Vaishnavi Sundar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vaishnavi Sundar
Vaishnavi in Chennai
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Filmmaker, activist
Years active	2008–present

Vaishnavi Sundar is an independent filmmaker and activist from India. She creates movies that often focus on important social topics. Some of her films have faced protests, which led to screenings being cancelled.

Early Life and Education

Vaishnavi was born on June 8, 1986, in Avadi, a town near Chennai in Tamil Nadu, India. She went to school there and later earned a degree in commerce from Ethiraj College for Women in Chennai. She continued her studies at Anna University, also in Chennai, getting a postgraduate degree in business. She also took part in the International Visitor Leadership Program.

Vaishnavi began her career as an actress with Theatre Nisha, a drama group in Chennai. Over time, she also started directing and writing plays. She took acting workshops in Scotland and London to improve her skills. While she started acting in films in 2010, she decided to make her own movies in 2013, starting with her film Pava.

Career Highlights

As an Actress and Voice Artist

Vaishnavi started acting with Theatre Nisha, performing in many plays over seven years. Some of these plays include The Pregnant King and The Fire and the Rain. She also directed four plays, writing and producing two of them herself: A Beautiful Mind and Chitrangada. She performed at well-known festivals like the Soorya festival.

As a voice artist, Vaishnavi lent her voice to several TV shows. She worked on popular cartoons like Ninja Hattori and Perman. She also voiced characters in a Korean movie called Tidal Wave from 2009.

As a Filmmaker

Vaishnavi started making films in 2014 with her first movie, Pava. This film tells the story of how a young girl's relationship with a barber changes. In 2015, she made her second film, The Catalyst, which was inspired by a story called 'Taxi Driver'. Vaishnavi has shared how she made this film, even providing resources for free online.

In August 2015, she directed a documentary about palaeontology, the study of fossils. This film, called Unearthing The Treasures of Ariyalur, focused on fossils found in a small village in Tamil Nadu. Later, during a trip to Sikkim, Vaishnavi made a short documentary called Aage Jake Left. This film was about Anju Chetri, a female traffic police officer, and showed the strength of women in Northeast India.

In January 2021, during the COVID lockdown, Vaishnavi created a four-part documentary series. It was called Dysphoric: Fleeing Womanhood Like a House on Fire. She directed and edited this series entirely using video conferencing tools.

As a Writer

Vaishnavi is also a published writer. She writes about various topics, including films, feminism, and social justice in India. Her articles often explore how feminist ideas connect with filmmaking. Her writings have appeared on platforms like Women's Voices Now and The Hindu. She also regularly contributes to other online publications, writing about women's issues.

As a Speaker and Curator

Vaishnavi often shares her knowledge at events and conferences. In 2016, she spoke about progressive filmmaking at a mentoring event in Chennai. She was also invited to speak at a major conference about independent cinema. Vaishnavi has served as a judge for Women's Voices Now, a group that supports women's rights through films. She has also helped organize international film festivals, especially those featuring films made by women.

In 2017, she was a speaker at Samagra, an annual event organized by the Melton Foundation. She also gives guest lectures at top educational places like IIT Madras. She talks about cinema, feminism, and equality. In 2018, she was a speaker at an event about closing the gender gap in workplaces. She is often invited by the All India Democratic Women's Association to speak at local events across Tamil Nadu.

As an Activist

Vaishnavi's work as a feminist activist began with a campaign against a Tamil magazine. The magazine had described women's leggings as "obscene." Vaishnavi started a social media campaign with the hashtag #OurClothesOurChoice. This campaign successfully made the magazine remove the online version of the article.

Another important part of her activism involves fighting against the way crimes against women are sometimes shown in Tamil movies. With a researcher named Iswarya, Vaishnavi discussed these dangers in various places. They also made a video asking people to avoid films that make stalking or male violence against women seem acceptable.

Vaishnavi also started a petition asking the government to lift a ban on certain emergency medicines. This petition became very popular, gathering over 1500 signatures. For this work, she received an award from World Pulse.

In November 2017, Vaishnavi was invited by Al Jazeera to discuss a Bollywood film called Padmavati. This discussion was broadcast live from Washington D.C. on a show called The Stream.

Other Activities

Vaishnavi founded Women Making Films, a website launched to address the lack of women filmmakers in the industry. She created this platform to connect and support women filmmakers in India and worldwide. It is a non-profit community that helps promote female filmmakers and their work. It does this through blogs, workshops, and mentorship programs.

Since its launch, Women Making Films has attracted many influential women in Indian and international cinema as members. Vaishnavi has also interviewed artists like Tannishtha Chatterjee and Nina Paley through this platform. Women Making Films has worked with educational and film organizations like Goethe Institut. They have organized film festivals and screenings.

Their most successful event was The First Festival. This event screened 15 films made by women from 7 countries in 10 cities across India. The festival was highly praised by the media. It also sparked discussions about sexism and gender differences in filmmaking. Women Making Films continues to be a voice for female filmmakers globally, with members from over 19 countries.

Theatre Performances

Filmography

Film Festivals and Screenings

Behind the Looking Glass

• World Premiere on YouTube on August 30, 2024.

Dysphoric: Fleeing Womanhood Like a House on Fire

• Released online for worldwide viewing.

But What Was She Wearing?

• Official selection at the Udada International Women's Film Festival, Kenya 2018.
• Nominee for Best Film at the Independent Talents International Film Festival, 2018.
• Official selection at the Colorado International Activism Film Festival, 2019.
• Official selection at the 6th International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra Awards, 2019.

To What End?

• Official selection at Pitch Her Productions' Riveter Series: #MeToo, New York City, USA 2018.
• Official selection competition at the Women International Film Festival, Islamabad, Pakistan 2018.
• Official selection at Cut the Gap! The HeForShe Vienna Gender Equality Short Film Day, Austria 2018.

Aage Jake Left

• Official selection competition at the Women International Film Festival, Islamabad, Pakistan 2017.
• Official selection competition at Cine Sister Women Women, Manchester, UK 2017.
• Official selection competition at the London Feminist Film Festival, London, UK 2017.

Unearthing The Treasures Of Ariyalur

• Official selection at the International Festival of Women Filmmakers, Gauhati, India 2016.
• Official selection competition at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kerala, Trivandrum, India 2016.
• Official selection competition at Docademia's 2nd Short Documentary Contest, Chicago, USA 2017.

The Catalyst

• Official selection at the International Festival of Women Filmmakers, Gauhati, India 2016.
• Official selection at the International Short Film Festival, Bangalore, India 2015.

Pava

• Official selection competition at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kerala, Trivandrum 2014.
• Official selection at the Bangalore International Short Film Festival 2014.
• Official selection competition at Alpavirama – South Asian short film festival, Ahmadabad, India 2014.
• Official selection at IAWRT – Asian Women's Film Festival, Delhi 2015.
• Official selection at Anthropo Children's festival, Slovenia 2015.
• Official selection at Under The Tin Roof Performing Arts Festival, Mumbai 2015.
• Official selection at the International Women Film Festival, Afghanistan 2015.
• Official selection at FLO Film Festival, Mumbai 2016.
• Official selection at the International Festival of Women Filmmakers, Gauhati 2016.
• Official selection at the Women Making Films Festival, New York 2016.
• Winner at the Women International Film Festival, Islamabad, Pakistan 2018.

See Also

In Spanish: Vaishnavi Sundar para niños

• List of female film and television directors