The Advisor to Chief Minister, Prof Amitabh Mattoo today visited the Media Complex Srinagar and interacted with the students undergoing training in Still Photography and Screenplay Writing.The month-long Foundation Course in Still Photography and Screenplay Writing is being jointly organized by FTII Pune and the Department of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) for media professionals in J&K under Skilling India in Film and Television (SKIFT) initiative. Around 50 media professionals from across the state including Kargil and Leh are presently undergoing training in these two courses.As a part of this initiative, FTII Pune & DIPR-JK have already organized a month-long course in Digital Filmmaking at Srinagar while a course on Film Appreciation will be organized at Jammu from tomorrow. The other courses to be organized at Srinagar, Jammu and Leh as a part of this collaboration include Digital Cinematography, Digital Film Production, Acting, Video Editing and Writing for TV Fiction.Hailing the DIPR-JK and FTII Pune for this novel initiative, Prof Mattoo said that exposure to latest technology and techniques in filmmaking and photography would go a long way in harnessing the creative skills of the local youth and building their capacities for the related jobs. He said DIPR could and should play a proactive role in honing the skills of the local media professionals to expose them to the latest technological interventions in the field of filmmaking and digital journalism.The FTII faculty who are imparting training to the students in Srinagar, while acknowledging and appreciating the enthusiasm, inquisitiveness and ingenuity of the trainees said that they are keen to learn as much as possible within the shortest possible time and make use of the new and imaginative techniques in the related field.
The students expressed gratitude to the DIPR-JK and FTII Pune for organizing such innovative courses in Srinagar. They also thanked the FTII Pune faculty for their dedication and passion in teaching and imparting new techniques to them.Speaking on the occasion, Director Information & Public Relations, Mr Muneer-ul-Islam while thanking the FTII Pune faculty for coming all along from Pune to Srinagar to train the local media professionals said DIPR is ready to elevate the skills of youth in the media industry and would facilitate such programmes for them in future as well so that they can keep pace with changing requirements of media and film industry. He also expressed gratitude to Director, FTII, Pune, Mr Bhupendra Kaintholafor his keen interest in the joint initiative.Muneer-ul-Islam said the DIPR is also organizing internship for local media professionals in various newspapers outside the state in collaboration with Press Council of India.Pertinently, 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 SKIFT initiative.The Advisor to the Chief Minister took a round of the Media Complex and appreciated various facilities like Auditorium and Conference Hall. He also visited the upcoming facilities at the Media Complex including state-of-the-art studio and Reference Library-cum-Reading Room and said that it is for the first time that such an integrated facility for media professionals is coming up in Srinagar under one roof.