Himalayan Film Festival to return for second edition on September 29
Mumbai (PTI): The second edition of the Himalayan Film Festival (THFF) will be held in Ladakh from September 29 to October 3, the organisers announced on Tuesday.
According to a press release, the film gala will bring the magic of Indian cinema beyond the mainstream, to the landscapes of the Himalayas.
It will be organised by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) of the Administration of Union Territory of Ladakh, in collaboration with Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh.
Acclaimed film titles promising a cinematic journey that spans "emotions, narratives, and cultures" including "Haqeeqat", which was filmed in Ladakh, "Spawo (Warrior)", "Ama (Mother)", "Jungwa: The Broken Balance", "Lunana: A Yak In the Classroom", "Por Thozhil", "Sunpat", and ' the evergreen "Lage Raho Munna Bhai" are part of the THFF line-up.
Besides film screenings, the festival will offer events including the Screenwriters Lab, Short Film Competition, Photography Workshop, and Masterclasses, curated by esteemed professionals from the Indian film industry.
Padma Angmo, Commissioner/Secretary, Information, Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh, said they are happy to return with the second chapter of the festival after its inaugural session in 2021.
"The primary aim of organising the festival is to provide a platform to local Ladakhi filmmakers to showcase their films, to encourage local talent, build their capacity, connect them to experts and the market. It is a small community, but one that is very active and very creative.
"We hope that they will benefit from the opportunity to network with established filmmakers from other parts of the country. We hope that filmmakers from across the country, and the world, see Ladakh as a filmmaking destination, and utilise local talent in their filmmaking endeavors," Angmo said in a statement.
Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane and actor Janhvi Kapoor will be some of the names from the Indian film industry who will participate in the masterclasses at the gala.
"I think the Himalayan Film Festival is very important, not just for film lovers who get the chance to actually listen to speakers, watch a lot of movies and experience something like this, but I think it is also important for local filmmakers to be able to access and learn tools that will enable them to go out there and create their film," said Motwane, whose web series "Jubilee" will also be screened during the festival.
"The Himalayan Film Festival is a great way for filmmakers from the Himalayan regions to showcase their talent and learn from industry experts. The festival will also provide an opportunity for viewers to see a variety of films and interact with filmmakers from across the country," added Kapoor.
Director-photographer Achal Mishra, known for films such as "Gamak Ghar" and "Dhuin", will head the Photography Workshop at THFF.
"I feel a film festival's purpose shouldn't just be bringing films from outside to a local audience, but also to give a platform to the local filmmakers and their films. I'm happy that The Himalayan Film Festival is doing just that for Ladakh, a place I dearly love, and which has been my second home for the last 5-6 years," Mishra said.
Filmmakers Rima Das, Dominic Megam Sangma and Amit Sharma are part of the jury panel for the Short Film Competition segment during the five-day extravaganza.
"I am so happy that The Himalayan Film Festival is creating a platform to empower budding filmmakers, expose them to different kinds of films and nurture their talent," said Das, whose film "Tora's Husband" will be screened during the festival.
Sangma termed festivals like THFF as a bridge that connects two or more regions, helping the local community get more exposure to the world of cinema, and at the same time help reveal talent from this region to the world outside.
Filmmaker and screenwriter Satyanshu Singh will serve as mentor of the Screenwriters Lab at The Himalayan Film Festival 2023.
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Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
