Imphal: After a hiatus, yearlong Golden Jubilee Celebration of Manipuri Cinema, which began on April 13 last year, is back on its groove with the kicking off of the 6-day “Cinematography Lab” at Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) auditorium, Palace Compound here Saturday.
Due to the Covid 19 pandemic situation, the celebration had to be put on hold for some time. The Cinematography Lab aims at upscaling skills of cinematographers, which will be focused particularly on the essence of light and shadows.
On the first day of the workshop, acclaimed cinematographer and filmmaker, Mazhar Kamran, of the ‘Satya’ and ‘Mohandas’ fame, briefly shared his cinematic journey. He emphasised that cinematography in film art is a teamwork, adding that close coordination within the team is essential.
Further, Mazhar pointed out that the workshop will be more of an interactive format, with wholesome participation of all the participants. “It is not going to be a rigid classroom setting. The more the interaction – the more the workshop will be fruitful. And I will be sharing my experiences as much as I can”, he added.
Nilotpal Majumdar, director of the Manipur State Film and Television Institute, is the key facilitator of the workshop. He said, “The workshop was planned two years back. But the pandemic has been a big hurdle in realising it. I am glad that today we are able to make it happen.” Nilotpal urged the participants to take maximum benefit out of the workshop.
Sunzu Bachaspatimayum, secretary of the Manipur State Film Development Society, who also spoke on the occasion, specifically mentioned that language should not be a barrier in the workshop. “We should feel free to share in our own native languages. The organisers will take care in that aspect for a free flow of communication,” he said.
The technical session and hands-on training for the workshop will commence from Sunday morning. Besides the Cinematography Lab, the MSFDS will organise “Edit Lab; Building narratives: shot by shot” from April 4-8, 2022 as part of the yearlong festival. FTII alumnus Pankaj Rishi Kumar will be the resource person of the Edit Lab.
It may be mentioned that the winding up of the Golden Jubilee celebration will witness the ‘1st Eikhoigi Imphal International Film Festival’ as one of the main attractions of the year-long celebration of Manipuri cinema. The festival is scheduled from April 2 – 6. Internationally acclaimed short, documentary and fiction films will be screened during the festival.
