Indian Movies in Public Domain

About Project

This project aims to contribute to the preservation and accessibility of Indian cinematic heritage by uploading public domain movies produced in India to Wikimedia Commons and enriching related information on Wikidata and various Indian-language Wikipedias.

Objectives / Activities

• Upload Public Domain Movies: Identify and upload all available public domain movies produced in India to Wikimedia Commons. We will ensure proper copyright clearance and licensing for all uploaded content.
• Wikidata Integration: Map relevant data related to Indian public domain movies in Wikidata, including details like film titles, directors, cast, release dates, and genres. This will allow seamless interconnection with other Wikimedia projects and improve discoverability.
• Public Domain Movie Lists: Publish comprehensive lists of public domain movies as part of the annual "This Year in Public Domain" pages on all Indian-language Wikipedias. This will make it easier for users to find and access these films.
• Wikipedia Pages: Improve/Create Wikipedia pages for these movies, at least in the original language the movie was released in.

Components of Movies to be Collected

• Full Movie Files: High-quality copies of the public domain movies will be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons, ensuring open access for everyone.
• Movie Promotional Material: Promotional materials like trailers, posters, and other visual assets will be collected and uploaded alongside the movies.
• Movie Lyrics: Lyrics of songs featured in the movies will be included, ideally in their original language and script.
• Media Coverage: Relevant media coverage about the movies, like articles and reviews, will be gathered and linked to the corresponding entries on Wikidata or Wikipedia.

Stats Tracker

Indian Movies in Public Domain - Across WikiMedia projects

	Total Movies	WikiData Items	with video	with image	with audio	Wikipedia	WikiSource	WikiQuote
Count		3710	187	176	2	3044	1	17

Click here for more detailed stats

Expected Outcomes

• Archiving Indian Cinema: This project will contribute to the archiving of India's cinematic heritage by making public domain movies and related information readily accessible to a global audience.
• Enhanced Discoverability: Integrating data with Wikidata will improve discoverability of Indian public domain movies across various Wikimedia projects.
• Enriched Wikipedias: Comprehensive lists of public domain movies will benefit users of Indian-language Wikipedias
• Community Building: We aim to engage with the Indian film community and archives to contribute to this project.

Benefits: This project will contribute significantly to the following:

• Preservation: Preserves Indian cinema history for future generations.
• Accessibility: Provides free and open access to public domain movies for everyone.
• Knowledge Sharing: Creates a central repository for comprehensive information about Indian public domain movies.
• Multilingual Awareness: Raises awareness about public domain movies in all Indian languages.

Next Steps:

• Establish collaborations with film archives, libraries, and rights holders to identify and acquire public domain movies.
• Develop a workflow for uploading movies and related materials to Wikimedia Commons.
• Create templates for Wikidata entries and "This Year In Public Domain" page entries in Indian Language Wikipedia projects.
• Engage the Indian language Wikipedia communities to promote the project and encourage participation.

Contact information:

Open a discussion in Talk page OR reach out to user:ranjithraj

We have a chat group intended to answer doubts, communicate new projects, share experiences, learn how to do a proper scanning and much more! Just join us in: https://t.me/imipd

Call to Action

We invite individuals and organizations interested in preserving Indian cinema to join our efforts. You can contribute by:

• Identifying Public Domain Movies: Help us locate movies whose copyright has expired.
• Providing Resources: Share relevant promotional materials, lyrics, or media coverage.
• Translation and Uploading: Assist with translating content and uploading materials to Wikimedia Commons.

This project is dedicated to making India's film heritage accessible to all. Together, we can create a valuable resource for film enthusiasts, researchers, and anyone interested in exploring the rich history of Indian cinema.

Sign-up as a contributor

Add yourself using: # ~~~~

1. Ranjithraj (talk) 10:49, 6 October 2024 (UTC)
2. Saiphani02 (talk) 12:06, 6 October 2024 (UTC)
3. Ranjithsiji (talk) 16:45, 6 October 2024 (UTC)
4. Kasyap (talk) 11:59, 19 October 2024 (UTC)
5. ❙❚❚❙❙ GnOeee ❚❙❚❙❙ ✉ 06:37, 22 October 2024 (UTC)
6. Bodhisattwa (talk) 18:35, 26 November 2024 (UTC) (for Bangla films)