Academy to promote campus film societies

Deputy Commissioner Subodh Yadav (second from left) and M. S. Gunasheelan, member, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, inaugurating a four-day international flim festival in Mangalore on Sunday.

Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy will promote campus film societies in colleges across the State, according to its member M.S. Gunasheelan.

He told presspersons on the sidelines of the inauguration of a four-day international film festival here on Sunday that it had already promoted such societies in colleges in Bangalore, Kolar, Tumkur and Mysore. Now the academy had planned to reach out to more colleges in other districts.

The academy would arrange DVDs of select films and projectors free of cost to such societies for screening films. At present, it had 100 DVDs in different languages focusing on countries such as China, South Africa, Israel, Romania, Argentina, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Iran, and India. The academy aimed at infusing a taste for watching quality films among youths by supporting such societies. The colleges could approach the academy for its support.

Mr. Gunasheelan said the academy had begun two programmes with titles

Belli Mandala and Belli Sakshi for organising film shows in taluks and districts.

Under these two programmes any organisation or groups of like-minded people, interested in promoting quality films, could come forward to host film festivals in their places.

Along with the shows, the academy would organise interactive programmes with noted film personalities. The academy had held 12 such interactive programmes under the title

Belli Hejje .

Mr. Gunasheelan said the academy would organise a three-month course on screenplay and dialogue writing in Bangalore presently. The date of the commencement of the course had not been finalised. Candidates for the course would be selected on the basis of interviews. Those really interested in cinema could attend the course. Details would be announced through media soon.

The State Government had sanctioned Rs. 1 crore to the academy in this financial year for various activities, he said.

Earlier at the inaugural function, Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada Subodh Yadav said quality films sent positive messages to society beyond entertainment. Such films drew fewer viewers in film festivals when compared to commercial cinema.

National Award-winning filmmaker Abhayasimha said such film festivals were needed as people, invaded by commercial films, had begun forgetting quality films. Many years ago, the country was known for producing quality films, he said.