A Story Of Making Friends Through Cinema
Friends Of Cinema
Missed the time when a camera accompanied us everywhere. Missed the moments when we strutted around pretending to be making nothing short of a world class documentary. Missed the thrill of seeing our baby unfold on the big screen .As people from the mass media background, film making had become an addiction and recreating moments, a passion; which is why we wished to take this mania outside the ambit of college festivals and give ourselves a chance to try something bigger and better.
Missed the time when a camera accompanied us everywhere. Missed the moments when we strutted around pretending to be making nothing short of a world class documentary. Missed the thrill of seeing our baby unfold on the big screen .As peofrom the mass media background, film making had become an addiction and recreating moments, a passion; which is why we wished to take this mania outside the ambit of college festivals and give ourselves a chance to try something bigger and better.
It was at this moment that 5 of us got together at one of the Five Gardens (as it is popularly known) in Dadar, Mumbai and grappled with ideas for an instant solution. This eventually came in the form of FoC- Friends of Cinema - a venture which would not only provide exposure to independent short filmmakers but would also create a sense of camaraderie amongst the filmmakers - so as to form a symbiotic bond in the independent short filmmaking world.
The idea was to form a national network of independent filmmakers and to organize a get- together once a month to screen short films. The intent was also to encourage more and more amateur filmmakers to make a smooth transition to the world of professional filmdom through discussions and infusing a sense of confidence in them by screening their movies alongside professionally made ones. The quintet decided to give shape to thethought.
Now came the tough part, hunting for a sponsor. It seemed like a nightmare back then, but things got a push in the right direction when the friends approached FX school of animation and visual effects32q. The zest to support such ventures exhibited by the FX School was encouraging and there was no looking back after that. NCPA, too, joined the bandwagon to support a students’ venture allowed FoC to utilize their space for a minimal token fee.
To sum it up, the script and story was now ready.
Friends Of Cinema held the first screening of short films on the 15th of May 2010 at the Little Theatre, NCPA at 6:30 pm
Lights, Camera and Action …there began our story.
(Excerpts from a newspaper article)
FoC was meant to be an outlet for short film makers and connoisseurs of the art, a conduit for the creative soul and a platform for reaching out to larger number of people.
As Damini Mainkar puts it “ I’ve always loved watching short films and I find it very challenging to take the audience across a whole gambit of emotions in a limited period of time and believe me the films I have seen at the screening have ably done that.”
CUT to 8 months later….
The 7th screening of FoC at the Little Theatre was well received, if the packed auditorium was any sign to go by. Be it the sadistic pleasure that the noir film Final Flight of the Soul gave or the collective ring of laughter that echoed after In the Closet. As the live wire Meghana took the audience through the various films, with the directors themselves narrating to the audience their first hand experience at film making, there were enthusiastic hands that shot up in the air wanting to hear more in response to their queries.
We had achieved what we had set out to, i.e., creating a platform for discussing films, a platform through which amateurs could learn the craft of film making by quizzing those who are at it already.
In the words of Limin Mathew “When we set out, we wanted independent filmmakers to be each others’ resources and support. And I think we are doing a good job considering that all the filmmakers meet and discuss films post screenings, add each other on facebook and critic each others’ ventures.”
Jay Tanna adds “This venture is like a haven for independent filmmakers, the day of the screening they go through the same set of emotions any Bollywood director goes through on the first day of his film. Even better, here, they get to know the reactions of the audience instantly and also get an opportunity to answer their questions and better their skills”
Flashback....
The quintet still remembers the time when 5 Short Films fanatics were struggling to make FoC happen. ..Today they have passed on the Short Films fever to most people they came in touch with.
Now the question is: were they successful in creating a symbiotic unit of filmmakers?
“I made my first film 2 months back -the camera and other creative support for my film came from another friend whom I had met at FoC. FoC has been a blessing in disguise for me. And now with encouragement from people I had met at the FoC I am shooting my second venture which, God willing, I wish to screen at the FoC.” Says Rijoy Thobias, an avid filmmaker.
We can rightly say that Friends of Cinema has made many friends on the way. “And as we have always maintained you don’t need to be a filmmaker to be at our screenings, all you need is a passion and zest for cinema.” Prajakta Kakade echoes the sentiments of the entire group in these lines which she also believes is the reason for the diverse turnout.
One thing is for sure, the idea is catching on and the turnout is soaring.
It won’t be long before people say
What an idea, Sirjee!!”
Each and everyone is welcome to join the gang and be the friends of Friends Of Cinema and support the venture.
Missed the time when a camera accompanied us everywhere. Missed the moments when we strutted around pretending to be making nothing short of a world class documentary. Missed the thrill of seeing our baby unfold on the big screen .As peofrom the mass media background, film making had become an addiction and recreating moments, a passion; which is why we wished to take this mania outside the ambit of college festivals and give ourselves a chance to try something bigger and better.
It was at this moment that 5 of us got together at one of the Five Gardens (as it is popularly known) in Dadar, Mumbai and grappled with ideas for an instant solution. This eventually came in the form of FoC- Friends of Cinema - a venture which would not only provide exposure to independent short filmmakers but would also create a sense of camaraderie amongst the filmmakers - so as to form a symbiotic bond in the independent short filmmaking world.
The idea was to form a national network of independent filmmakers and to organize a get- together once a month to screen short films. The intent was also to encourage more and more amateur filmmakers to make a smooth transition to the world of professional filmdom through discussions and infusing a sense of confidence in them by screening their movies alongside professionally made ones. The quintet decided to give shape to thethought.
Now came the tough part, hunting for a sponsor. It seemed like a nightmare back then, but things got a push in the right direction when the friends approached FX school of animation and visual effects32q. The zest to support such ventures exhibited by the FX School was encouraging and there was no looking back after that. NCPA, too, joined the bandwagon to support a students’ venture allowed FoC to utilize their space for a minimal token fee.
To sum it up, the script and story was now ready.
Friends Of Cinema held the first screening of short films on the 15th of May 2010 at the Little Theatre, NCPA at 6:30 pm
Lights, Camera and Action …there began our story.
(Excerpts from a newspaper article)
FoC was meant to be an outlet for short film makers and connoisseurs of the art, a conduit for the creative soul and a platform for reaching out to larger number of people.
As Damini Mainkar puts it “ I’ve always loved watching short films and I find it very challenging to take the audience across a whole gambit of emotions in a limited period of time and believe me the films I have seen at the screening have ably done that.”
CUT to 8 months later….
The 7th screening of FoC at the Little Theatre was well received, if the packed auditorium was any sign to go by. Be it the sadistic pleasure that the noir film Final Flight of the Soul gave or the collective ring of laughter that echoed after In the Closet. As the live wire Meghana took the audience through the various films, with the directors themselves narrating to the audience their first hand experience at film making, there were enthusiastic hands that shot up in the air wanting to hear more in response to their queries.
We had achieved what we had set out to, i.e., creating a platform for discussing films, a platform through which amateurs could learn the craft of film making by quizzing those who are at it already.
In the words of Limin Mathew “When we set out, we wanted independent filmmakers to be each others’ resources and support. And I think we are doing a good job considering that all the filmmakers meet and discuss films post screenings, add each other on facebook and critic each others’ ventures.”
Jay Tanna adds “This venture is like a haven for independent filmmakers, the day of the screening they go through the same set of emotions any Bollywood director goes through on the first day of his film. Even better, here, they get to know the reactions of the audience instantly and also get an opportunity to answer their questions and better their skills”
Flashback....
The quintet still remembers the time when 5 Short Films fanatics were struggling to make FoC happen. ..Today they have passed on the Short Films fever to most people they came in touch with.
Now the question is: were they successful in creating a symbiotic unit of filmmakers?
“I made my first film 2 months back -the camera and other creative support for my film came from another friend whom I had met at FoC. FoC has been a blessing in disguise for me. And now with encouragement from people I had met at the FoC I am shooting my second venture which, God willing, I wish to screen at the FoC.” Says Rijoy Thobias, an avid filmmaker.
We can rightly say that Friends of Cinema has made many friends on the way. “And as we have always maintained you don’t need to be a filmmaker to be at our screenings, all you need is a passion and zest for cinema.” Prajakta Kakade echoes the sentiments of the entire group in these lines which she also believes is the reason for the diverse turnout.
One thing is for sure, the idea is catching on and the turnout is soaring.
It won’t be long before people say
What an idea, Sirjee!!”
Each and everyone is welcome to join the gang and be the friends of Friends Of Cinema and support the venture.
