Film and entertainment centre to be set up in Mumbai: Ashish Shelar
The centre, named AVGC (Animation, Visual, Gaming, and Comic), will bring global experts to train professionals in advanced filmmaking technologies
The state government has allotted 10 acres of land in Mumbai’s Film City to establish a centre of excellence for the film and entertainment industry, cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar announced at the inauguration of the 23rd Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch on Thursday. The centre, named AVGC (Animation, Visual, Gaming, and Comic), will bring global experts to train professionals in advanced filmmaking technologies.
The festival, jointly organized by the Pune Film Foundation and the Maharashtra government, runs from February 13 to 20 and is themed ‘Celebrating the Showman’ in honour of Raj Kapoor’s birth centenary.
Veteran actress Shobha Khote was conferred with the PIFF Distinguished Award for her contribution to Indian cinema, while legendary playback singer Kavita Krishnamurthy received the SD Burman International Award for creative music and sound. Krishnamurthy, after receiving the award, performed her iconic song Pyar Hua Chupkese.
Vikas Kharge, principal secretary, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, emphasized the importance of the film industry, stating that it contributes 2% to India’s GDP, with an 8% compound annual growth rate. He underscored the government’s support for both regional and international films and invited global filmmakers to explore Maharashtra’s infrastructure and locations for their projects.
Dr Jabbar Patel, festival director, said PIFF received 1,500 film submissions this year, of which 150 films from 81 countries will be screened across categories such as World Competition, Marathi Competition, Global Cinema, Marathi Cinema, and Indian Cinema. He noted that the festival will also address the challenges faced by Marathi cinema due to the rise of OTT platforms.
Key events
Vijay Tendulkar Memorial Lecture by actor Boman Irani on The Art of Acting (Feb 16)
Government Schemes to Promote Marathi Cinema by Swati Mhase Patil (Feb 14)
Talk on Documentary Filmmaking featuring Umesh Kulkarni, Anupama Srinivasan, Sarvnik Kaur, and Kuldeep Barve (Feb 15)
Cinema and Soul: Tapan Sinha by Swapan Kumar Mallick and Goutam Ghosh (Feb 17)
Creating Content with AI Films by Pacco Torres (Feb 18)
Marathi Panel: Challenges in Marathi Cinema with Paresh Mokashi, Aditya Sarpotdar, Adinath Kothare, and Sunil Phadtare (Feb 19)