ftii
The city-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) wants artists and technicians from movie industries across the globe to come here and use its expertise to hone their skills.
The FTII has requested the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to identify countries from where it can invite artists and technicians to take help of the prestigious institute's expertise in film training and education.
In the last nine months, the FTII has successfully conducted several short-term courses, like film appreciation, screen acting, digital cinematography, screenplay writing and fiction writing, in various institutions across the country for the film and TV industries, said the institute's director, Bhupendra Kainthola.
"Besides, a group of 20 actors from Nepal has been undergoing a short course in 'screen acting' here in the institute, which is the first initiative one of its kind by the Ministry of External Affairs," he said.
The FTII is regarded as a centre of excellence across the world and the films made by its students have been well received in festivals in India and abroad, apart from winning various national and international awards, he said.
The institute has a long list of prominent alumni, including filmmakers Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Girish Kasaravalli and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and actors Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi.
"The FTII alumni have left an indelible imprint on all facets of the Indian cinema and television and have built an excellent reputation worldwide too," the director said.
"With these strengths, we now want to go international and have a global footprint," he said.
"We have approached the MEA and expressed our willingness to conduct short courses for artists and technicians from other countries, especially in Asia and Africa," he said.
He said, "When we talk of India's soft power, then not only cinema but (aspects like) film education, film learning and film training ought to be a part of the canvas."
