Shillong, Feb 19: Shillong will be treated to the best of recent Indian cinema at the Indian Panorama Film Festival, to be held in the city from 3th to 6th March , 2014.
Collaborating in organising the festival is the Meghalaya Department for Information and Public Resources and the Government of India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through the Directorate of Film Festivals.
Besides the 11 films screened over the four-day event, there will also be a range of workshops open to filmmakers, students and the general public. Entry is free to all events.
Cinema, as was pointed out at a press conference to announce details of the festival on Tuesday, has a way of breaking boundaries and can also prove to be a major contributor to the local economy.
Leading names in the Indian film industry have been invited to attend, such as actors Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Noted directors Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Veena Bakshi, K Hariharan, Boney Kapoor and also Giorgio Garini from Italy are also expected to add to the festival’s success.
One of the films that will be screened is Ka Lad, by Meghalaya’s Dondor Lyngdoh and Gautam Syiem. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag will open the celebration of cinema. Other films on offer include Satyanweshi (directed by Rituparno Ghosh), Ship of Theseus, Lessons in Forgetting and The Coffin Maker. Other cinematic delights in Assamese (Baandhon, Ko.Yad) and Manipuri (Leipaklei) will also be presented.
The films will be screened at U Soso Tham Auditorium, with the State Convention Centre playing host to a seminar and the workshops on filmmaking, cinematography, audio in cinema and acting. The new convention centre will also be the location for the 100 Years of Indian Cinema exhibition, which will be organised in partnership with the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity.
Speaking at the press conference, Mr Rajeev Kumar Jain, Director of the Directorate of Film Festivals explained that one of the reasons for taking the film festival around the country is to promote the culture of filmmaking.
“Indian Panorama is a section of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), the largest film festival in the country,” Jain said. “The films selected represent the best of Indian cinema and are examples of cinematic and aesthetic excellence.
“We hope that the festival is able to promote the culture of filmmaking in Shillong,” he said.
Besides channelling the interests and aspirations of filmmakers in the state, a special session will be conducted during the fest to promote Meghalaya as a film destination and will see the participation of Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma as the Chief Guest who will inaugurate the session. Jain described this as a particularly important aspect of the festival and one that could have immediate benefits for the state.
Film also has a way of uniting people of different cultures and languages, as pointed out by Mr Shankar Mohan, Director of IFFI.
“Cinema speaks a common language,” Mohan said. “It has an immediacy of transcending barriers whether cultural or political. It’s able to connect immediately with any cultural ethos. And with a view to bringing in more of a divergent cinema, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting held a huge section of North Eastern cinema at the IFFI in November.” Around 20 films from the region were shown at the IFFI in Goa last year, he added.
“With these kinds of initiatives, the DIPR is laying the seeds for a long-term project. Like any state in Iindia, if the economy is to improve and culture spread, the next generation has to know more about Shillong and that can be done through the medium of cinema,” Mohan added.
The inaugural function will be held on March 3 where the Honourable Governor of Meghalaya, Dr KK Paul will attend as chief guest. A surprise screening and the closing ceremony will take place on March 6, 2014.(SP News)
