Goa : Documentary film makers across the world are plagued with the same on problem. How to raise finances for telling stories visually, says Paritosh Mehta who is a commissioning editor at OMNI television, which specializes in television programmes based on Canada’s vibrant ethnic communities.

“Documentary film makers across the world are in the same boat. The problems we face are similar. We are all looking for a long term solution for finances to fund visual story-telling,” Mehta told a media conference at the IFFI venue.

Mehta will also be conducting a master class on various aspects of documentary film making including ways and means on making the medium viable.

Mehta said that OMNI television said that over 500 documentaries, some of which are award winning — related to ethnic community issues had been had produced thanks to a $ 65 million fund specially created for the purpose.

Most of the stories according to Mehta dealt with issues which are normally associated with ethnic communities ranging from profiles, unique values which the communities bring to Canada and problems like job hunting and at times even discrimination which they are faced with.

Mehta also said that in recent times, post 9/11 the discrimination of Muslims and their way of life was a subject which has been tapped in OMNI’s documentaries.

“We even had a documentary on Punjabi soldiers who fought for Canada in the First World War but had to struggle to get Canadian citizenship. But things have changed in Canada since vis a vis discrimination,” Mehta said.

Source : Lokesh Shastri