New Delhi : 14 underprivileged children hailing from the slums of New Delhi, have made a short film called “Delhi Dreams” and the movie is scheduled to be showcased during the upcoming Cannes film festival 2018 at the British Pavilion on 9th May, 10.30hrs. The film was the culmination of the meeting of fourteen students from NaiDisha, a Mission Education center of Smile Foundation during Smile Foundation’s annual International Film Festival – SIFFCY 2017 (Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth).

The movie depicts stories of ambition and aspiration of 5 underprivileged children hailing from New Delhi. Thanks to Smile Foundation, a leading pan-India development organization their dreams have found a platform.

Smile Foundation joined hands with Films without Borders (FWB) (a UK based leading organization that educates youth living in difficult situations around the globe) to host a film-making workshop for children with an objective to educate, engage and empower children through cinematic experience. After a rigorous audition, 14 children from Smile Foundation’s Mission Education center, were selected for portrayal in the movie.

The children were trained under the multi-talented, passionate film professionals Ms. Jill Samuels and award-winning photographer and cinematographer Richard Blanshard who visited India in November 2017 to conduct this workshop during SIFFCY 2017. The product of the workshop was “Delhi Dreams”, which was also premiered during SIFFCY 2017 and all the children were also felicitated there.

“Smile Foundation has been doing films, which are creative, innovative and are a balance of the right content and the right quality, as a medium in sensitizing the masses, and engaging them proactively in the process of initiating social change. I am extremely happy that we, with the help of Films without Borders have been able to take this effort to a logical destination” Said Mr. Santanu Mishra, Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation & Chairman – SIFFCY.

“The workshop that we conducted during SIFFCY in association with Film without Borders, has not only helped these children to unearth the raw talent but has also helped them build their confidence, enabled them to learn about themselves. We are extremely happy and proud that the film has reached such a prestigious international platform”, said Jitendra Mishra, Festival Director– SIFFCY.

Roshni, Shikha, Arbaaz, Bharat, Murshed are the children whose lives, dreams have portrayed in this movie.

“I am excited that our movie will be screened at the biggest film platform like Cannes. I would like to thank my mentors who have helped us in making this movie; it is not just a movie, it is a dream of every underprivileged child who wants to earn name and fame. We did our best to make this movie and are confident that the audiences will love and support our work,” said Arbaz, one of the film-makers. Arbaz, student of class X wants to become a photographer in future. His father Tahir Husain is embroiderer by profession and mother AsmaKhatun is a home maker.

About Smile Foundation:

Smile Foundation is a national level development organization benefitting over 600,000 underprivileged children, their families and the community directly through more than 250 welfare projects on subjects such as education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment across 25 states of India. Adopting a life cycle approach of development, Smile Foundation focuses its interventions on children, their families and the community.