Kota, Feb 2 (PTI) The three-day Chambal International Film Festival concluded here on Saturday with a strong emphasis on promoting film production and documentary-making in Rajasthan, particularly in Kota.
The eighth edition of the festival, held at the UIT auditorium, showcased 1,104 short films, documentaries, and animations from 93 countries, Director of Chambal International Film Festival Dr. Kapil Sidharth said.
He said around 75 filmmakers from across India and one from Rome, Italy, participated in the event, festival director.
The festival aims to provide a platform for filmmakers, documentary creators, and animation artists while also encouraging film production, art, and culture in Kota, allowing local audiences to experience quality short films being produced globally, he added.
Dr Sidharth highlighted that the Italian movie Safed (White), shot in Kota last year, for the festival. The film became the first foreign production to complete 75 per cent of its shooting in Kota.
We are making efforts to attract more foreign filmmakers to Rajasthan, he said.
Italian filmmaker Stefania Simoni, who worked on Safed, said the 93-minute film offers a unique perspective of Kota through a foreigner’s eyes.
She expressed admiration for Rajasthan’s natural landscapes, architecture, palaces, and forts, noting that they provide remarkable locations for filmmaking.
Short film director Vaishali Panwar from Sangli, Maharashtra, who screened her film Desire at the festival, said short movies are a viable career option as they convey powerful messages with minimal budgets.
Animation filmmaker Semon Das from Kolkata emphasized the growing career opportunities in animation and multimedia.
Graphics, video editing, audio editing, and other related fields are in high demand in India and animation plays a crucial role in content creation across various industries, he said.
Documentary filmmaker Anil Goswami from Uttar Pradesh presented his documentary Vietnam War, which focused on the environmental and biodiversity destruction caused by wars.
The festival served as a platform to raise awareness about short films and animation, providing aspiring filmmakers with new opportunities, the organizers said. PTI COR OZ OZ