Centre of excellence tag for FTII soon
The government is planning to introduce a bill in parliament seeking to make the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) a centre of excellence, enabling it to enjoy the academic status and privileges of a University so as to foster creative ideas besides aiding students for higher studies and research in both India and abroad.
The government is planning to introduce a bill in parliament seeking to make the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) a centre of excellence, enabling it to enjoy the academic status and privileges of a University so as to foster creative ideas besides aiding students for higher studies and research in both India and abroad.
"This measure would enable FTII to draw a road map, to address the growing needs of media and entertainment industry," Ambika Soni, information and broadcasting minister, was quoted as saying in an official release at a meeting of her ministry's Parliamentary Consultative Committee at Pune on Saturday.
A Detailed project report already prepared by experts for the proposed upgradation of FTII seeks to revitalize the academic courses besides enhancing the infrastructure of the country's premier film institute, the release said.
The minister also said that the Planning Commission had recently okayed an allocation of Rs 660 crores to set up the National Film Heritage Mission (NFHM). NFHM aims at digitization of the country's film heritage preserved by departments like National Film Archives of India (NFAI), National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Films Division (FD), Directorate of Film Festival (DFF), and Children Film Society of India (CFSI).
Soni was also agreeable to the views of members that FTII should reach out to remote areas to tap local talent. For this purpose, it was proposed to hold mobile short term courses in critical aspects of film making.
The minister also emphasized on an outreach strategy being adopted by the Directorate of Film Festivals to take national award winning films to different parts of the country through its mini film festivals.