‘Encouraging to note emergence of talented Naga filmmakers’

3-Day Campus Festival premieres at Patkai Christian College  

Morung Express News 
Patkai | November 2

The scenario of film industry in Nagaland is still at a nascent stage; however, it is very encouraging to note the emergence of many talented Naga filmmakers, noted Lolano Patton, the District Public Relation Officer (DPRO) Dimapur, Niuland and Chümoukedima on Tuesday.

The documentaries and short feature films of those filmmakers are being noticed across the globe, she said, addressing the inaugural session of the ‘3-Day Campus Festival 2.0’ which ‘premiered’ here today at the Patkai Christian College (Autonomous), as a special guest. 

Under the theme, ‘Exploring the World of Cinematic Realism,’ the festival is being organised by the 3rd Year students of the PCC’s Department of Multimedia and Mass Communication (DMMC) in collaboration with the Film Association of Nagaland. 

Patton further noted that cinema is an extremely powerful medium as it reaches to a wider audience and films which have an element of social messages would have more powerful connection with the audience and can be impetus for social change.

Accordingly, she opined that there many interesting stories about Nagaland that are worth narrating and impressed upon the upcoming filmmakers and the students for exploring the ‘unexplored Nagaland.’

This can be done by focusing on rich Naga culture and traditions, closely-knitted strong community bonding, community fishing and other activities, harvesting and so on, she highlighted. 

Such stories would have cinematic realism with a touch of creativity and proper research, she added. 

“We are sitting on nature’s lap with abundant beauty and cultural diversity and for which people even from abroad are coming to Nagaland to film stories because they are confident to get unique stories,” the DPRO informed. 

To capitalise on the keen interests shown by the younger generation towards filmmaking, she also informed that Department of Information and Public Relations has been the nodal department for Films for Nagaland and has also organised 3 Film festivals since 2018.

However, it is not the funding agency as far as film industry is concern, but just the facilitating department, she clarified. 
At times the department promotes the local film makers in a small way by rolling out commissioned programs, she added.

Opportunity to reflect and think 
Meanwhile, the other special guest of the festival Metevinuo Sakhrie, Joint Director, IEC, Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) noted that a film festival is a great platform to enjoy  not only the art of story-telling but also on opportunity to reflect and think about important issues and concerns.

She further informed that the NSACS under the aegis of the National AIDS Control Organisation has been organising the online short film competition among the youth of Nagaland state for 3 consecutive years, since 2020, under the theme, ‘Knowledge is Bliss.’ 

The key objective the competition is to use the power of audio-visual medium blended with the creativity of young minds to spread awareness about HIV and AIDS, Sakhrie said, adding that it is also intended at initiating public dialogue about the threats from HIV and unsafe sexual practices.

We at NSACS are very happy that students of the PCC’s DMMC had actively participated and won in various categories in all the 3 editions of the competition,” she added. 

Over the 3-year period, we have seen brilliant and innovative entries from across the State and it is so heartening to see young people coming forward and coming up with innovative ways to address such concerns through the art of filmmaking openly, she reflected. 

In her exhortation, PCC Vice-Principal, Angel Sonari said that Patkai’s youngest ‘child’ –DMMC, has become one of the most dynamic and vibrant departments within a short period and lauded the faculty and students.

However, she noted that the dynamism reflected may also arises from the fact that the area of study itself is a rapidly evolving medium, and demands such energy, by default. 

“In short, you are in a creative field, where the old saying ‘the only constant in life is change’ is most suited, and professionalism and upgradation of skills and know-how become indispensable traits,” she said.

As you will be competing with the best in the field, these two qualities you should strive for and cultivate early on to keep your passion interesting and stay relevant, she advised. “It also mandates a hunger for learning, unlearning and re-learning, and developing strong communication skills.” 

Meanwhile, Sonari also stressed that as Journalism is said to be “first rough draft of history,” each student has the essential moral responsibility to record the same boldly and ethically – with integrity, unbiasedness and verification as the guiding principles and with a conviction that it is service worth doing for society and democracy. 

Telling stories of day-to-day life 
Introducing the 3-day event, Festival Director, Yanphantsu T Kikon informed that the theme, ‘Exploring the World of Cinematic Realism’ to look into how cinema has over the years built a strong hold on recreating the minute details of everyday life and presenting it to the world.

“Through this festival, we want to explore the impact and use of films as a medium of telling stories of day-to-day life and understand the concept of reality as a reflection of the lives we live,” he noted. 

It is also to question the possibility of reality as an art and infer reality to be an artistic medium, either in writing, photography, or films, he added. 

Kikon said that over the next 3-days, there will be screening of 20 films mostly from North-East film makers including some award-winning films. 

The Film Association of Nagaland has helped us curate them, he added. He also acknowledged the guidance of department faculty and teamwork of the students in making the festival possible.

The 3-day festival was officially declared opened by Sakhrie at the end of the inaugural session. 

A preview of some films/documentaries scheduled for screening 

The 2nd edition of 3-Day Campus Festival at Patkai Christian College kicked-off on November 1 with a film quite topical to Nagaland, titled “Look At The Sky.”

The film narrates the story of a man who was outcast by his village for not supporting the village candidate in the election. It is a story of courage and standing up for rights and how such actions can leave lasting imprint.

The Morung Express presents a preview of some films/documentaries from the North-East scheduled for screening in the next two days.  

FOREVERAND ALWAYS 
(Duration 8:26 mts) Wednesday – 5:36 pm
Based on a true story of a family whose lives take different turn during the pandemic. Even in the oddest of times, the story tells how the outlook towards life keeps one going.

LONGRA 
(Duration 27:07) Wednesday –6:11 pm
Jhum or shifting cultivation has been an integral part of the Naga way of living, now considered environmentally, non-viable. In 2010, Longra a small progressive village of the Chang tribe in Tuensang district, Nagaland decided to walk a different path…

UP DOWN & SIDEWAYS 
(Duration 1h 23m) Thursday- 3:00 pm
An extraordinary musical portraits rice cultivator in Phek. It takes the viewers through the joy and bond created working together in the fields and captures the link between music, community and food production.

ACHOUBI IN LOVE 
(Duration 29:15 mts) Thursday- 5:00 pm  
The story of Achoubi and her love for the threatened Manipur ponis. She fights passionately to save their endangered. beings from extinction. She finds extraordinary strength and happiness from being with them and caring for them, creating an incredible universe of affection and kindness for animals.

MIZO SOUNDSCAPES 
(Duration-22:09mts) Thursday- 6:37 pm
A meta-narrative of Mizoram through sound and a simultaneous grand-narrative of Khuang.

Source: https://morungexpress.com/encouraging-to-note-emergence-of-talented-naga-filmmakers