Veteran actor Madhabi Mukherjee inaugurated the sixth edition of the Heritage Academy Film Festival (HAFF) on 17 May 2023. Mukherjee, who has played iconic women characters created by auteur Satyajit Ray in films like Charulata, Mahanagar, and Kapurush, was the chief guest at the event. Organised by the Department of Media Science, The Heritage Academy, Kolkata, HAFF 2023 witnessed the participation of more than 20 colleges across the country, including Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication, and Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication.
Bengali Indian filmmaker and theatre personality Ashoke Viswanathan
The inaugural session was also attended by eminent filmmakers Ashoke Viswanathan, known for his films ShunyoTheke Shuru and Kichu Sanglap, and Anik Dutta who has directed productions like Bhooter Bhobbishot and Aparajito.
Bengali film director Anik Dutta
"I worked with film makers like Manikda (Ray), Tapan Sinha and Ritwik Ghatak. It was a time when you could learn so much from them and others,” Mukherjee said during her inaugural address. “You cannot rewind to those years when people were more open-minded and relations were less complicated. This is inevitable with the passage of time," she added.
Dutta shared his experiences in making films like Aparajito which became the only Bengali Film to be selected in the Top 10 line-up at FIPRESCI INDIA Grand Prix 2023. Vishwanathan reached out to young minds and shared ways in which filmmakers generate interest among target audiences.
The two-day festival comprised of events like Aao Pitch Karein, ShobCharitroKalponik (Fiction Films), Golpo Holeo Shotti (Non-fiction Films), Trail Trek (Trailer Making), and Talaash: The Search Begins. Experts from the media and film industry like Judhajit Sarkar, filmmaker, Suprovo Tagore, Managing Director, Shriek of Silence, Prof. Binayak Bhattacharya, Head of Department, Department of Media Science, MAKAUT, and Dr. Amartya Amos Saha, Assistant Professor, New Alipore College judged the various events at HAFF 2023.
The inaugural session was also addressed by Prof. GourBannerjee, Principal, The Heritage Academy, Mr. Pradip Agarwal, CEO, Heritage Group of Institutions, Prof. Basab Chaudhuri, Principal, Heritage Institute of Technology and Prof. Madhupa Bakshi, Dean, Department of Media Science, The Heritage Academy, Kolkata.
Rahul Banerjee who spoke at length on films and television
The final day of the festival was addressed by actors Rupa Ganguly and Rahul Banerjee who spoke at length on films and television, holding audiences in rapt attention.
famous films and television actress Rupa Ganguly
The Department of Media Science, The Heritage Academy, Kolkata, offers B.Sc & M.Sc programmes in Media Science affiliated to MAKAUT, WB. Besides events like HAFF, the Institute organizes various other events like AD ADDA, Journoscope etc. to give the best exposure to the students from AD making to Film making and journalism. Here the students get an opportunity in content management, film making, social media marketing and many such areas which are really shaping up the Media Industry in the current scenario.
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