The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `Awards will help boost parallel cinema'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 09, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Awards will help boost parallel cinema'

Staff Reporter

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Theatre person Arundhathi Nag receiving the Lankesh Chitra Prashasti from film director Girish Kasaravalli on behalf of Chitra Palekar, in Bangalore on Thursday. Directors B. Suresh and Kavitha Lankesh are seen. — Photo: Bhag ya Prakash K.

BANGALORE: Instituting awards for parallel cinema will have its own academic and cultural significance, filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli has said.

He was speaking after presenting the third annual Lankesh Chitra Prashasti to Chitra Palekar's maiden directorial venture Maati Maay (Marathi) here on Thursday.

Challenges

The makers of parallel cinema had to face technical, creative and other challenges in the course of forging new expressions. Despite discouraging attempts by vested interests, the tribe of parallel filmmakers was on the increase.

In that context, major and merited awards such as the Lankesh film awards was significant, as it would act as an encouraging catalyst, Mr. Kasaravalli said.

Filmmaker Kavitha Lankesh said that a jury comprising filmmaker B. Suresh, writer P. Chandrika, film critic Gangadhara Mudaliyar and herself had viewed 18 films and selected Maati Maay in compliance with her writer-father the late Lankesh's ideological outlook.

Ms. Lankesh said she was planning to organise a festival of all the films contested in the annual award from the next year.

Theatre person Arundhati Nag received the award on behalf of Chitra Palekar.

The award carries a silver medal and a cash prize of Rs.10, 000.

Only debut directors are eligible for the award.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka