Govt plan is that all kinds of good films are made in India: Javadekar

Addressing a session at the online International Coronavirus Short Film Festival, he also said it is nothing short of a ''communication revolution'' that everyone with access to a smartphone and a story to tell is a filmmaker today. 

''People have now become citizen journalists, where they shoot on mobile phones and even edit them and are ready with their short films. This is a communication revolution,'' the minister said From the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) to the Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films, all reward the best talent in the business, Javadekar said. ''At IFFI, we will showcase 21 non-feature films, even at National Film Awards, we have several categories for short films under 70 minutes. The Mumbai International Film Festival also awards documentaries and filmmakers. ''This is the government's plan... that all kinds of films, good films, films which move people are made...,'' Javadekar said. 

He said a film festival for short films based entirely on the deadly disease is a novel idea. Organised by the Indian Infotainment Media Corporation (IIMC), the International Coronavirus Short Film Festival has received over 2,800 entries from 108 countries. The festival aims at showcasing stories based on cure, safety measure and lives affected during the coronavirus pandemic. 

''Coronavirus gripped the entire world, wreaked havoc but in a way also awakened people's talent. There was so much creativity around, even in the text messages we would get everyday. ''Because there was lockdown and no one could step out, people started to watch a lot of TV, listen to radio, and rely on other mediums of entertainment. They consumed short films from home,'' Javadekar added. 

Also present at the event were Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and IIMC chairperson Devendra Khandelwal. Naqvi congratulated the organisers for the festival and for documenting not just what happens in the country but across the world. Due to the pandemic, shooting of films had largely been postponed for a long time, the Minority Affairs minister noted. 

During this crisis, short films not only entertained the people but also made people aware of the challenges posed by COVID-19, Naqvi said. ''Different channels, be it news channels, entertainment channels, sports or business channels, played a praiseworthy role in spreading awareness among the people regarding the pandemic,'' he said. 

According to Naqvi, history is witness to the fact that whenever there is a crisis in the country, the government, society, cinema and media have together performed their respective responsibilities with complete honesty in national interest and for human welfare. ''There have been positive revolutionary changes in work culture, character and commitment of the administration, society, cinema and media during the last 10 months,'' he said. Jury members for the festival include singer Sonu Nigam, actor-filmmaker Dheeraj Kumar, former Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) chairperson Gajendra Chauhan and film producer Anand Pandit.