Bengaluru: Big cities in India have their fill of international film festivals and cinema has emerged also as an agent of culture. However, a greater focus on regional and mini festivals, as well as taking these events to towns and rural areas is the need of the hour, said filmmakers, in an open forum on the role of film festivals in promoting film culture.
"Mini festivals help students and younger people from small towns to watch and interact with international cinema. During Association of Kannada Kootas of America (AKKA), we conducted a film festival in which the movies screened were shot on mobile phone cameras. The content and quality of these films were great," says KCA Chairman Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar. He added that cinema is a symbol of freedom, creativity and expression and it's high time we cultivate film festivals in smaller cities, especially for students and the youth. He emphasised the importance of seeking local help to organise mini film festivals in smaller towns.
Indonesian filmmaker Ravi Bharwani feels that most films shot in regional languages go only to the immediate community, which needs to be changed. This is where festivals play a role in bringing local films to larger platforms. Experts agree that festivals should encourage the audience to watch a variety of cinema as commercial movies have a much narrower range of focus.
