture/alumni.html |title=Alumni – CSI Media Culture |archivedate=9 July 2012}} where he received the George Custen Memorial Award for Academic Excellence. He has also been awarded by the National Scholarship of India for Academic Excellence, and a First Prize in Faculty Screenwriting Award at University Film and Video Association (UFVA) 2009.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/notes/siuc-mcma/recent-radio-tv-student-news/289203445332 |title= Recent Graduate Student News – SIUC MCMA |publisher=www.facebook.com |date=29 September 2009 |accessdate=9 February 2013}} Having finished his PhD coursework and taking PHD ABD{{cite web|url=http://www.blemishedlight.com/directorsnote.html |title=Director's Note – Blemished Light |accessdate=19 March 2013}} in Cinema and Media studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) he began work on his first feature-length film Unfreedom.
He is also a media academic, teacher, and writer. He has taught cinema theory and history at both his alma maters between the years 2005 to 2009, and his writings and research papers have been published and presented at various conferences as well.{{cite web |url=http://mumbaiboss.com/2012/03/19/ghost-town-the-forgotten-history-of-grant-road%E2%80%99s-cinemas/ |title=Ghost Town: The Forgotten History of Grant Road's Cinemas |publisher=Mumbai Boss |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320210741/http://mumbaiboss.com/2012/03/19/ghost-town-the-forgotten-history-of-grant-road%E2%80%99s-cinemas/ |archivedate=20 March 2012 |accessdate=24 October 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}{{better source needed|date=November 2017}}
Fight against censorship
In India, Unfreedom was refused certification by the Examining Committee; a revising committee of the Censor Board proposed cuts which Kumar refused. He appealed to the Indian Government's Information and Broadcasting Appellate Tribunal FCAT, and in response, the Tribunal completely banned the film.{{cite news|url= http://www.mumbaimirror.com/entertainment/bollywood/Board-bans-film-on-gays-claims-itll-ignite-unnatural-passion/articleshow/46720831.cms |title= Board bans film on gays, claims it'll ignite 'unnatural passion' |date=2015-03-28 |accessdate=2015-04-03|work=Mumbai Mirror}} Recently, the news of banning has gained widespread coverage in the media, bringing other filmmakers into the fight against censorship.{{cite news|url= http://www.timesnow.tv/CBFC-bans-Unfreedom-film-in-India/videoshow/4474546.cms |title= After Unfreedom Ban, filmmakers come together in the fight against Censorship |date=2015-04-01 |accessdate=2015-04-03|work=Times Now}}
See also
References
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External links
- [http://www.darkframes.com/ Dark Frames website]
- [http://www.rajamitkumar.com/ Kumar's personal website]
- {{IMDb name|id=4189373}}
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Category:Film directors from Florida
Category:Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumni
Category:College of Staten Island alumni