Seven films by FTII students selected for screening at IFFI

Seven films by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) students, have been selected for the Student Film Package, and will be screened during the forthcoming 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) scheduled from November 20 to 30 at Panaji.

Sandhya Sundaram, the director of Do Re Mi Fa, which is on three women

The films are Firdous (Director: Tushar More), Dwand (Dir: Abhilash Vijayan), W:/M: (Dir: Abhishek Varma), Vivar (Dir: Suyesh Barve), Thutse Kyuma (Dir. Karma Takapa), Do Re Mi Fa (Dir: Sandhya Sundaram), After Dark (Dir: Prateek Vats). mid-day spoke to some of the directors about their experiences while doing the films and participating in the international festival.

Abhilash Vijayan directed Dwand on a barber who has to deal with a soldier who has come to him after losing a war

Tushar More, (28), said, "I'm really excited that my movie has been selected for the festival. Directing a movie has been a different experience. Seeing what is written is a totally different experience from shooting it with a camera. It was very nice and I learned a lot from it." His film, Firdous is an 11-minute film on Jammu and Kashmir and the emotions of the people there.

Tushar More directed Firdous, which is based on Jammu and Kashmir and the emotions of the people there

Sandhya Sundaram (26) said, "I am very excited and happy to be part of the IFFI festival. It was a great experience directing the movie. The movie is on three women and the conversation between them. It was challenging as you have to convince the actors to do what you want."

Abhishek Varma

Six of these films are second-year projects of the Film Direction students, while After Dark was the product of diploma students of acting. Dwand (Dir: Abhilash Vijayan) has won the award for Best Short Film in the Ladakh International Film Festival 2013 and also got the Best Cinematography Award (Sahil Bhardwaj, Cinematographer) in the 13th International Student Film Festival Písek 2013 in the Czech Republic. Firdous (Dir. Tushar More) won Best Cinematography Award in the Kodak India Film School Competition 2013.

Abhilash Vijayan (33) said, "I am feeling great about directing the movie. It is on a barber who has to talk to a soldier who has come to him after losing a war." Abhishek Varma (above), director of W:/M:, which means women and men said, "It is really great that the movie has been selected for IFFI. It is the story of a man and a woman who stay separated by just one wall."

It is equally interesting to note that the opening film of Indian Panorama (Non fiction) The Last Adieu has also been directed by a former student, Shabnam Sukhdev, who is working as adviser, Outreach initiatives at the institute. The students' films will be shown on November 22 at 3.00 pm at Maquinez Palace-II and also on November 27 at 9.30 am in Maquinez Palace-I.