No kidding: Meet young Hiranis

CHANDIGARH: A clutch of students from city schools were more interested in making films than watching Spiderman or Krrish swing from one building to another on the silver screen. What's more, these young directors focused on themes and concepts that Bollywood top shots avoid touching even with a barge pole - heritage and culture.
Students from seven schools tried their hands on filmmaking for the first time, with their creations screened as part of the FilmIt Film festival organized by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach) and Heritage Education and Communication Service.
Nearly 35 films were scripted, directed and produced by students of classes VI to X in last six months. Fourteen films were stated to be the best and acknowledged under different categories like best screenplay, best film with a message and so on. The festival was organized in the auditorium of St Kabir Public School in Sector 26.
Each student was given the necessary equipment and trained on each aspect of filmmaking.
UT adviser Vijay Kumar Dev, while addressing a gathering of students at the FilmIt Film Festival, announced an initiative to start a free ride for schoolkids which would include sightseeing of Chandigarh architecture.
What Is FilmIt
FilmIt is a multi-cultural project that helps students to make short films on their city heritage. These films on culture are then shared with students in the UK. The project is funded by the Helen Hamlyn Trust UK and is a part of Open Futures Filmit programme.
Film | Ek Ravan (Best Direction and Actor)
The film shows how evil develops and how one overcomes it. The message in the end is that celebrate life, exit with contentment
Team | Samar Virdi, Shaurya Thakur, Ashley Arora
School | Vivek High School
Other winning films | Phulkari, a mirror of Punjabi culture and heritage (Best Visuals)
Film | Beloved Heirlooms (Best Original Story)
The film shows how in Indian traditions there is a custom of passing on clothes or jewellery from one generation to the other and so on, like a mother-in-law passes on a saree given to her by her mother-in-law to her daughter-in-law
Team | Krishna, Arvind Kumar Kashyap, Sahiba
School | Vatsal Chaya
Film | Aum Prabhat (Best Original Story)
The film focuses on the origin and meaning of the symbol, "Aum". The film shows images of the "Aum Parvat", from where Aum originated.
Team | Ribhav Thakur, Chiraag Thakur
School | St John's High School
Film | Tower of Shadows
The film focuses on the Capitol Complex as it is the least visited and known place. The students wanted to highlight the site as it will soon be made open to public
Team | Naman Kalra, Jasnoor Ranauta, Varunesh Sharma, Anirudh Garg, Anandita Kalia
School | Saupins School
Other winning films | Solar Energy (Best Film With A Message)
Film | Khadi - Our Traditional Fabric (Best Interactive Film)
The film shows the process of khadi making, which is not known to youngsters. The film also talks about the origin of khadi and its importance
Team | Prerna Thakur, Ashita Bansal, Shreya Sharma (All in Class VIII)
School | Bhavan Vidalaya, Chandigarh
Other winning films | Cactus Garden (Best Narration)
Film | Old Is Gold (Best Screenplay)
The film focuses on old people living in old age homes. The film highlights the conditions that brought them there and their life in the old age home
Team | Chirag K Singhal, Arjan Singh Bhandari
School | St Kabir School
Other winning films | Sukhomajri (Best Pro-active film), Vintage Cars (Best Direction and Film)
Film | Every Drop Counts (Best Pro-active Story)
The film talks about saving water bodies. Students have shown how water bodies are being polluted and how this can be prevented and the impact it will have
Team | Bilawal Singh Deu, Ikraj Singh Bajwa
School | Strawberry Fields School
Other winning films | Saving Trapped Wild Leopard (Best Film), The Pup We Adopted (Best Film With A Heart)