IMPHAL, November 12: Indeed a good news for the film lovers as the Government of Manipur has consented to hold the Sangai Asian Film Festival beginning this year.
The Sangai Asian Film Festival which will be held from November 22 to 29 as a part of the Manipur Sangai Festival 2015 will consist of best of Asian cinema, significant Manipuri classics, current films and non-features.
The organizing committee is planning to show atleast three films a day at MFDC. The timings will be announced shortly.
Convenor of the organizing committee and general secretary of CATA Khoyumthem Brajesh Kumar, speaking to media persons at MFDC today informed that the films under the `Best of Asian Cinema`™ category will expose the people to the rich cultural heritage and traditions of South East Asia at the onset of `Act East Policy` in particular and the trend of contemporary Asian films in general.
He said a package of Best Asian Films will be on the menu during the festival.
He said films from countries like Myanmar, China, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and India will be exhibited during the festival.
The opening film of the festival will be a Myanmarese film `Let Pan` directed by Wyne.
`Significant Manipuri Classics` is to showcase the glorious celluloid classics which are milestones of Manipuri Cinema. Celluloid films will also be shown which will be rare opportunity and an event not to be missed by any film lover,` he further said.
Under the `Current films` category different flavours of contemporary Manipuri cinema popularly known as digital films will be exhibited, he added.
Adding glitter to the festival will be the stars themselves in flesh and blood interacting with film lovers, he informed.
In the `Non features` category, like most things in Manipur, the size of the State or its population has nothing to do with the variety of non-features like documentaries, short films and others the State can bring out.
To know Manipur better, watching its non-features section would help much, he said.
Cinegoers can avail two types of passes, a season pass for the entire festival and or single day passes.
Season passes will be limited and available in advance soon, informed the convenor.
He also informed that CATA had proposed to organize a film festival during the Manipur Sangai Festival 2015 but due to the law and order situation prevalent during the run up of Manipur Sangai Festival 2015, a concrete decision for inclusion of a film festival could not be taken well in advance by the government.
However recognizing the wisdom of having a film festival as a part of the Manipur Sangai festival, the Government of Manipur has consented to institute the Sangai Asian Film Festival beginning this year 2015.
An organizing committee have been formed with the secretary MSFDS as the chairperson and other members drawn from the Film Forum Manipur of which CATA is a constituent and playing an important role have been tasked with the successful organization of the festival, he added.