Short films and feature films are as different as short stories and novels and hence should not be compared on the same level, said award-winning Marathi filmmaker Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni. He was speaking after inaugurating the first Lohitadas National Short Film Festival at Maharaja’s College in Kochi on Friday. Chandrahasan Vaduthala, District Information Officer, presided. Poet S. Ramesan Nair delivered the keynote address.
Filmmaker V.K. Subhash, whose film has been nominated in the Cannes Film Festival, released the festival book by handing over a copy to former MLA C.M. Dinesh Mani. The Maharaja’s College Youth Theatre is organising the festival in association with the Information and Public Relations Department. Nearly 150 short films in different languages will be screened at Maharaja’s College auditorium, seminar hall, Ernakulam Public Library and Children’s Park Theatre during the three-day festival.
Chayya , the film by Mr. Subhash that was selected for Cannes, was screened at the inaugural session. Mr. Kulkarni and Mr. Subhash, along with Latha Rajeev and Geetha Mathan will be the jury for selecting the winning films here. As part of the festival, the Old Students Association of the college will organise a commemorative session on Lohithadas on Sunday.
