Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 124/15

THIRD EDITION OF THE INDIAN PANORAMA FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS IN CITY

Shillong, March 12, 2015: Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma kicked off the three-day Indian Panorama Film Festival, 2015 in the presence of Bimal Julka, Secretary to the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting at the U Soso Tham Auditorium, here today evening. Shillong has been hosting the Indian Panorama Film Festival for the last two years and this is the third edition of the festival. It opened with Dr. Prakash Baba Amte: The Real Hero, a Marathi film directed by Samruddhi Poreh, first woman director to win two National awards.

The main objective of the festival is to promote film making and film appreciation especially among the youth and to channelize filmmaking interests and aspirations through interactive workshops that will be held during the three-day festival.

Delivering the inaugural address, the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to the Union I&B Ministry for its support to the Meghalaya Government in making a humble beginning of hosting such an event for the last two years. He highlighted on the huge potentialities of the local youth whose talents according to Dr. Sangma can be a USP for filmmakers, and this coupled with vibrant culture of the State can provide immense opportunities in filmmaking, he added. Stating that filmmaking can bring the opportunity to bridge the gap among communities, the Chief Minister said, “the way of life of the people in the region is a little different which makes it difficult for the people in other parts of the country to understand and films can be a strong instrument to connect its people with the rest of the country”.

The Chief Minister was also of the opinion that Union Information & Broadcasting Ministry should create an entity which can facilitate an avenue for the aspiring and budding filmmakers of the region with appropriate policies and programmes.

Minister for Information and Public Relations, A.L. Hek in his brief address expressed hope that the festival would provide platform to young film enthusiasts to interact renowned film directors and producers.

Earlier, the Secretary to the Union Ministry of I & B, Bimal Julka briefly highlighted on the activities of the ministry and the Films Division to promote filmmaking and films from the North East and also conveyed the best wishes from the Union I & B, Arun Jaitley to the participants.

Jointly organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Directorate of Information & Public Relations, Meghalaya, the festival will be showcasing nine feature films and three non-feature films during the three-day event. These include, among others, National Award-winning film from Meghalaya Ri: Homeland of Uncertainty directed by Pradip Kurbah, Songs of the Blue Hills in Nagamese/English directed by Utpal Borpujari, Bengali film Ranjana Ami Ar Ashbona directed by Anjan Dutta, A Dream Never Dies,an Assamese film directed by Aneisha Sharma, Ankhon Dekhi directed Rajat Kapoor and Othello, directed by Hemanta Kumar Das. The inaugural function also featured songs by Kmih, a folk fusion by Ahowee, a track number from U Syiem by Desmond Sunn and a contemporary dance by Gitanjali Dance Academy.