Mysuru: The 6th National Level Short Film Festival ‘Cinerama – 2024,’ organized by the Department of Visual Communication, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Mysuru Campus, concluded on 17th February 2024. Renowned Music Director and Singer Gurukiran, and Popular Actor ‘Lovely Star’ Prem were the Chief Guests at the valedictory function and gave away the awards to the winners of various categories.
During his speech, Gurukiran emphasized the unparalleled demand that the cine industry experiences, asserting that no other industry can rival its unique position. He said that immersing oneself in the production team is the key to truly understanding and appreciating the resilience of the cine industry, as it provides invaluable firsthand experience. Gurukiran conveyed that the dynamic nature of the film industry, coupled with the demand it commands, ensures its perpetual vitality, making it a field where individuals can gain profound insights by actively participating in production endeavors.
‘Lovely Star’ Mr. Prem, another guest, expressed that the Kannada film industry actively seeks numerous actors and technicians. In the past, individuals had to actively search for directors, but nowadays, directors are readily approaching those with genuine talent. He also encouraged the audience to exclusively experience films in theaters rather than on mobile phones.
Students from Amrita enchanted the audience with their extraordinary dance performance. Towards the end of the dance, celebrity guests joined in and danced along with the students. In addition to this, singer Gurukiran performed a song titled “Amma.. Ninnee Januma..,” evoking emotional responses from the audience.
The festival featured a screening of the top shortlisted films, which garnered an overwhelming response from budding filmmakers across various states of the country, with around 100 entries from different institutions and universities. Prizes for the participants included certificates, mementos, and cash awards worth over 1 lakh rupees.
Besides the competition, the festival comprised workshops and interactions with eminent resource persons from the cinema industry. Sessions on film editing, “Selected Takes” by Appu N. Bhattathiri, Film Editor, and Director, as well as content acquisition on OTT platforms, and career scope in nonfiction entertainment, “Tales Over the Top” by Swati Sapna, Manager – Original Non-Fiction Programming at Netflix India, were organized.
Prof. Shekar Babu, Associate Dean; Prof. G. Ravindranath, Principal; Br. Anantaananda Chaitanya, Director, Amrita Mysuru; Br. Muktidamrta Chaitanya, Correspondent, Amrita Mysuru; Dr. Moulya Baladi, Chairperson, Department of Visual Communication, and others were present on the occasion.
Award Winners:
Best Short Film – FIRST place: Parag Sawant – Pankhol (Marati)
Best Short Film – SECOND place: Prem Kumar R – Karpi (Tamil)
Best Short Film – THIRD place: Ananthu Ramesh, Dwayam (Malayalam)
Best Titles (Special Category Awards):
Best Editor – Pradip Patil – Pankhol (Marati)
Best Director – Ananthu Ramesh – Dwayam (Malayalam)
Best Cinematographer – Parag Sawant – Pankhol (Marati)
Best Performer – Banupriya, Karpi (Tamil)
Best Screenplay – Mr. Vignesh Paramashivam – Thunai (Tamil)
Separate categories of Amrita Awards were presented to the students of the Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Mysuru Campus to encourage and maintain the spirit of filmmaking.