New Delhi   

Of our diversity and foreign traditions

Madhur Tankha

New Delhi: Providing a glimpse of our country's diverse culture as well as the customs and traditions of some foreign countries will be the five-day-long Cinemela Festival that opens at Jawaharlal Nehru University in the Capital this Thursday.

The festival received an enthusiastic response from all quarters last year and will this time feature short films and documentaries by young filmmakers.

A special feature of the festival will be the screening of short films in which acclaimed actors like the late Smita Patil, Jaya Bachchan, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Suresh Oberoi have acted during their student days at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune.

Organised by Cinemela Collectives, this second edition of the festival will showcase unusual styles, dissimilarities and unfamiliar languages to discover new voices and visions.

Speaking about the festival, Cinemaya editor Aruna Vasudev observes that it will provide an excellent platform to budding filmmakers.

"These filmmakers do not get a chance to show their films in a place where film lovers can watch and discuss their works. But Cinemela gives these filmmakers a good launching pad," she adds.

Stating that that these films deserve attention for their ability to go beyond local issues and provincial tastes, Cinemela Collectives convenor Prakash Kumar Ray says Cinemela has been designed in such a way as to serve as a glass through which the audience can get an opportunity to glimpse important aspects of rapidly emerging creative sensibilities. "Keeping this in mind, we plan to take the selected films from the festival to other campuses and places," he adds.

This year films from the United States, Poland, Estonia, Germany and Pakistan will also be screened. Despite the varied styles and subjects, the films offer a glimpse into the diverse cultures from which they spring and seek to make an impression with their individuality. Besides taking the films created by young filmmakers to a wider audience, the festival facilitates interaction between veteran film personalities and budding filmmakers in an informal manner.

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

Stories in this Section

BYPL consumers may have to pay more for electricity
Controversy over appointment of DU college Principal
Post election triumph BJP goes in for introspection
Greening the minds and much more
Will Sheila continue in her post?
"146.2 million motorised violations daily in Delhi"
Traffic police prosecute 11,523 violators
Of our diversity and foreign traditions
Expressing thoughts through clay
DU graduate, relative held in murder case
NGO launches campaign to make Councillors more accountable
Ansals denied permission to visit Uphaar site
Centre's stand on Master Plan vindicated: Maken
VIMHANS found guilty of negligence
Foundation of institute laid
A correction
Thought for the day
Conspiracy, allege Bhopal gas victims
Indian Music Academy awards presented
Briefly
In the Capital Today

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu