Reel skill

Meenakshi Shedde. Pic courtesy/Sherwin Crasto

If you ask the average film lover in India to name great Hollywood, French or Iranian films, they'll rattle off many titles. But ask them about two regional films from India or from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and other parts of South-East Asia, they'll have no clue. People are mostly aware of films from Bollywood or from their own regional language," points out independent film curator Meenakshi Shedde, who is the South Asia Delegate, Berlin Film Festival. This reality has always bothered Shedde. In a step towards unlocking the enriching world of films, not just from the Subcontinent but also across the world, for film lovers, Shedde has designed an online course titled How to Curate Films for Festivals, which will be organised by the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, for the first time in its 60-year history.

"I've had a long association with FTII since I attended their film appreciation course in 1992," shares Shedde, who has since gone back to the institute several times as a lecturer. The week-long course will adopt an intensive, hands-on approach towards teaching participants how to curate dynamic, stimulating film programmes not just for film festivals, but also for OTT sites, colleges, television, arts festivals, galleries, cultural organisations and other platforms. "I'll guide them on how to curate for festivals in India and around the world, how to look out for great films, how to look at different kinds of films, the way to come up with different curation ideas, understanding the target audience, and how to invent curating opportunities, among other aspects," she reveals.

The course will involve watching films and doing curating exercises. It's open to film lovers interested in curation, as well as film programmers or curators. Curation, she explains, is one of the keys to unlock the demand for great cinema in India. "There are over 100 film festivals in India. And yet, there's never been a proper designated course on film curation until now," she adds.

Call October 26 to November 1; apply by October 6, 6 pm
Log on to ftii.ac.in to apply
Call 25580083
Cost Rs 12,500 for Indian citizens