SHILLONG: The Indian Panorama Film Festival hits Shillong on Monday and, spread over the course of four days, the city will play host to an event that will delight movie lovers with enriching examples of Indian cinema and workshops to spur the creative minds of the public.
Organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations, Government of Meghalaya, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, through the Directorate of Film Festivals, the IPFF seeks not just to entertain, but also to inspire and encourage the-growth of the filmmaking industry in the state.
The city will welcome a range of talented Indian actors, directors and writers to the event. Stars to look out for include National Film Award winners Karisma Kapoor, as well as 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 in attendance. 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.
Other films that will be screened include 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par, Assamese film Baandhon, 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.
The films on offer encompass a wide range of cinema, from a short film (Ka Lad) to drama, comedy, romance and a critically acclaimed documentary in Gulabi Gang. All of the films will be screened at U Soso Tham Auditorium, adding one of the key aims behind hosting the IPFF in Shillong is to leave behind a legacy and the workshops led by noted members of the Indian cinematic community will do just that.
Accomplished director K Hariharan of the LV Prasad TV and Film Academy, Chennai, will conduct a workshop on filmmaking, while others will be held on cinematography, acting, direction and storytelling and 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 and the seminar will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma and will involve interactive sessions featuring the invited celebrities and industry luminaries.
Other attractions at the four-day event will include an exhibition on 100 Years of Indian Cinema, which will run at the State Convention Centre from the opening day.
The film festival will be inaugurated by the Governor of Meghalaya Dr KK Paul on March 3, following which Dekh Indian Circus will be screened and also not to be missed are the open air music concerts, on Monday and Thursday, as well as “flash mobs, breakout dance acts, cultural troupes and traditional performances.
This celebration of the arts will include rising stars from an emerging Meghalaya, including Khmih Shillong Group, Na la Rympei, Cubicles, Colours and 4th Element. There will be other performances by North East Jazz Collectors, Gitanjali Dance Academy, Pynter Orchestra Summersalt and India Got Talents participants.
