Film festival underway at Patkai College

DIMAPUR — In an endeavour to revisit the roles of films in reflecting upon new socio-cultural and political dynamics in a society, a three-day campus film festival 3.0, organised by the Mass Communication department of Patkai Christian College (PCC), got underway on Wednesday on the theme “Reel reflections: Navigating new realms.”

The guest of honour and additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Medziphema, James Swu, who confessed that he was never a movie lover, said he realised watching movies itself was an art when he attended a film festival during his college days. According to the bureaucrat, there is a message behind every movie which may be cultural, historical and philosophical.

He called on the students to use the opportunity to learn saying that the film industry in Nagaland is still at a nascent stage.

The bureaucrat also recalled the years when people had only two aims in life: graduate and write NPSC, if not become a teacher. Pointing out that there are many good opportunities coming up, he encouraged the students to explore those avenues and find a place for themselves.

He also asserted that we are living in a very important time in history- the fifth revolution which is the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution. Touching upon every revolution that humans have gone through, he said, ‘In every industrial revolution people were scared that machines were going to take over our jobs and this fear continued but it did not happen which indicates that there has to be someone to prompt it. We have to change according to the technology or we will be left behind as there are ample opportunities.”

He pointed out that Nagas identify Nagaland as the “land of unemployment,” while it is otherwise for the non-Nagas as they identify “Nagaland as a land of opportunity.”

“For us employment is passing NPSC,” he said.

Terming unemployment as a fallacy, he stated that there will always be jobs for those who are willing to work.

PCC principal, Dr. Thepfüvilie Pierü, in his words of encouragement, remarked the festival which would enrich the campus community life.

“Remember whatever you are capable of doing right now is much more important than simply dreaming of what you are capable of doing. Right now something may seem impossible to you but if you work hard and accomplish that task then it will become a reality,” he said.

Film-maker and general secretary of Film Association of Nagaland, Yapangnaro Longkumer, was the special guest.

On the first day of the festival, nine short films made by students and film-makers from the Northeast were screened.

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