SHILLONG, MAR 1: North East India’s biggest film festival the “Indian Panorama Film Festival (IPFF)” that will kick-start from Monday in Shillong will be one of its kind with the Meghalaya Information & Public Relations department putting in its high-voltage effort to make the event not only memorable but also one that will bring Bollywood bigwigs to the Scotland of the East as a shooting destination for their films.
Organized by the State’s Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MI&B) through the Directorate of Film Festivals, the four days IPFF seeks not just to entertain, but also to inspire and encourage the growth of the filmmaking industry in Meghalaya.
MIPR director H Shangpliang told reporters during a news conference on Saturday, “The preparation for the film festival is going on well and we have been able to generate over 2000 responses from the people in Facebook, which is quite a good sign.”
Shillong will also welcome a range of talented Indian actors, directors and writers to the event.
Film stars who will be gracing the IPFF will include National Film award winners like Karishma Kapoor, Kainaat Arora, Bruna Abdullah and Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Siddiqui is the star of the opening film at the festival, ‘Dekh Indian Circus’, a movie whose director, Mangesh Hadawale, will also be coming to the IPFF, Shangpliang informed.
Directors Anjan Dutt (The Bong Connection), Veena Bakshi (The Coffin Maker) and Nishtha Jain (Gulabi Gang) will also be present for the screening of their films.
The other films that will be screened includes 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par, Assamese film Baandhan, Manipur film Leipaklei, and English movies – Ship of Theseus and Lessons in Forgetting.
Movies from Meghalaya – Ka Lad, Meshua & Melody and Wym Hasa – will also be part of the celebration of Indian cinema, Shangpliang informed.
Shangpliang said that one of the key aims behind hosting the IPFF in Shillong is to leave behind a legacy, the workshops to conducted by noted members of the Indian cinematic community will do just that.
Highlighting more on the festival, Shangpliang informed that accomplished director K Hariharan of the LV Prasad TV and Film Academy, Chennai, will conduct a workshop on filmmaking, while others will conduct workshops on cinematography, acting, direction and storytelling. Filmmaker Hardik Mehta will also present a workshop entitled ‘Stepping into the big bad world of Bollywood’.
The workshops will be held at the State Convention Centre, which will also be the venue for a special seminar on ‘Promoting Meghalaya as a filming destination’. The seminar will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and will involve interactive sessions featuring the invited celebrities and industry luminaries, Shangplaing said.
Informing that the DIPR will present a feature of Meghalaya, Shangpliang said. “ We want people from Bollywood to know what Meghalaya is all about.
Stating that all necessary transportation facilities have been arranged, Shangpliang said the DIRP has arranged a good number of buses to facilitate the transportation of students from different educational institutions like NEHU, MLCU, Sikkim Manipal and others besides students from different schools to the festival.
Further, Shangpliang informed that the delegations from the local producers, filmmakers and actors from the different districts of Meghalaya will also participate in the workshops and seminars during the IPFF.
He said, “We have delegation of 25 enthusiastic local filmmakers from Jaintia Hills, 15 from Garo Hills and 30 from Khasi Hills region.”
Shangpliang said that the department has also rope in local bands, talented singers and the recent participant of the India’s Got Talent (IGT) – Ki Umjer, Dance India Dance (DID) who will be showcasing their talents during the four-day festival which might help them find a place in the Bollywood industry or other places of excellence.
The film festival will be inaugurated by the Governor KK Paul on March 3, following which Dekh Indian Circus will be screened.
The IPFF will be one of the biggest events in the 2014 calendar, one that is sure to raise the profile of a developing Meghalaya, Shangpliang said.- By Our Reporter
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