The first Mizoram International Documentary Film Festival was inaugurated by Information and Public Relations Minister Lalruatkima yesterday in Aizawl. The three-day festival is being organised by the Films Division, Government of India, and the Information and Public Relations Department of Mizoram.
The three-day film festival will screen 20 award-winning documentaries. Veteran filmmakers such as Gautam Bora and Paban Haobam Kumar will be conducting master classes in the art of documentary filmmaking. Mass communication students from Mizoram University and IIMC, Aizawl, will be attending all the three days of the festival and the master classes.
Highlighting the importance of documentary films, Lalruatkima said that they have gained importance due to the role they play in shaping public opinion on a variety of issues. ‘Documentaries are powerful tools in educating the public on issues and events, and they help mould public perceptions. Cinema transforms lives and connects cultures across the world.’
During the inauguration, Films Division Director, V Packirisamy, highlighted the role and importance of Films Division in the promotion of documentary filmmaking since its inception in 1948. He pointed out that the region has a lot of talent and it is important for them to tell their stories in their own perspectives. The ongoing Yamagata Film Festival in Japan, which has added North Eastern Cinema for the first time by screening 13 films, speaks about the talent of filmmakers from the Northeast, he added.
