Value 01
Community-Centred Storytelling
Stories belong to the communities they come from — we document with them, not about them.
A Community Cinema Initiative
A storytelling collective from the forested centre of India — turning grassroot realities into cinema that audiences, policy-makers, and communities can share.
Origin
CICADA Foundation began as a seed of thought during our time together in the Green Hub Fellowship. The fellowship introduced us to the basics of documentary filmmaking and deepened our understanding of culture, environment, biodiversity, and the importance of our own roots in storytelling and narrative building.
More importantly, it gave us a shared space to learn, observe, and explore how stories from our communities could be told with honesty and care. While some of us were drawn to working closely with communities and others to documenting the landscapes around us, we were united by a common vision — to make films and share them with wider audiences.
This journey led to the formation of CICADA Foundation, extending our work through community screenings and grassroots engagement. In December 2025, CICADA became a registered Section 8 not-for-profit organisation, formalising our collective dream into a legal entity.
Seoni · Central India · 2025→
The CICADA collective
“Ten storytellers. One chorus.”
Seoni · Madhya Pradesh
Our Mission
We are committed to turning grassroot stories into compelling narratives that inspire dialogues. Through screening and community involvement, we raise awareness and encourage meaningful conversation that drive positive change.
Our Vision
To drive impactful change through visual storytelling and foster meaningful dialogue, creating a more aware and empowered society.
Our Values
Six commitments that sit underneath every script, every screening, and every workshop.
Value 01
Stories belong to the communities they come from — we document with them, not about them.
Value 02
We build with NGOs, institutions, tribal councils, and filmmakers — never in isolation.
Value 03
Every production intentionally foregrounds voices the mainstream overlooks.
Value 04
Workshops, screenings, and consultancy — the craft of storytelling flows in both directions.
Value 05
Films are a starting point, not a verdict. Every screening is an invitation to talk.
Value 06
Tribal and rural youth are handed cameras, training, and the authorship of their own stories.
Our Home
The roots of CICADA Foundation lie in Seoni, nestled in the Satpura ranges of Madhya Pradesh, a land once part of Gondwana and immortalised as the inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. Here, the Gond, Baiga, and Pardhi communities carry forward traditions, languages, and forest-based livelihoods that shape the soul of the district.
Seoni's vast teak and bamboo forests, nourished by the Wainganga River, hold a richness that shelters tigers, leopards, wild dogs, deer, and more than 200 species of birds within Pench National Park. It is a place where tribal heritage and wilderness breathe together, where culture and ecology intertwine seamlessly, offering both the depth of history and the urgency of conservation.
22.08°N · 79.54°E
Seoni, Madhya Pradesh
Our Collaborators
From district administrations to alumni networks — CICADA is possible because many different organisations share the belief that grassroot stories deserve to travel.
Community-led organisation working with the Fakir community and urban slums — the co-production partner behind Kohinoor.
Championing sustainable forest-based livelihoods across central India — a core field partner in our conservation storytelling.
Supporting the upcoming conservation documentary series.
Humrahi Program funders of CICADA's first year operations.
Fellowship alumni network — where both co-founders trained.
Health and education outreach in remote tribal blocks.
Co-host of CICADA's Seoni-district youth screenings.
Livelihoods through sustainable agriculture and allied skills.
Peer community for grassroots visual journalism.
CICADA Foundation is a registered Section 8 not-for-profit organisation · Seoni, Madhya Pradesh · Est. 2025