A three-day 10th National Film Festival on Art and Artists kick-started hereon Friday. The festival organised by the Jatin Das Centre of Art (JDCA) focuses on Odisha’s arts and crafts. Around 30 films from across the country would be screened at the festival.
Inaugurating the festival, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appreciated the initiative of the JDCA aimed at greater exposure of art and artists.
“We have decided to fully partner the film festival from next year onwards,” Patnaik announced.
“The JDCA’s expertise in bringing quality films would benefit our art lovers, filmmakers and audiences at large. Odisha’s greatest treasure is its rich cultural heritage, and we must make all possible efforts to put it on the art map of the globe,” he added.
Such type of festival would go a long way in documenting and preserving Odishan art, artists and culture for posterity, Patnaik hoped. The JDCA in collaboration with the State Government would extend its documentation service to cover up innumerable artists and artisans here, he said.
Patnaik also said Odisha is gifted with a number of talented artists who belong to traditional as well as contemporary worlds of painting, sculpture, dance, music, weaving, etc.
The films to be screened during the festival include The Seventh Walk, a movie on artist Paramjit Singh by Amit Dutta, Tribute to Nirad Mahapatra: With Quietude…to Nirad by Joshy Joseph, Colours from India by Dimple Kharbanda, Talk: Volunteering in Art by Nandita Das, and Odishi Dance on Madhavi Mudgal by Ghanashyam Mohapatra.
The film festival began with Retrospect on BV Doshi, a four-minute film by Ashutosh Shah and Taher SM based on renowned architect BV Doshi.