A first: Film by HPU students screened

SHIMLA: It was a red letter day for film education and production as a short film “Peccant Pie and R-square”, produced by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Himachal Pradesh University, was premiered on the first day of the second International Film Festival of Shimla which began here today.

Bollywood actor Sanjay Mishra at the screening of his upcoming movie 'Brina' in Shimla on Saturday. Photo: Amit Kanwar

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 1

It was a red letter day for film education and production as a short film “Peccant Pie and R-square”, produced by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Himachal Pradesh University, was premiered on the first day of the second International Film Festival of Shimla which began here today.

It is the first educational institute-produced film from the state to enter any festival. The 10-minute short film on “iPhone 4s” gives a message that a mistake, if not timely corrected, could lead to blunder. The film will be followed with the release of a music video ‘Harbele Pyarua’, written, composed and produced by students of the department.

The students have now made a toe-hold in the world of film-making and with the exposure through the film festival, they’ll surely be motivated to make bigger and better films, opined Chairman of the department Dr Vikas Dogra.

Inaugurating the festival, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the festival would certainly place Shimla on the International Film Festival circuit and supported screening of art films, carrying social message for society over commercial movies.

He said short films and documentaries based on socio-economic aspects and on life and struggle of common man, besides other real issues like environment etc, helped promote independent cinema and provide good platform to independent film makers.

As many as 62 films, including 15 films of Himachali producers, will be shown during the two-day festival. The festival is being organised by the Himalayan Velocity in collaboration with the Department of Language & Culture and the Department of Journalism & Mass Communication, HPU, the Himachal Tourism as co-organisers.

Dev Kanya, a local film director and producer briefed about the festival and other aspects of the documentaries, short films and animations to be screened during the festival. Her film “The Reddening Tree” based on women issues and minorities will also be screened tomorrow.