By Chitra Ahanthem
IMPHAL, October 7: Catching up with Akee Sorokhaibam, 29 proves to be difficult. His inclusion in the list of Film Fellows for the third edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) of Himachal Pradesh (October 30-November 2) means being caught in a mad rush of travel plans currently.
Akee along with other selected fellows from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh will now head for Dharamshala where there will be opportunities to participate in its various events that include screenings of the best contemporary independent cinema, and master classes and workshops held by visiting filmmakers and industry professionals.
Not only this, the Film Fellows will be able to attend special mentorship sessions with the jury and attend film making sessions in the DIFF which is a non-profit undertaking presented by White Crane Arts & Media Trust.
Over a flurry of online and phone exchanges with IFP, Akee traces his journey into the world of film making. Hailing from Wangjing Sorokhaibam Leikai but staying at Langol Housing Complex, Akee studied for his Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Philosophy from University of Delhi (2003-06), and eventually came back to the State and working with National Film award winning film maker Makhonmani Mongsaba. `He is my teacher and guide,` he says of Makhonmani who encouraged him to keep applying for the Film Appreciation Course held at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune in 2008. `My first application in 2007 was turned down and I was not too sure about myself,` Akee says. This, despite having being part of various TV programs commissioned by Doordarshan. He laughs with fondness over how he had to once dress up as `Bir Tikendrajit`™ for a TV serial of the same name for a scene where the actor playing the role did not turn up
for the shooting schedule!
Asked how his love for films developed, Akee laughs yet again and tells IFP that his uncle had a video parlour and watching films was just part of growing up. But to get back to his film career graph, Akee points out how the one-month film appreciation course at FTII was the best thing to have happened to him. `The range of films we got to watch and the discussions following the screenings was what I enjoyed the most,` says Akee. After the course, he ended up as Promo Editor/Producer at ET Now in Mumbai till 2010 when he came back to Manipur for good.
Answering what challenges young film makers face today in the State, Akee is quick to point out that most producers want to play safe with young film makers and not so established names in the film making world. `I want to make a full fledged feature film one day but with lack of finances, I have only made shorts and dabbled with music videos,` he says. Akee`™s short `Alternative Dancer` in collaboration with two young professionals from the state, contemporary dancer Surjit Nongmeikapam and Senjam Hemjit, a Bboy and fusion dance choreographer was officially selected in competition section of the `4th Siliguri International Short and Documentary Film Festival, 2014`™ and `Alpaviram South Asian Short and Documentary Film Festival, 2014`™ at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
For now, Akee`™s attention is on the Dharamshala International Film Festival where there will be films covering a wide range of film-makers telling their stories.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2014/10/producers-play-safe-with-young-film-makers-akee-sorokhaibam/
The Ebola scare has now hitting India. A Japanese tourist in Manipur is suspected to have Ebola-like symptoms.