Ten short films, each one in a different genre, made ‘Lights Camera Action’ (LCA), a film fest to remember. The event, organised recently by Kumaraguru College of Technology, received more than 100 entries from colleges across the country, including the IITs. Ten of them were short-listed based on concept, script, acting and direction.
First up was Padma Vyuham, a dark saga of gangsters and betrayal. One Mark was bitter-sweet — it spoke of a child (Charan Vikas) whose mother stops talking to him because he fails in every exam. He begs his teacher for that one extra mark so that he can pass and speak to his mother again.
Cop O Phobia addressed the common fear that a lot of civilians possess — fear of cops. It was crisp and effective.
The End by Midhun Gregory from Kerala was about crushed dreams — a boy is forced by his parents to join engineering even as a call letter from a film institute awaits him. He chooses to die.
The most moving was Saalayin Sagadhigal, a harsh look at the life of a hungry, desperate man (Nigin Prajith). Shot using candid camera in Coimbatore, near the Government Hospital, the film spoke about how he chooses to work instead of begging. How he helps a child buy a notebook with his wages and perishes forms the rest of the story.
The other films were Oolam, on the tragic end of a Lankan Tamil girl; Ayudham, about the pressure college students face, 9.15 a.m., a comic take on the office attendance system; My Little Angel, about the benefactor of a little girl who is ill; and Onnukulla Onnu, a hilarious tale of two brothers who swap their souls.
LCA used to be held as part of Live Wire, an event conducted by the electrical and electronics engineering (EEE) department. This year, students from all departments were roped in. Many in the organising committee are short filmmakers themselves, and so, they decided to give away awards, category-wise. Mohamed Ibrahim, organiser, a final year EEE student, said they were amazed by the response to the fest.
Earlier, Vijay Adiraj, in his address, asked students to make films with dedication and heart. He also sounded a note of caution, speaking about distribution hassles and the trouble films face to get a theatrical release.
Awards
Sathees of Park Engineering College won the best director award for Oolam. Nigin Prajith was the popular choice for best actor.
Charan Vikas bagged the best supporting actor. The dark tone of Padma Vyuham won its cinematographer Deeraj Vaidy an award, while Aravindh was awarded for best story for Ayudham.
Midhun Gregory won best screenplay for The End while 9.15 a.m. directed by Arun won the best entertainer award.
In the overall awards, Saalayin Sagadhigal (director: Chibi Chakravarthi) came first, followed by One Mark (director: Srineevash) and My little Angel (director: Ashok). The special jury award went to Onnukulla Onnu. The films were judged by actor-director Vijay Adiraj and Aswathaman Aacharya and Le Bharathi of Panjharaksha Media.
A grandmother’s story
The heart-warming Kuttimaa, directed by Ganesh Kumar Mohan (of Oorukku Naalu Per fame), was screened for the audience. The poignant tale of the bond between a boy (Yeskay Durai) and his grandmother (K.R. Rangamma), over the years, was a laugh riot. But, during the climax, many were left misty-eyed. After watching it, Vijay Adiraj promised Ganesh a bigger platform. The 40-minute film was not part of the competition, and this was its third screening after being shown at IIT Saarang and AVM, Chennai. The film, made on a budget of Rs. 5 lakh, was shot in Coimbatore, Tiruchi and Bangalore. Now, Ganesh is looking to translate the idea into a full-length feature film.
