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Sushantika Chatterjee
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Galgotias University hosted the “Greater Noida Short Film Festival 2023” in association with Prerna Shodh Sansthan on the 26th and 27th of August 2023. Eminent personalities like actor, singer and politician Manoj Tiwari, actress and writer Supriya Shukla, Actor Gajendra Singh Chauhan and director Akashaditya Lama were present during the event.
The two-day celebration of the festival started on 26th August by lighting the auspicious lamp and with the introduction of jury members and guests. After the felicitation of the guests, Dr A.R. Pandey, Head, of the Department of Mass Communication gave a welcome speech and provided a brief idea about how the two-day-long event would unfold.
After this, host Pallavi Singh welcomed famous actor Gajendra Chahuhan who is popularly known for playing the role of ‘Yudhishthira’ in the epic television series “Mahabharat”(1988-90). He delivered a short speech and expressed his gratitude for being invited to the film festival and how artists play an important role in shaping the future of the coming generation.
The next keynote speech was delivered by Director Akashaditya Lama who is well known for writing screenplays for films like “Lahore”. He went on to emphasise the importance of bringing authentic voices and reviving the Indian culture on screen.
Up next Popular television actress Supriya Shukla addressed the audience and shared her more than two-decade-long experiences on the television screen. Keeping in mind the subject of the festival she addressed how a short film should deliver its message in a short span of time.
The event further continued with the presidential address by Prof. Renu Luthra, advisor to the Chancellor and former Vice-Chancellor. Her short and eloquent speech inspired the young minds sitting in the audience. She talked about the impact of movies on society and how ‘the media can act as an instrument of change’.
After the keynote session, an hour-long masterclass on filmmaking was taken by Gajendra Chauhan where he emphasised how Bollywood films represent our society. The first day of the event ended with a thought-provoking session by eminent personalities.
The second day started with the felicitation of guests like Justice R.B. Sharma, Prof. J.S. Rajput, Dr Mayank Agarwal, and IAS Amar Nath Upadhyay followed by their keynote speeches.
After all the keynote speeches by esteemed dignitaries, it was time for the workshop by Akashaditya Lama. In his one-and-a-half-hour-long workshop, Lama reminisced about his early days and how his journey of filmmaking started. He emphasized the importance of training oneself in order to become a director, actor or writer.
Along with the workshops selected short films were screened consecutively in two different auditoriums.
Another masterclass on film scripting was conducted by renowned actor Supriya Shukla. In her interactive masterclass, she shared how she started her journey in the realm of television and films and how her works impacted the lives of various people for the better.
Thereafter a break the university welcomed the renowned actor, singer and politician Manoj Tiwari. He started his masterclass by stating the significance of short films and how cinema can act as a mirror of society. He further encouraged the students to make films in their own regional language to promote their own culture.
After the completion of the masterclass, the two-day celebration ended with cultural performances by the students of Galgotias University and further on with the award ceremony where the best films were awarded with cash prizes and trophies.
