Imphal, October 26 2008: TWENTY SEVEN minute Manipuri documentary film entitled 'Ratan Thyam: The Man of Theatre' directed by Manipur's eminent film maker Oken Amakcham and Nirmala Chanu was among 20 non-feature films selected for this year's Indian Panorama, an annual showcase of Indian films at the 39th International Film Festival of India to be held in Goa from November 22 to December 2, 2008 .

The Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ananda Sharma made an announcement in this regard recently,sources from Manipur Information Centre New Delhi said.

Noted film maker Oken Amakcham's film is produced by the Program Production Centre (North East), Doordarshan Kendra Guwahati and scripted by P Memtombi Devi.

The images of the films were captured by a duo team of Irom Maipak and Radhamohan while R K Lalmani edited it.

Oken who had produced many award winning films in the region is focusing on the production style and aesthetics of the International acclaim theatre personality Ratan Thiyam.

Former Director of National School of Drama, New Delhi Ratan who started his Chorus Repertory Theatre at Shamushang Uku near Imphal in 1976, is a multifaceted personality having his credit as a Manipuri poet, a playwright, a choreographer, a painter and a music composer.

Oken's first filmKhonthang (1992) was selected for Indian Panorama of International Film Festival of India while his second film �Mayophygee Macha (1995) bagged the National Film Award in regional category.

His other films likeAroiba Bidai and Cheina won the best State Film Awards.

Presently, a Board Director of Manipur Film Development Corporation Ltd, Oken Amakcham is also the Secretary of the Cine Artistes and Technicians Association, Manipur, a leading film organization in Manipur.

Among the 25 feature films selected for the Indian Panorama 2008, Joseph Pulinthanath's Kokborok filmYarwng and M Maniram's Assamese filmMon Jai are the films from North Eastern States.

The list of first 20 films is tailed by critically acclaimed mainstream Hindi films like Jodha Akbar, Taare Zameen Par and A Wednesday, a Marathi film "Vaalu" and a Tamil Film "Billa" .

Though there is no mainstream window section this year, however, the final five films of the official list is considered to be serving the purpose.

It is noteworthy that Yarwng (The Roots)made in "Kokborok" language of Tripura will be the opening film of the Indian Panorama Feature Film Section in the International Film Festival of India, Goa.

The newly released Kokborok film from Tripura, Yarwng was awarded the Jury Special Mention award along with the Israeli film 'Foul Gesture' by Tzahi Grad at the 7th Asian Film Festival, which concluded here in Mumbai recently.

Yarwng (Roots), revolved around the theme of developmentsanctioned displacement, got the award for its 'moving and sensible portrayal' of people's journey in search of their roots.

The screening of the newly released Kokborok feature film Yarwng (Roots), at the 7th Asian Film Festival in Mumbai, gave the film buffs of India's cinema capital an opportunity to see life as it happens in rural Tripura.

The Mumbai audience was thrilled to see a film steeped in the cultural ethos of a community in Northeast India an area they have heard so much about, yet had got to see very little of.

The film Director Joseph Pulinthanath is a Malayali Catholic priest, belonging to the Society of Don Bosco called the Salesians.

This is his second work and also, the second full length worked in the language.The first one, 'Mathia' (The Bangle), was screened at IFFI in 2004 .

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