Govt focussing on showcasing films from NE: official

Government is focussing on showcasing films from the northeast to encourage film production in this region, a senior Information and Broadcasting Ministry official today said.
I&B Secretary Bimal Julka said the forthcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will have a special section on the northeast to expose the feature and non-feature films made in Meghalaya.
He was speaking at the third edition of Indian Panorama Film Festival at U Soso Tham auditorium here with the screening of award winning Marathi film 'Dr. Prakash Baba Amte: the Real Hero' directed by Samruddhi Porey.
Chief Minister of Meghalaya Mukul Sangma, State's Information and Public Relations Minister A L Hek and a host of film personalities were present at the event, an official statement said.

Julka further said a North East Film Festival was held in New Delhi recently which attracted a large audience and added there had been a separate section on northeastern films in the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa.
He said a number of short non-feature films from the Northeast have received National Awards.

In order to encourage talent, the Films Division of the Ministry of I&B ministry has implemented a special component under a Plan Scheme for production of short films from the North East, he said, adding that during the last five years, the Films Division has commissioned 54 films from the North East.

Julka also said that in the period 2014-2015, a week-long film making workshop was also organised in Aizawl in Mizoram and another workshop is currently being conducted in Silchar in Assam.
Films Division plans to conduct four such film making workshops every year in the Northeast, Julka said as per the statement.