The State capital will soon also become the centre of film studies in Kerala with an International Film Study and Research Centre and Digital Film Archive becoming a reality.
Culture Minister A.K. Balan inaugurated the construction of the ambitious twin-project, being executed under the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy at the Kinfra Film and Video Park, at Kazhakkuttam on Friday. When completed, the International Film Study and Research Centre and the Digital Film Archive will have modern facilities such as research library, digital archives, mini theatre, conference hall, dormitory, office, guest rooms and cafeteria.
Addressing the ceremony, the Culture Minister said the project aimed to preserve the great Indian legacy in cinema. The government, he said, was also focusing on other art forms and would soon begin implementation of projects such as construction of cinemas in all districts in four years, provision of financial assistance to 1,000 young artists, creation of an ‘Art Hub,’ which will be a platform for rural and folk artists and setting up of a permanent venue for traditional and modern theatre performances.
Offering felicitations, Tourism and Cooperation Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the film study centre and the digital archive would mark the fruition of a decade-old dream of cineastes in the city and the State as a whole.
Academy chairman and filmmaker Kamal said the study centre and digital archive would focus on the history and major transformations in cinema and seek to preserve screenplays, books, posters, and research papers in digital format.
Mini-theatres
The mini-theatres proposed to be constructed at the site would be used to screen select films during film festivals. The Academy also proposed to organise film appreciation courses for school and college level students and international conferences on cinema. “We are hoping to host the next edition of the State film awards here,” Mr. Kamal said.
The Culture Minister felicitated veteran actor G.K Pillai, who has completed 61 years in cinema, at the function.
Culture Secretary Rani George, Academy vice-chairperson Beena Paul Venugopal, architect G. Sankar, KINFRA managing director K.A. Santhosh Kumar, Film and Video Park managing director Sooraj Ravindran, Chanthavila ward councillor Bindu S., Kaattayikkonam ward councillor Sindhu Sasi and Academy secretary Mahesh Panju spoke.
Mr. Sankar is the chief architect of the project, which is coming up in a two-acre plot in the Kinfra park taken on 90-year lease.
