“Vijayawada has always been cultural and fine arts capital of Andhra Pradesh. People here have cinema in their blood,” said Telugu film director V.N. Aditya.
Addressing students of Visual Communication courses at Gran Kinos, a three-day film festival organised by the Visual Communication & Animation department of Andhra Loyola College (ALC) on its premises, the film director pointed to the fact that the first permanent Telugu cinema theatre was constructed in the city. The inaugural session of the film festival, the first ever such event organised in the bifurcated Andhra Pradesh, saw turnout of a good number of film personalities. Nikhil Siddhartha and Tridha Choudhury, the star cast of upcoming Telugu film Surya vs Surya, were part of the inaugural session. Addressing the budding artistes, Mr. Nikhil said such festivals serve as wonderful platforms for those learning the nitty-gritty of the art. Moreover, it gives the much-needed exposure to pursuers of courses that deal with various aspects of film-making.
Ms. Choudhury said it was wonderful to attend a festival like this on the eve of the release of her own film. Earlier, she had been part of such events as a student, she recalled.
Young song writer Rakendu Mouli who will be soon seen in the film Moodu Mukkalalo Cheppalante, said if a film was made with honesty it was bound to be a hit because the honesty reflects through the work.
Bollywood cinematographer Mohana Krishna threw light on the nuances of the art of cinematography.
In the evening, the participants relished a sumptuous supper sitting around a campfire on the premises of Kaladarsini, the art and cultural wing of the ALC.
