It has been wonderful to successfully launch the DOK Leipzig Lake Festival 2013. What an amazing experience of virtual energy spreading across cities and countries. Film-makers, friends, colleagues, all pitching in, working round-the-clock to achieve the impossible – getting a festival off the ground without sponsors and funders!

Here, we must mention the spontaneous and welcome support of someone associated with one of our previous projects: Soniya Kriplani, who, when she heard we had no support, promptly transferred a contribution into our account!

Then, the fantastic real energy of these dynamic people who enlisted for the festival, came, relished the experience and promised to return…and sent back some great and constructive feedback. What more can one ask for!

The local interest and fascination in Uttarakhand was very heartening. Our biggest pleasure being the fact that Dr. Shekhar Pathak - world renowned historian, encylcopedia of Himalaya, Padamshri and more than anything else a humble, down-to-earth human being – inaugurated the festival. We will be ever grateful to him for lifting the level of the festival and bringing along some fine minds to partake in it. We will also always remember that the dynamic man behind The Lake Resort, Mr. Mahendera Verma and his son, Arjun’s support, ensured the festival could take off.

It is very difficult to mention each name but FORMEDIA wishes to say a BIG THANK YOU to ALL who were involved, especially: all the film-makers/producers/distributors who waived or reduced the screening fee; the DOK Leipzig team (Mr. Claas Danielsen-Festival Director and colleagues – Dr. Grit Lemke and Ms. Lina Dinkla); and Mr. P. D. Valson, our colleague and friend of many years, who ensured we had the best possible projection facilities. ALL OTHERS: please bear with us for not listing your names here.

There are many lessons learnt and we will keep all in mind for future reference.

Meanwhile, we are proud to announce that at the end of the festival it was decided to set up a Primary Support Group for the DOK Leipzig Lake Festival. They will help promote this non-competitive, non-agenda-driven festival that celebrates stress-free, abandoned intellectual and cultural space. There are no financial obligations on this group. You can view the list at : http://formedia.org.in/lake-festival/primary-support-group.html

Milin Kapoor, who had enlisted for the festival, was so inspired, he decided to shoot and make a small video to spread the word virtually. Catch the mood at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ieDqqkP16Q

For some glimpses of our five days of the DOK Leipzig Lake Festival, you can go to: http://www.formedia.org.in/lake-festival/daily-glimpses.html

If you wish to have a conversation about the DOK Leipzig Lake Festival, please contact: neelima.mathur[at]gmail.com

Till soon!!!!