FTII organises international students' film festival

PUNE: The world is indeed a small place, and the borders would be smudged further when students from 28 film schools across the world gather under one roof at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) for the forthcoming international students' film festival.
To be organised by FTII, the festival will be held from September 24 to 28, featuring films made by film students.
Noted filmmaker, Govind Nihalani will inaugurate the event on September 24 at 6 pm at the FTII's main theatre. It will be followed by diploma films made by FTII students, like Deccan Queen,' Turbulence,' Jugni' and The Solitary Sandpiper.'
"This is the first time FTII has organised such a festival especially for film students from all over the world. It will help us collaborate with film schools in India and abroad," said Pankaj Raj, director of FTII, at a press conference on Friday.
Griffith University, Australia, Le Femis, Paris, Sam Spiegel Film and Television School, Israel, LV Prasad Film and Television Academy, Chennai, University of Film and Television, Munich, Germany, Journalism and Media Studies Centre, University of Hong Kong, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Chapman University, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, Whistling Woods International, Mumbai, Mohammad Amin Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya, Royal School of Art, London, Beijing Film Academy, FAMU, Czech Republic and Concordia University, Montreal, Canada, are some of the film schools participating in the festival.
Screenings will be held from September 25 to 28, 9.30 am onwards, followed by an open forum every evening between the students, filmmakers and the audience.
A symposium, From Film School To Industry,' will be held on September 28 that will comprise the heads of departments from SRFTII, Kolkata, Whistling Woods, FTII, DSK Animation School, and LV Prasad Film and Television Academy, and some faculty members from Australia and USA.
Sent in 35 mm prints, and various digital formats, the screened films will be judged by a panel comprising German film expert, Reinhard Hanff, animation expert, Geetanjali Rao, Sri Lankan filmmaker, Prasanna Vithanage, Indian filmmaker, Ranjan Palit and film editor Beena Paul. The competition carries a total prize money of 1,000 US dollars and a high definition camera.
"The films have been selected in three categories: short fiction, non-fiction and animation. They have been made in 2009 and 2010. The total prize money will be divided between two top winners in each of these categories, who will be announced on September 28," said Gayatri Chatterjee, faculty at FTII and coordinator of the film festival.
The awards function and closing ceremony will be held on September 28 at 12 noon in the presence of veteran filmmaker, Shyam Benegal.