Students plan to appeal to filmmakers at International Film Festival of India; to garner support through blogs

FTII students take protest to IFFI

Students plan to appeal to filmmakers at International Film Festival of India; to garner support through blogs

As per tradition, students of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) have always been a part of International Film Festival of India (IFFI). But this year at the IFFI, which kicked off yesterday, FTII students are there on a different mission. All the students are meeting up with filmmakers and students of other institutes to discuss their concerns over the ministry and governing council plans to introduce short-term courses with higher fee structure.

Only discussion
"We don't want to agitate. We'll only put up posters and discuss our concerns with the experts present so that we get their views and ideas. Our intention is not to protest but to initiate a discussion," said Ajayan Adat, second-year student of sound and cultural secretary of the students' association. Classes have been cancelled so that students get to be part of the festival.

Internet support
The students are also trying to take their views online and have started a blog, which receives a fair amount of support.

Samarth Dixit, president of the students association said, "We are receiving number of letters which we are uploading on the blog. We haven't publicized the blog much but we are updating it regularly."

Gorash Dey, another FTII student currently present in Goa said, "It's just been a few hours that the festival has started. We are individually meeting filmmakers right now. From Tuesday, we will make groups and start working a little more aggressively."u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

Though the Hewiit Committee report was scrapped at the governing council meeting and a fresh committee was set under the guidance of PK Nair, students are still unhappy with Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry's ambiguity.u00a0 The students feel that the new report might be rejected.