3rd Sangai International Film Festival kicks off

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Nov 25

The 3rd Sangai International Film Festival was today inaugurated by art and culture minister, L. Jayantakumar Singh at MSFDS auditorium, Palace gate. It was organised by Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) in association with Film Forum Manipur.

Inaugurating the function, Jayantakumar said that state Cine Policy, which is an awaited policy for the film fraternity, will be released after Sangai Festival.

A draft policy was earlier uploaded in the art and culture website called The Manipur State Cine Policy, 2016. It stated cinema as a creative economy which would be a combination of industry and business with culture.

He also said that to make proper use of MSFDS Hall, movies or other film related things will be held every Saturdays and Sundays. He stressed that earlier there were Usha Cinema Hall, Imphal Talkies and other places where people used to go for recreation and leisure. Such lifestyle can be revived again as the situation in the state is better state now, he stated.

He urged the film makers of the state to learn as much as they can from the international film festival. “There are many ideas that can be learnt such as common cultural ingredient, their outlook, and their viewpoints and so on,” he pointed out. 

Commissioner of art and culture, M. Lakshmikumar presided over the inaugural function which was also attended by film fraternity and movie lovers.

An Iran film “Two legged Horse” directed by Samira Makhmalbaf opened the film festival. The movie is a 2009 film and revolves around a poor boy that was hired by a wealthy father to carry around his son. The relationship with the two boys and the poor boys’ skills of running was the attracting points of the film.