Film Advisory Board

Est: 1940. First instance of direct state production of documentary film in India. Started as part of the Dept of Information to advise on the making of propaganda shorts during WW2 under chairmanship of Alexander Shaw (formerly associated with John Grierson in the Empire Marketing Board and later producer with Crown Film Unit). J.B.H. Wadia, V. Shantaram and Ezra Mir worked briefly as chief producers (1942). The FAB was intended to collaborate with independent producers/financiers, coordinating and overseeing the distribution of indigenous and imported war propaganda films. Initial productions included documentaries and newsreels made at Wadia Movietone (e.g. early work of documentarist P.V. Pathy), films commissioned from the advertising agency D.J. Keymer and localised versions of newsreels by 20th Century-Fox. Replaced in 1943 by Information Films of India.

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