Imphal, July 21 2010: Feature films of manipur being produced in digital format have been granted the right to vie for National Film Awards as well as participate in indian Panorama events.

An approval letter signed by the Additional Director General of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (IB) MS Khan on July 6 has been received by the Chairman of Film Forum Manipur W Lalitkumar today, said a Forum source.

MS Khan is also the Director of Film Festival of India.

The source informed that after going through the details, a two member expert committee of the IB Ministry recently recommended entry of Manipuri Digital Feature Films for National Film Awards and a place for the international Film Festival of India (Indian Panorama) .

With regard to the National Film Award it is said that an earlier panel headed by noted film maker Shyam Benegal had already forwarded a report to the Ministry favouring entry of digital feature films of the State.

While confirming the Ministry's approval to some newspersons at the Shankar Talkies office of the Forum today, Lalitkumar maintained that the Director (Film Festival) was on January 5 (2010) formally approached to justify as to why short films and documentary productions of Manipur are accommodated in the two national level events as non-feature film entries and the same right denied to Manipuri digital/video films.

Owing to absence of a prompt reply from the Ministry another reminder was sent on February 18 with a note of caution that the matter would be contested in a court of law, the Forum Chairman claimed and added that even as due process had been initiated on the legal aspect of the matter an official approval document from the IB Ministry's Additional Director General cum Director (Film Festival) datelined July 6 was received today.

Lalitkumar also said that the document mentioned right of Manipuri digital/video films to participate in the 57th National Film Award 2009 and 41st International Film Festival of India 2010 .

He called upon the film makers of Manipur to capitalise on the opportunity so as to sustain the film movement.

Comment