Manipur Film Development Society to conduct film preservation and production workshops

In a bid to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for film preservation and production, the Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) has announced two intensive workshops set to take place from April 4th to 7th, 2024. These workshops are part of the commemoration of the 3rd Foundation of its SN Chand Cine Archive & Museum (SNCCAM) as well as the birth of Manipuri Cinema, known as the Mami Numit.

The 3-day intensive, hand-on training workshop on film preservation, slated from April 4 to 6, 2024, will be conducted by Film Conservator Johnson Rajkumar, who has won accolades including the Champions of Film Heritage Award 2022 for his commitment to film preservation and laying the foundation SNCCAM. 

The workshop will cover a range of topics, including preservation of film, video, audio, and digital formats. Participants can expect to gain practical skills and theoretical understanding of film conservation and restoration, as well as digitization techniques.

Simultaneously, a 2-day intensive Producer’s Lab, tailored for practicing producers, filmmakers and aspirants, is slated for April 6-7, 2024. It will cover all aspects of film producing from Script to Screen, comprising different facets of producing films such as ideation, script development, budgeting, pitching for funding, film markets, acquisition of rights and film distributions strategies. Special focus on developing a winning pitch for a film project to prospective financers, investors, or production companies nationally or internationally. 

The first ever lab designed for producers in the State would be mentored by Alexander Leo Pou, director of the Manipur State Film & Television Institute (MSFTI), under the directorate of Art & Culture, Government of Manipur. Pou is an alumnus of Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) who specialized in Film Producing. He also worked as a Film Facilitation Officer (East and North East Region) of the Film Facilitation Office (FFO) of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. He went on to serve as the Deputy Manager of Film Production at the branch of the same organization in Mumbai before taking the rein of MSFTI.

The workshops hold particular significance as they coincide with the 3rd Foundation Day of SNCCAM, established during the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Manipuri Cinema in 2021. Incidentally, SNCCAM is the only State-run Film Archiving and Museum in India, having a Film Conservatory Lab for film maintenance and training activities and a Film Vault Room for preserving celluloid negatives and positives prints.

The valediction function for these workshops is scheduled for April 9th, also known as Mami Numit, the birthday of Manipuri Cinema. The function will be held at the Palace Auditorium, where participants will join in a commemorative programme, honouring both the Foundation Day of SNCCAM and the Mami Numit. A special feature of Mami Numit observation includes offering homage and floral tribute at the  Manipuri Cinema Memorial Monolith at MSFDS complex at Konung Mamang.

With these intensive labs, MSFDS aims to not only nurture talent in film preservation and production but also to celebrate the vibrant legacy of Manipuri cinema. Practicing producers, filmmakers, film  archivists/conservators besides enthusiasts and aspirants are encouraged to seize this unique opportunity by logging on the notification for online application for the workshop/labs.