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Yogi didn't see many films made by people like him so he started his own festival
How an Australian Punjabi filmmaker's frustration with discrimination led him to create a new film festival focusing on diversity and inclusion.
Published 26 August 2022 5:39am
Updated 26 August 2022 10:01am
By Peta Doherty
Source: SBS News
Image: Indian born Australian filmmaker Yogi Devgan on set. (Supplied / Connor Patterson)
In the three years Yogi Devgan has been making films he’s won international accolades and had films selected for screenings in the UK, Bali Mexico, Brazil and the US.
Home in Australia however, where the Punjabi man has lived since 2014, it’s a different story.
“They look at your name and then you’re out of the list,” said Mr Devgan, who is at a loss to understand why he’s missed out on so many opportunities.
“I couldn’t find any person from my background whose name was there,” he said, speaking of a recent experience with a body that funds emerging film-makers.
“I asked, ‘has this fund ever been given to a coloured person?' The answer was no.”
The mounting rejections motivated Mr Devgan to develop a new festival, featuring work by minority groups who face additional barriers in the film industry.
“I thought, ‘I’ve got to start my own thing, and give other people chances’".
I asked, ‘has this fund ever been given to a coloured person?' The answer was no.Yogi Devgan
According to the organiser, the Port Adelaide Diversity and Inclusion Film Festival, which premieres in Adelaide on Friday night is the first in Australia to bring together work by or about people from all under-represented communities.
Among the finalists are films from and about people living with disability, the south Sudanese, trans, Muslim, refugee, English as a second language and First Nations communities.
“This festival encourages people from these backgrounds to come together under one roof to celebrate and be a part of a new society and culture,” Mr Devgan said.
“It’s a brand new festival that I’ve started from scratch, and within two months, more than 250 people are coming. It shows people want this stuff.”
Western Australian writer-director Cassandra Nguyen described the selection of her film Hold Up - as a “massive honour”.
Australian-Vietnamese writer-director Cassandra Nguyen says it's 'a massive honour' to be selected as a finalist. Source: Supplied / Alison Rodrigues
Hold Up is a comedy-thriller set in an Asian grocery that aired in LA as part of the Viet Film Fest 2021 — the largest international Vietnamese film festival in the world.
“It’s really important for representation and for Australian stories on screen to reflect the life that we currently live in our multicultural society,” Ms Nguyen said.
Ms Nguyen said while film is a “tricky industry”, festivals such as the Port Adelaide Diversity and Inclusion make it an exciting time to be involved.
Hold Up a comedy-thriller set in an Asian grocery is a finalist at the Port Adelaide Diversity and Inclusion Film Festival. Source: Supplied
“We all have our own focus, but I think Yogi has been able to take a birds eye view.”
“There is always power in numbers when you want to highlight an issue.”
Ms Matthews is one of a panel of festival judges who all work in the film industry and hail from a variety of cultural and social backgrounds.
“A lot of emerging filmmakers are making really great works, but they’re not getting seen, and that’s what this festival is all about,” Ms Matthews said.
“You never know who might be at the festival who can link you up with other opportunities. And the chance to see all your hard work on screen motivates you to move on to the next project.”
'I really wanted to follow my heart'
As a child growing up in India’s Punjab region, Mr Devgan said he dreamed of working in the film industry but didn’t have the means to pursue it.
It wasn’t until the pandemic struck that he left a career in real estate to study a Bachelor of Film and Television at the University of South Australia.
“I really wanted to follow my heart, which was filmmaking and telling stories,” said Mr Devgan, who left India for London in 2003 before moving to Adelaide with his Australian wife in 2014.
Mr Devgan’s work focuses on short films with a social message.
His most recent project, Buddy, has been selected to screen in ten international festivals.
He’s hoping his festival will help people showcase their work more equally.
And build momentum for change in the way industry bodies distribute funding.
“There are loads of actors and filmmakers from diverse backgrounds. Their artwork may be of a very high standard, but if you are considering their applications on the basis of how good their English is, they will never win.”
Mr Devgan believes increased support for culturally, and linguistically diverse filmmakers would boost audience numbers and lead to greater international interest in Australian films.
