Music and Youth
Aftra to recognises ABC’s micro mini series initiative
MUMBAI: The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Aftra) will give broadcaster ABC the 2005 American Scene Award for Television Entertainment Programming for its Micro-Mini Series concept. The award will be given at Aftra’s convention of Friday 15 July.
TV’s first scripted Micro-Mini Series is a joint effort of ABC and Touchstone Television, with the cooperation of the WGA, DGA, Aftra and other industry guilds and unions. The Micro-Minis which was an experiment last year were a series of interstitial short programmes that are integrated into ABC’s primetime and late-night lineup.
They provided a unique entertainment experience and expanding the potential for television programming into a new arena. Each Micro-Mini programme was three minutes long. It played in three one-minute interstitial acts spread over the course of a single evening.
In this concept each of the three acts was thematically connected to the others, with a storyline that will track over the course of an evening. But individual acts stood alone as an entertainment experiences in and of themselves. The Micro-Minis come from all genres and are either comedic or dramatic in tone.
The Aftra award recognises work that portrays the diversity of the American scene in a realistic and balanced manner in their programming. This award is the highest honour that Aftra bestows on its industry partners. The “Micro-Mini Series aimed at giving participants in various ABC/Disney Talent Development programmes the opportunity to have original work produced and broadcast across the US.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
