Five days course by FTII started at PU

Chandigarh, February 6, 2019: The five-day film appreciation course being conducted by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune in collaboration with the Department of English and Cultural Studies, Panjab University Chandigarh, commenced here today. The course was inaugurated by Shri Bhupendra Kainthola, Director of the FTII, Shri Pankaj Saxena and Shri Munish Bhardwaj, film directors who are also instructors for the course. This short course is being conducted under the banner of FTII's nationwide outreach initiative of Skill Development. Although the faculty and students of the Department of English and Cultural Studies have been variously involved in the field of film studies, this time FTII is conducting this five-day course, which is designed by film maker-instructors through their own style and experience. To invite filmmakers to discuss about films is different from how academics and researchers approach and study Cinema, so it would offer a varied perspective to the participants, who are more than 80 in number, including students, faculty, teachers and professionals from across the tri-city and also other parts of the region. Shri Pankaj Saxena, Course Director, film maker, TV programmer and film academic based in New Delhi, has served at Discovery Channel, BBC Worldwide Channels and Lok Sabha Television. Shri Munish Bhardwaj is the additional faculty who has worked with several well known filmmakers of the country. Shri Bhupendra Kainthola, FTII Director addressed the participants. He is an Indian Information Service Officer who has held the charge of Additional Director General with DD News in New Delhi and Directorate of Film Festivals as Director of National Film Awards and Indian Panorama. Mr. Kainthola talked of different courses which FTII offers and the need to give opportunity to larger public as all the students cannot get enrolled in the FTII, where only a few get selected. He also told students about 10 day course on making films with smart phones. As recently smart phone film making course was conducted in Jammu, Nagpur and such places. According to him once you learn the craft then there is no limit. And with technology and digitalization filmmaking had become more democratic. While responding about admission in Summer FA course he talked about encouraging women candidates, North Indian and students from Jammu and Kashmir. Professor Deepti Gupta, Chairperson of the department has initiated this collaboration between PU and FTII, Pune.