Srinagar: The two-day Film Fest organised by Department of Journalism & Mass Communication concluded at Government College for Women, M.A. Road here. .
The event was organised in collaboration with Film Southasia (FSA) & Hri Institute for Southasian Research and Exchange. Several critically acclaimed documentaries were screened followed by interactive sessions. A workshop and an exhibition was also part of the two-day event.
Resource persons for the event included Laxmi Murthy, Alok Adhikari and Pawas Manandhar. The event was attended by students and faculty members of the college.
On the first day of the fest, four films were screened including ‘Taangh’ (Longing), ‘God’s Buffalo’ and ‘Gurkha Girls’. Besides, a home production of the Journalism department ‘Ayesha’ was also premiered.
A workshop on the theme ‘Reframing Visual Depiction of Women and Sexual Violence’ was held in which the students expressed their thoughts in creative forms including sketches and poems. It was followed by the screening of the documentary ‘City That Spoke to Me’.
An exhibition titled ‘Create, Collaborate, Catalyse: Reflections on Sexual Violence in South Asia’ was also held on the sidelines of the event.
Laxmi Murthy spoke about the power of documentary films not only to highlight pressing societal issues but also challenge problematic narratives around issues like gender discrimination and violence.
Principal, Prof. (Dr.) Ruhi Jan Kanth felicitated the resource persons and appreciated the journalism department for smooth conduct of the event. She also briefed the guests about the efforts of the college administration to uphold the rich legacy of the institution while constantly striving to improve its academic profile with key research and skill development initiatives.
On the successful culmination of the event, Murthy said, “We loved interacting with the students. They are full of talent, passion and optimism. We are so happy with the overall conduct of the event. We hope this is the start of a longer journey and collaboration with the journalism department of the women’s college.”
While presenting vote of yhanks, Head, Department of Journalism, Dr. Suhail Ahmad termed it a great learning experience. He said the films screened as part of the fest celebrated the human spirit in the face of adversity.