Support world-class media education in India! Support the Whistling Woods petition! 

This student-driven campaign is important because we are in danger of losing a world class campus with state of the art technology and unparalleled industry opportunities. While I’m sure you have heard about the Whistling Woods matter in the media, here is a brief statement of facts:

1. The MSFCDC a wholly owned government of Maharashtra Undertaking, commonly known as Filmcity, and Mukta Arts came together in a joint venture to set up Whistling Woods International – Institute for Film, Communication, Animation and Media Arts in 2000.
2. Today, Whistling Woods is one of the top 10 film schools in the world and is dutifully bridging the gap in the film & media industry of trained & educated talent. (See full institutional profile & achievements in the following section)
3. The state government filed an affidavit in 2010 in response to a PIL stating that they had not followed proper paperwork in the formation of the joint venture.
4. The courts ordered the joint venture to be cancelled and ordered the land and building to be handed over to the state government.
5. Mukta Arts has invested over 100 crores in good faith and the same should not go to waste.
6. We are hence putting together a petition to take to the President of India to intervene in the matter.
 
We need support from all those who believe that world-class education should be encouraged in India.

Kindly sign this petition to show your support!

Whistling Woods Profile 

Founded in 2006 by one of the India’s leading filmmakers – Subhash Ghai and promoted by Mukta Arts Limited & Filmcity Mumbai, Whistling Woods Interational (WWI) has been rated amongst the top 10 film schools in the world by ‘The Hollywood Reporter’. www.whistlingwoods.net
 
The WWI Mumbai campus is located inside Mumbai’s film & television production hub ‘Filmcity’, and offers courses that vary in duration from 1 year to 3 years in Acting, Animation, Cinematography, Direction, Editing, Producing, Screenwriting, Sound and an MBA in Media & Entertainment. The curriculum at WWI is a unique hybrid of theoretical and practical aspects, ensuring that the creative dovetails well with the business aspects.
 
The full-time faculty of WWI is a body of academics and renowned industry professionals like Subhash Ghai, Rajen Kothari, Rob Reece, Anjum Rajabali, Rakesh Ranjan and more, with regular guest lectures by leading Indian & International filmmakers, actors & technicians like Ashutosh Gowarikar, Farhan Akhtar, Shyam Benegal, Naseeruddin Shah, Danny Boyle, Rajkumar Hirani, Rakeysh Mehra, Vishal Bharadwaj, Farah Khan, Nagesh Kukunoor, and several more.
 
WWI Alumni are currently working at several leading media organisations like Aamir Khan Productions, Annapurna Studios, BIG Animation, Balaji Telefilms, Dharma Productions, Dreamworks, Excel Entertainment, Fox Star Studios India, Mukta Arts Ltd, Percept Picture Company, Prime Focus, Rajshri, Red Chillies Entertainment, Reliance Mediaworks, Rhythm & Hues, Star TV, Technicolour, Walkwater Film, UTV Motion Pictures, Yashraj Films and several more.
 
In early 2011, Sony setup a global Media technology Center – a Center of Excellence focused on HD & 3D filmmaking at the WWI Mumbai campus. Sony has recognised WWI as a leader in the Media & Entertainment education sector in Asia and decided to partner with the Institute for setting up their 3rd global center, the first two in London & LA, being standalone centers. Sony has equipped the WWI Mumbai campus with the latest technology in both HD & 3D filmmaking and will also be stationing on campus their global subject matter experts from whom WWI students would learn a great deal.
 
In 2010, WWI became the youngest filmschool to be recognised as a full member of CILECT (Centre International de Liaison des Ecoles de Cinéma et de Télévision) – a global association of film schools, which lays very high standards on admitting members (there are only 150 members of CILECT out of over 3000 global film schools).
 
WWI was also invited to partner with India’s premier High School Board - the CBSE board by the Ministry of Human Resource Development - Government of India to design a Media Studies curriculum for the country’s primary High School board (the CBSE board). WWI has prepared the curriculum, teaching methodology & is undertaking teacher training for the ‘Media Studies’ elective in the 11th & 12th grade for over 10,000 schools in India.
 
The above is just a snapshot of what Whistling Woods International has achieved in the short span of five years and the Institute strongly marches on its way to fulfilling it’s goal – to be the institute of choice for media education globally.