R ARIVANANTHAM
GOA, NOV 24
The vibrant enthusiasm of youth, an electrifying atmosphere and the intensity of 48 tireless yet unforgettable hours – this was the scene at Maquinez Palace on Sunday during the Closing Ceremony of Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT), held in the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
— International Film Festival of India (@IFFIGoa) November 24, 2024
#WATCH | ๐๐ก๐ "๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ" ๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ณ๐๐๐ซ. Neerja Sekhar, Special Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, highlighted that IFFI provides a crucialโฆ pic.twitter.com/nCx5z8YfMM
— PB-SHABD (@PBSHABD) November 24, 2024
- Celebrating the future of Indian Cinema โ โCreative Minds of Tomorrowโ showcases young talent and creative stories crafted in just 48 hours
- This year, IFFI is dedicated to legends – of the past and of the future, represented by the youth of our country: Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, I&B
- โGulluโ – A film showing delicate relationship between men and technology through an invisible mobile phone wins big at CMOT
#WATCH | ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐-๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ '๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ' Challenge concluded on Day 4 of IFFI, providing participants with a platform full of opportunities, creativity, and invaluable experiences. It is a thrilling journey for the filmmakers of tomorrow.โฆ pic.twitter.com/23zhiOmMna
— PB-SHABD (@PBSHABD) November 24, 2024
CMOT has emerged as a leading platform for discovering and nurturing Indiaโs most promising young filmmakers. This year marked a significant milestone, with the program expanding to include 100 young talents across 13 filmmaking disciplines, a notable increase from the 75 participants and 10 crafts featured in previous editions. The initiative garnered an overwhelming response, receiving nearly 1,070 entries from across India, showcasing their talents in 13 film-related trades.
A highlight of the event was the 48-Hour Filmmaking Challenge where participants, divided into five teams of 20 members each, created short films centred around the theme โRelationships in the Age of Technologyโ. The challenge took place from November 21 to 23, 2024, across 12 locations within a 4-kilometer radius of Panjim, which tested the teamโs creativity and resilience.
This year, the winners of the 48-hour Filmmaking Challenge at CMOT are:
- Best Film: Gullu
- Best Film (Runners-up): We Hear the Same Music
- Best Director: Arshaly Jose (Gullu)
- Best Script: Adhiraj Bose (Lovepix Subscription)
- Best Actress: Vishakha Nair (Lovepix Subscription)
- Best Actor: Pushpendra Kumar (Gullu)
#WATCH | Arshaly Jose, who won the Best Director Award for the film "Gullu," calls the 48-hour filmmaking challenge under Creative Minds of Tomorrow a great experience. She says it was owing to the great coordination within the team that her team could deliver.#IFFI2024 |โฆ pic.twitter.com/Gm803lCdj0
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) November 24, 2024
Arshaly Jose, who won the Best Director award, expressed her gratitude, saying, โThis achievement belongs to my entire team. The script was the true hero of our film, and the moment I read it, I knew we had something special. Working with this exceptional team has been an unforgettable experience.โ
These young talents were mentored by the previous yearโs CMOT alumni who were invited as CMOT Champions – Chidananda Naik, Akhil Lotlikar, Subarna Dash, Akshita Vohra and Krishna Dusane.
Praising the participants, Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, said, โTo produce such exemplary films within 48 hours under immense pressure is an achievement in itself. Every participant here is a winner.โ He further emphasized, โThis year, we have dedicated IFFI to legends- of the past and of the future, represented by the youth of our country. Initiatives like CMOT, Film Bazaar, and the Red Carpet provide a gateway for aspiring filmmakers to realize their dreams.โ
Actor Amit Sadh, also present at the ceremony, praised IFFI for bringing the film industryโs opportunities directly to young filmmakers and actors from across the nation. The event was graced by several dignitaries, including Neerja Sekhar, Special Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Prithul Kumar, Joint Secretary of Broadcasting and MD, NFDC; Vrunda Desai, Joint Secretary of Films,ย and Apurva Chandra, former Secretary of the Ministry of I&B. Acclaimed writer and Grand Jury Member Samrat Chakraborty also attended the event.
As the winners were announced amidst an enthusiastic crowd, Carter Pilcher, Founder and CEO of Shorts International, lauded the participants, remarking, โthe quality and content of the films produced this year are brilliant and outstanding.โ
Organized in collaboration with UK-based network Shorts International, the 48-Hour Filmmaking Challenge offers a unique opportunity for young filmmakers to test their creativity, storytelling skills and teamwork under intense time constraints. Shorts TV also took on the task of the entire pre-production, production and post production of these films at CMOT.
This year, CMOT has not only celebrated the vibrant talent of young filmmakers but also cemented IFFIโs role as a launchpad for these filmmakers.