In the advent of modern technology, the relevance of short-film making is gaining ground among amateurs and professionals, who are using mobile application such as WhatsApp and other social media forums like YouTube and Facebook liberally to showcase their creativity, Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad said here on Friday.
Inaugurating a five-day Telugu short film festival organised by Joshua Cultural Academy commemorating the birth anniversary of legendary writer Gurram Jashua at M.B. Vignana Kendram, Mr. Prasad said films and television were taking a backseat while short films were gaining prominence in a smartphone-driven society.
“In just a short span of time, the maker is able to express his views in a film. Many amateurs are using the forum to bring forward the anomalies in society in their five-minute film and also the laxity of the bureaucracy and political parties,” he pointed out. The Deputy Speaker said the government should encourage short film makers and should come out with a State-sponsored award such as Nandi given to films and theatre.
Mr. Prasad lauded the veteran film actor L.B. Sriram, who is presently making many short films on human values and social issues. “Cheap and sleazy films are also made and one should learn to ignore them,” he said.
Joshua Cultural Academy spokesperson Kavi sought government support in the promotion of the short film culture in Andhra Pradesh and underlined the importance of funding. “Short films are made without anticipating any profit and the maker incurs huge expenditure which runs into lakhs of rupees. The government should pitch in here and help him out,” he said.
He also sought the première theatres in various cities like Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and Tirupati to help short film makers to screen their films. “The makers are incurring huge expenditure for screening their films. These première theatres can come to their rescue,” he added.
Films ‘ Maa Nanna ’, ‘ Bhikshagallallo Mahanubhavudu , “ Swachh Bharat ’ and ‘ Gnapakam ’ were screened. About 50 films will be screened for five days till September 27 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Former MLC M.V.S. Sarma, journalist and Kendra Sahiti award winner Pingali Chaitanya, and physician Makineni Kiran were the guests of honour.
