iffi: Satyajit Ray’s contribution to cinema, the production of OTT series, short films: Masterclasses, sessions with experts on the nuances of cinema a success at IFFI | Hindi movie news

Each year, IFFI invites eminent film personalities and film experts to organize masterclasses and participate in conversation sessions on various aspects of cinema. Also this year, moviegoers joined in chat sessions to get a glimpse of the filmmaking process. From Hrithik Roshan to Shoojit Sircar, industry experts shared their views on their work at the festival. At the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) Film Bazaar, which is also held on the sidelines of IFFI, there were sessions on filming in the hills, casting and using visual effects, etc. for budding filmmakers.

Exciting discussions on OTT series keep audiences hooked at IFFI
One of the busiest sessions at IFFI this year was the one on The Popularity of The Family Man, The Storytelling of Sardar Udham and Prasoon Joshi’s Masterclass, where he stressed the importance of being focused on society with its work, among others. This time, the IFFI was organized in a hybrid format with virtual and physical screenings and sessions. As this was the first year that IFFI collaborated with OTT platforms, the audience had the opportunity to better discuss and understand the vision of the filmmakers and actors – whether Manoj Bajpayee speaking of playing an ordinary man in The Family Man, or Maharani’s writers discussing how the writing of the series went in Zoom meetings or over the phone. While Madhur Bhandarkar said the concept for his films still comes from him, Shoojit Sircar shared that in many ways he has lived the story of his films. Citing an example from his film October, he said: “The films I have made have been associated with me in one way or another. With October, a lot of the movie is part of my life because my mom was in a coma and I was with her in intensive care for three months, so all of the footage filmed in the hospital is based on my personal experiences.

A session on short films
Budding filmmakers have been fortunate enough to understand the growing demand for short films. Cécile Blondel from Gobelins School of Image, Paris, in her virtual masterclass on ‘Why make a short film’ is fascinating, declared: “For 45 years we have been asking our students to make a short film as part of the course, and these films are an asset to us. The fact that people can watch them on their phones while commuting or at their convenience also increases the attractiveness of short films.