ITANAGAR, 20 Apr: The two-day Arunachal Film Festival (AFF) started at the Dorjee Khandu Convention Centre here on Thursday.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, IPR department adviser Laisam Simai informed that “the AFF is an initiative of the state government to give a platform to indigenous filmmakers and budding talents of the state to meet and discuss ideas and to showcase their movies.”
He said that Arunachal Pradesh is rapidly growing in all fields, including in the field of filmmaking, “as there are many award-winning films produced by young directors of the state.”
He further said that, “besides exposure of the state, films also facilitate protecting and preserving our culture and identity from intrusion of modernisation.”
“Filmmaking is one part of preserving identity through documentation,” he said, and encouraged interested youths to “take up this form of entrepreneurship.”
Director of the film Sonam (The Fortunate One), Ahsan Muzzid, recalled the making of his first feature film, Sonam, in Arunachal, and the difficulties and adventures he and his team experienced while shooting.
The first day of the festival featured two workshops – one on screen acting by Palin Kabak of Bhediya fame, and the other on cinematography by FTI graduate Nyago Ete, who was also a part of Bhediya movie. The workshops were attended by more than 50 youths.
Sonam (The Fortunate One) by Ahsan Muzzid, which is an adaptation of renowned author YD Thongchi’s book of the same name, Missing (The Apparition) by Dr Sarma Barua, and Nana (A Tale of Us) by Tiakumzuk Aier were screened on the first day. (DIPR)
