Srinagar: Hailing the joint initiative launched by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune and the Department of Information & Public Relations (DIPR), J&K to conduct skill development courses in Television Production and Filmmaking for the State’s youth, Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday assured full support of the State Government for carrying forward this novel initiative.
“The State Government will provide whatever support is needed to carry forward this innovative and creative initiative,” Ms Mehbooba told the Director, FTII Pune, Bhupendra Kainthola who called on the Chief Minister here this morning.
He was accompanied by Director Information & Public Relations, Muneer-ul-Islam.
Thanking Kainthola for sending his faculty all the way from Pune every time as also for his personal attention to the initiative to impart training to JK youth, the Chief Minister evinced keen interest in having a Regional Centre of FTII in J&K given the huge interest of local youth in Filmmaking and Television Production. She said the State Government will take up the matter regarding setting up of FTII Regional Centre in J&K with the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting.
The Chief Minister said such training programmes would not only help the State groom professionals in the field of TV Production and Filmmaking, but also open up vast career opportunities for the local youth in the related field.
Mr Kaintholabriefed the Chief Minister about the initiatives taken by FTII Pune in collaboration with Department of Information & Public Relations, J&K to organize a series of specialized training courses for media professionals in J&K to harness their creative talent.
Mr Kainthola informed the Chief Minister that he and his faculty are highly impressed with the enthusiasm and appetite for artistic skills among J&K’s talented youth. He said the lack of proper training and exposure to latest technology and techniques in film and television production, is the only hindrance in harnessing the full potential of the State’s youth. “It is with this objective that FTII Pune has embarked on a mission, in collaboration with Department of Information & Public Relations, to train as many youths from the State in specialized filmmaking courses,” he said and added that as a part of SKIFT initiative FTII has already conducted four Certificate courses at Jammu and Srinagar including courses in Digital Filmmaking, Film Appreciation, Still Photography and Screenplay Writing.
He said in the next phase, FTII is going to organize specialized courses in Digital Cinematography, Digital Film Production, Acting, Digital Video Editing and Writing for TV Fiction. “While most of these courses will be conducted in Srinagar, Jammu and Ladakh, the course in Digital Video Editing would be conducted at FTII Pune campus for which selection of students from J&K would be made by DIPR-JK,” he said and added that FTII Pune is ready to enter into an arrangement with the State’s School Education Department through DIPR-JK to launch various courses in TV and Film production even at the school level.
Acknowledging the support and cooperation extended to FTII Pune by DIPR-JK for the successful conduct of the courses in the State, Mr Kainthola said he and his faculty are extremely impressed with the support they have got in J&K and the hospitality they have relished from the students and the people in general during their stay in the State.
He told the Chief Minister that FTII has already trained around 2600 youth in 19 cities in different courses like editing, cinematography, direction, action, script writing, acting and other courses under the Skilling India in Film and Television (SKIFT) initiative.
The Director FTII also presented selected pictures taken by students who attended the just-concluded Foundation Course on Still Photography at Media Complex Srinagar.
