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Thanks to a grant-funded program, 30 Punjabi visitors will come to the Media School for a three-week training program next May with the goal of producing narrative short films.

The Media School and the IU Office of International Development have partnered in implementing the program, Beyond Borders: A Workshop on Filmmaking Across the Punjab Region. Betsi Grabe, associate dean at The Media School, and Teshome Alemneh, IU associate vice president for International Development, are leading the project.

The program will be funded by a nearly $150,000 grant through the U.S. Mission’s Indian Public Diplomacy Grants Program. The goal is to bring together young people from both the Indian and Pakistani parts of Punjab, Grabe said.

The area was central in the settlement of land when India gained independence from Great Britain. In 1947, the Punjab province of British India was divided into West Punjab and East Punjab, with West Punjab becoming part of the new country of Pakistan and East Punjab remaining in India. Disputes between India and Pakistan often involve the Punjab area. Peace talks initiated in 2004 between the two countries have helped to resolve some of the conflict in the region.

IU will host 15 workshop participants from India and 15 from Pakistan to create short films over the three-week stay. The grant will cover applicant travel, lodging and meals, and costs related to instruction and running the workshop in The Media School.

IU’s Gateway Office in New Delhi, the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and the U.S. Consulate in Lahore are involved in recruiting applicants who are 22 to 30 years old, proficient in English, civic-minded and interested in filmmaking.  The Media School, the College Office of International Affairs and IU’s Office of International Development will collaborate in selecting 30 applicants for the workshop.

Grabe is responsible for the workshop curriculum and implementation of the program. Last summer, she worked with five faculty members who have international interests and filmmaking expertise to develop the program, she said.

Once they arrive, the participants will explore Southern Indiana, including excursions to Louisville or Indianapolis. They also will travel through rural Indiana to witness how residents in middle America live.

Week one of the workshop will focus on orientation experiences and conceptual foundations of film making, while week two will build on filmmaking skills. During week three, participants will complete their film projects.

Media School senior lecturer Susanne Schwibs, professor Greg Waller and associate dean Grabe will be responsible for instruction and coordination of courses. Three additional associate instructors will be appointed to offer individual hands-on support for the filmmakers.

The filmmaking process will be built around pairs and small groups of Indian and Pakistani participants. The films will address social issues, including youth culture, the environment, faith and gender. The program calls for 10 narrative films to be produced.

At the end of the workshop, the Media School will host a screening event for the three-minute films on the big screen in the Franklin Hall commons.

When participants return to the Punjab region, The Media School will track and support connections among them.

“Filmmaking—actually, media making in most forms — involves collaboration. It can transcend difference between us by drawing on our individual skills and strengths during a collective process of creative discovery,” Grabe said. “We hope this group of Punjabis will make life-long connections with each other and us during their visit.”