Imphal: The New Hotspot for Films

Better known for the beauty of its mountains, valleys and lakes, Manipur is fast gaining the reputation of a state that also makes beautiful films. If the buzz being created around the second Imphal International Short Film Festival (IISFF) to be held from March 24-28 is anything to go by, Manipur will soon become as much a destination for filmmakers as it is for tourists.

The Highlights

Being the centenary year of Indian cinema, the IISFF like many other film festivals this year, will be honouring and celebrating Indian cinema. While the event is running in its second year, the first one saw audiences enjoying short films from Spain, Italy, Iran, Poland as well as regional Indian films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi. Its promoters, Legend Studio Manipur and Action for Social Advancement, are eager to make this event yet another success. The theme for this year’s festival is “The Bigger Picture” and the event is expected to see participation of over 100 short films from across the globe including countries like UK, USA, Russia, France, Italy, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, besides domestic films showcasing young, upcoming and established talent. The five-day event will conclude with an awards ceremony where prizes will be awarded in nearly 18 categories including the Best Short Film, Best Director and Best Documentary.

The Characters

The IISFF is a platform for all Indian and International filmmakers to showcase short films (up to 30 minutes) produced between January 2011 and January 2013. The themes for these films can vary from social issues and public service messages to matters of love; horror films are also welcome as are those that are based on some kind of social, creative or dramatic experimentation. Keeping in mind the wide and varied audience present at the film festival, all films will contain English subtitles and those in Hindi will be dubbed.  The festival will also see the presence of several well-known faces from the film industry. At the first Imphal International Short Film Festival, films of the likes of Ashish Pandey’s Open Doors, Ram J Saravana’s Brian’s Gandhi, and Iranian film The Barefoot Leader by Zohreh Zamani, were screened. As Manipuri filmmaker and Festival Director Mohen Naorem states, “this film festival will bring the best in international short films to an Indian audience. The film festival is a great draw for upcoming short film and documentary filmmakers, students of film institutes, as well as filmmakers with a cause, who will find their work appreciated by a wide and discerning audience.”

Visiting Manipur and the Northeast

Touted as the biggest event in northeastern India, the IISFF could well be your gateway to the glorious, pristine and untouched beauty of the Seven Sisters. Visitors can choose to enjoy a longer tour of the northeast, visiting its many delightful regions and experiencing the rich cultural and natural heritage of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura in general or explore in depth the state of Manipur. Manipur has a lot to offer to an interested traveller: from beautiful mountains and rolling hills, to pious temples, wildlife sanctuaries and lakes, war cemeteries and crowded bazaars laden will local goods, handicrafts and produce. It could well be an experience of a lifetime.

Get ready for all the light, camera and action and make your bookings to Manipur today!