Govt has realised the importance of focusing on youths, says CM
SHILLONG, June 3: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, on Tuesday, disbursed grants to filmmakers as part of a transformative initiative under Hello Meghalaya.
Held at the State Convention Centre, the event etched a historic moment for Meghalaya’s diverse artistic community, bringing together filmmakers, content creators, and cultural luminaries to celebrate the power of creativity and filmmaking.
The Chief Minister stated that the MDA government has realised the importance of focusing on the young generation, as almost 50% of the state’s population is below the age of 20, making Meghalaya one of the youngest states in the country today.
“Realising the strength that we have, we felt the need as policymakers to really focus on what drives the youth of our state and how we can provide an ecosystem and platform for them to grow, to do what they love to do and create value out of it. We believe that our youth have much potential, and they can do many things,” he said.
He emphasised the huge potential of Meghalaya’s film industry in the presence of many creative people and said platforms such as Hello Meghalaya provide the opportunity in the right way.
The grant is based on four categories.
Under Category A, six nominated filmmakers will receive up to Rs 35 lakh to produce a feature film each within a calendar year. Under Category B, 18 filmmakers received up to Rs 25 lakh for feature films, while under Category C, four filmmakers received Rs 20 lakh for web series, disbursed per episode, with a minimum of 10 episodes, each 30-40 minutes long.
Under Category D, 19 established and emerging filmmakers from Meghalaya received up to Rs 5 lakh to create short films.
Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said this event takes the film fraternity forward and celebrates the spirit of Meghalaya and the indigenous traditions of the Khasis, Jaintias, and Garos. He was happy that the Hello Meghalaya platform has done well since its launch.
The event featured the highly anticipated first look of Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field), directed by Pradip Kurbah and his team.
During the event, the Filmmaking Exchange Programme was announced, where, for the first time, Meghalaya Tourism, in collaboration with the Film and Television Institute, Arunachal Pradesh, will conduct masterclass sessions taught by Dominic Sangma, an award-winning and celebrated director, further strengthening regional collaboration in the creative arts.
The exchange programme, supported by the state Tourism Department, will feature 30 students – 15 from Meghalaya and 15 from Arunachal Pradesh.